Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Security Alert

Security Alert

Please Note - in my attempt to release a new version of gRSShopper some data files were accidentally included in the distribution package. These data files contained a 2010 backup of www.downes.ca user accounts and passwords as well as some more recent www.mooc.ca accounts that were deleted when the site was relaunched July 29 of this year. User information and passwords from the Change course, the CCK courses, and the LAK course were not released.

According to my server logs and Sourceforge sever logs, the distribution package has been downloaded five times (thankfully, nobody really cares when I release software) so the lists are out there. None of the passwords actually work, as they all originate from a date prior to a recent security upgrade that encrypted all passwords and rendered all existing passwords invalid.

However, if you have used the same password on other websites (which you really should not do!) then you should change the password on these other websites. You don't need to change your downes.ca password but if you want to do it anyways, click here to reset your password.

Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience. I really don't think any harm has resulted, but it's best to be safe. I hope you'll understand that downes.ca and mooc.ca are not commercial entities; they are just what I can code in my spare time, and my efforts are frequently far from perfect.

Stephen Downes