Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
Your host is Verio: http://www.whoishostingthis.com/?q=mediligence.com
BPS is not compatible with Verio Hosting: http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/read-me-first-free/#incompatible-hosts. So you will have to pick another WordPress security plugin. I believe that Verio does not work with any WordPress security plugins that use htaccess files/code so you will need to find a security plugin that does not use htaccess files.
Web Host Compatibility Check
BPS and BPS Pro are compatible with the 20,000+ Web Hosts worldwide, but are not compatible with these 3 Web Hosting Companies (Landis Holdings, NTT Communications & Yahoo Hosting – Due to Custom Server Configurations and/or Server Restrictions)
Symptoms of the problem: The htaccess Core page will not fully load and is “chopped off”.
Hostingzoom (Landis Holdings)
Resellerzoom (Landis Holdings)
Modvps (Landis Holdings)
WowVPS.com (Landis Holdings)
JaguarPC (Landis Holdings)
Verio (NTT Communications)
NTT America (NTT Communications)
NTT Europe (NTT Communications)
Yahoo Hosting
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
At some point we will add another option to disable BPS root BulletProof Mode so that all of the other BPS security features can be used except for root BulletProof Mode. Or of course you can manually trick BPS so that error messages are not displayed about root BulletProof Mode being activated or not – see link below.
https://ww.wp.xz.cn/support/topic/bulletproof-security-forbidden-error/page/2?replies=42#post-6997473
My business domain, http://www.mediligence.com, is hosted by Verio. My blog, blog.mediligence.com, is hosted by TVCNet. I have used BPS on my blog for at least a year without problem until this 403 error appeared today. I have made no changes to the blog recently (weeks).
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
Hmm I did not even know that was possible to do: host a subdomain site using the root domain hosted on another host. I guess the A record or CNAME record could point somewhere else, but I have never tested doing anything like that. Interesting.
DNS scans of both sites show that they are on different host servers. Not that I doubted you and was just checking to see the DNS results.
[host] => mediligence.com
[class] => IN
[ttl] => 82731
[type] => A
[ip] => 207.56.93.13
[host] => blog.mediligence.com
[class] => IN
[ttl] => 82692
[type] => A
[ip] => 64.62.163.213
Ok so what is odd to me is the 20 minute delay thing. BPS is all or nothing and nothing happens intermittently. Either something works or it does not work. Intermittent issues are usually related to cache/cloud/CDN or connectivity or a server-side issue.
Other possibilities could be things like this: Something has changed on your server: Your host is no longer allowing the root htaccess file to be locked with 404 file permissions. Your host server has added/installed some kind of new server security measure that is forbidding some BPS htaccess code.
Do these steps:
Reinstall BPS and run the Setup Wizard.
If you see a 403 error then use FTP and change the root htaccess file permissions to 644.
If you are still seeing a 403 error then delete the root htaccess file.
Let me know what happens after doing the things above.
I moved my blog (and a separate SQL database) off Verio because the customer service is just too shabby. I also moved my email to Rackspace because Verio couldn’t handle IMAP. I keep a smooth-running ecommerce website still at Verio, but one day I’ll yank that, too.
The 20 delay might have been less. Immediately after reinstalling BPS, things were normal, but I checked back in 20 minutes and found the 403 again.
Not aware of anything done by the TVCNet server, but it’s easy enough to reinstall and check the .htaccess permissions.
I’ll post back, but it may be later this evening.
Well, the issue is out of my hands. The admin at TVCNet said, in reference to BPS:
“Recommend you remove this plugin entirely. I no longer use or recommend it.”
So, I guess I’m in need of an alternative security plugin.
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
hmm I am not going to say anything negative and just let Alexa do the talking: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/tvcnet.com#trafficstats. Most web hosts are ranked in the top 10,000 websites in the world. 😉 I will add TVCNet to the list of incompatible web hosts.
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
Oh I see what is going on. It is a conflict of interest. Jim Walker offers website dehacking/repair and website security and web hosting services so basically BPS would be in direct competition with his services. got it. 😉 Will still list TVCNet as an incompatible host just to avoid that direct conflict of interest. 😉
In reality, Jim Walker was the one who recommended BPS in the first place. No idea why now he does not recommend it.
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
My guess would be that he now offers his own personal website security solutions. His hosting site mentions that hosting accounts come with website security. So logically he would want you to use his stuff and not someone elses stuff. 😉
He doesn’t offer security solutions. He cleans up hacked sites (like he did for mine initially) and configures WP to be secure, but does not sell or promote this. I have since added Wordfence out of necessity.
Plugin Author
AITpro
(@aitpro)
Yep wordfence is not bad. You will get a decent amount of security protection with wordfence.
