The following text is a real client inquiry without identifying the source: 

Hello, We have a web site that we built with joomla 1.5 and we are looking for help with joomla support such as joomla security, updating joomla, backups/recovery . As far as maintaining our site, updating content, and adding new extensions we are fairly proficient, but we need help in the support as we were recently hacked and it took us a day or so to get back online. Is this something you do for sites that you didn't build? Thank you

Business users must take disaster planning and recovery seriously to avoid data loss, strengthen data security and keep business continuity in a time of a technical disaster. Unfortunately, business users are often too busy with their daily operation to always keep an eye on mission critical security and data loss prevention. 

  If you answer NO to any of the questions below, then you are not doing enough to protect your Joomla web site:

1. Do you meet Joomla security checklist guidelines?
2. Do you have unrestricted access to server log files which you often check?
3. Do you have 24/7 automated site monitoring?
4. Do you use appropriate server configuration for Joomla hosting?
5. Do you use secure server access (shell)?
6. Do you use a reliable server host?
7. Do you complete and periodically test daily backups of your database and weekly backup of files?
8. Do you have, improve and practice a disaster recovery plan?
9. Do you have a test site for testing updates?
10. Do you check regularly for security updates of Joomla core and addons? 

If you would like to know more about disaster planning/recovery for your Joomla site and how you could save time and money with OGO Sense, please contact us today for a free consultation.

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Ogy Nikolic | Managing Director | OGO Sense
tel.+1 (617) 418-4646 | send me an email | skype: ogosense

One of the most desired features in Virtuemart has always been to avoid a new user shopping cart registration. This can somewhat be achieved for first time shoppers where it appears to them that they do not need to register.

You will need to make sure to complete the following steps which we recommend for all our Virtuemart clients:

• Enable Silent User Registration .
• Hide the login screen from the Virtuemart checkout page! A visual explanation. 
• Place the login module on the side of the page because returning shoppers will need it.
• Customize "lost password" page where only email field is required.

Please demo this checkout process live at Alaska Fly Fishing Goods Online Shop and let us know what you think about the shopper experience in the comment box below.

If you happen to lose your Joomla or Virtuemart password, and click on "Forgot Your Password?" on default Joomla installation, you will notice that you will be asked to insert both your username and email address for that account. However, what if you don't remember your username and/or your username and password were autogenerated during silent user registration .