Slowdowns + 403 Errors

[BillMiddlebrook]

FYI -

The recent site slowdowns were caused by a large-scale attack on the .com over the past few days. Due to the way the canned phpBB forum software functions, it doesn't effectively handle some of the new AI bot attack methods. As a result, I have been customizing their software to better combat these attacks, which isn't totally handled by the underlying firewall and other site security software.

It has improved significantly today after implementing a few updates, but more to come.

If you reach the 14ers.com 403 (forbidden) page, feel free to contact me via one of the following:
- PM me through the forum if you can
- Follow the link on the forbidden page
- Use the main site contact form

[BillMiddlebrook]

If you are still getting 403 errors when browsing the main site or forum, 1st try reloading the offending page in your browser. If you get multiple page errors, you could try clearing the browser (Cached Images and Files) cache and then re-opening the site.

Some of the 403 errors have been a bit persistent but now it's mostly due to caching issues.

As for the massive bot volume that was causing the original slowdowns, I've resolved most of it and implemented some better controls for the future. Fun

Happy 4th!!

[BillMiddlebrook]

Update:

Most of the site should be back to normal.