Malware on Gluten Free On The Go (GFOTG)

[philaustin]

I thought I ought to let everyone know about this. The other day I tried to go onto the Gluten Free On The Go website at work to look for eateries where I was going on holiday. Our system blocked my access so I asked out IT people about it. They said the site contained malware and gave me a Wiki link to look it up. That was all. Now, I think it is a pretty rotten thing to do to put Malevolent Software out using what appears to be a humanitarian front. If our IT people are right, maybe we should impose a block on GFOTG until they remove the malware, and email the sites owners. If anyone from GFOTG would like to explain what their malware does here on HealthUnlocked I would like to hear from them.

[Henbur]

I have no problems accessing the site on any pc's or devices? what you received from IT is a catch all statement - Corporate firewalls and blockers are a lot more sensitive for obvious reasons (in my old job we were blocked FTP. All manner of sites thanks to super sensitev software)also malware' is often unintentional and I doubt they are putting things that could damage computers there intentionally, most malware comes from unknown sources for obvious reasons ie those responsible don't want to be traced.

[philaustin in reply to Henbur]

I can get onto the Coeliac UK site at work without problems. The fact that the firewall at work detects something even slightly dodgy with GFOTG means to me that GFOTG aren't running a clean system. This might be unintentional but it gives me the impression that either they don't know what they are doing or dont want to know what they are doing. I can see no reason for this. If CUK can do it, why can't GFOTG? You wouldn't want to eat in a restaurant where the cooks weren't sure if their food contained gluten or not. I see a parallel.

[Henbur in reply to philaustin]

In theory that's what it should mean in reality it means that the filters in the firewalls they use at your workplace are picking "something" up, it could be sinister like a trojan, but it could equally be that it contains a word or phrase that they have built in the filter to stop people accessing certain sites. I'm merely saying it could be innocent, I'm certainly not disagreeing with you being cautious, I can get on no problem and have latest protection software so not sure why? Ps you see a parallel I see more of a tangent

[philaustin in reply to Henbur]

I've emailed GFOTG to ask them what they think. It might be a word or phrase. We have bulletins from the local branch of the NHS posted on our boards. Main subject this time was dehydration; how to recognise and avoid it. The article referenced a 'pee chart' which should have been attached to the bulletin but wasn't. I tried to find it on the internet and got the 'access restricted' message. However, a search for 'urine colour chart' worked okay. Funny, because the word 'pee' was printed in the bulletin on every notice board. I just wonder if we've take on some New Age Puritans in our IT department.

[Hidden in reply to philaustin]

Hi Phil, could it be that they use cookies on the site and possibly spyware cookies so that they can see who looks at what for future advertising? So could the 'malware' be spyware?

I also use the coeliac map coeliacmap.com/ and they have been going a lot longer than GFOTG and they are free to use and free to put eateries on.

Do you ever google the town you want to visit and gluten free? because I find places that have visitors provide many gf options.

In my opinion the gf choices are much greater nowadays and I visit the steam train station at Bitton also on the Bristol to Bath cycle track and as well as having individually wrapped Honeybuns gf cakes they sell gf polenta and chocolate cake, they also have a gf menu and offer gf quiche and offer a gf bun with one option.

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Phil a site can have malware embedded into it after being hacked and it can look fine to the casual user. Hope that GFOTG respond to you. In my experience it's not regularly updates. Try coeliac map on Android & web as Jerry says plus a new app Gluugle on IOS and coeliacinthecity.com

[philaustin in reply to FionaGFG]

GFOTG sent me an apologetic response saying that they try to run a clean web site, and they have gone up in my esteem.

I tried accessing their site again on Friday, from work, and didn't get blocked.

Interesting comments regarding the use of mobiles, thanks, Fiona and Jerry. I've always been a techno-turkey when it comes to mobile phones, not seeing any reason to keep upgrading to the latest gizmo, so whereas everyone seems to be using smart phones I've only just yesterday in fact connected my basic mobile to the web. Knowing nothing about Android and IOS I am intrigued just as to how useful mobiles can be to us coeliacs; the types of phones that are best, the apps that are available, accessing information whilst abroad, etc, etc. If I could press a couple of buttons on a device that would tell me where the nearest gluten free eatery was and give me their phone number I think it would be brilliant and I'd buy one tomorrow. As it is, my simple basic Nokia just gives slow access to the internet on a tiny screen with panning and zooming a real pain, and I believe that access abroad can be really expensive. I do use an ipod and an ipad, which are good for web access providing theres WiFi available, and they carry gluten free cards in all languages, but I reckon it would make a good subject for discussion here on GFG; 'Coeliac Disease; How to make the best use of Mobile Devices'. Maybe I should start a thread?