Time to run your "move from GoDaddy" specials! :)

bigredseo

HD Community Advisor
Staff member
It's that wonderful time of year again. No, not winter and Christmas, but a GoDaddy Exploit/Hack/Foulup.

It turns out, GoDaddy has been storing sFTP and Database usernames and passwords for clients in plain text.

1.2 Million accounts (Managed WordPress hosting accounts) have been exposed.

The exploit started in September 2021 and was discovered in November 2021 according to an SEC Filing and Disclosure notice - https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1609711/000160971121000122/gddyblogpostnov222021.htm

So, here's your chance to get a piece of the pie again. Time to run your "moving specials" :)
 
Already wasn't a fan of GoDaddy hosting, but this should hammer the final nail in the coffin for a good number of GoDaddy's managed WordPress clients. Run while you can.
 
I am grateful to have moved all my domains away from GoDaddy a few years ago. I've been hating on their upselling tactics. But it's certainly is shocking to hear a company with such deep pockets and technical capabilities dropped the ball so badly.

In terms of move–away–from–GoDaddy deals, I found a great home with Porkbun. Their business model is straightforward: their cost + $1. Beats most deals where you have to deposit chunks of cash to unlock bulk-friendly rates.
 
Just to pour some extra salt on the wound, all of GoDaddy's Reseller Partners that were also selling Managed WordPress Hosting have also been at risk and exposed as they use the same system.

So Media Temple, Heart Internet, Host Europe, tsoHost, Domain Factory, 123Reg - they're all exposed too.

And as I mentioned, it's not just going to be a matter of changing your password at GoDaddy, but rather you will need to create new sFTP accounts/passwords (if you utilize that part), and your WordPress database username/password will need to be changed (along with the config.php file for WordPress).

Talk about a nightmare!
 
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