On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 20:43:42 GMT, Rob hath writ:

"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote in message
...
Hi Henry

Can I ask a disassociated question concerning Search Engines?

If so, here is my question.

Most ISP subscribers have a home page usually named Index.html from
this page they place links to their other pages stored at the website.

OK, Google can find all of these no problem.

But, if you place pages on the website that are not linked to your
Index page that requires the person accessing your web site area to
know the word or name to type behind the actual URL to get to this
hidden web page, can Google find that page?

The reason I ask is that I have certain pages that are accessable only
to those who need to know and know what to type behind the URL to get
them to come up.
To the best of my knowledge, none of these hidden pages (not linked to
the Index page) have ever been picked up by Google.
Naturally these types of pages bring up the directory instead of the
home page if you click the back button, but the directory only shows a
link to parent directory and clicking on that automatically brings up
the index page, so the directory showing the hidden files supposedly
cannot be seen.

How safe is this method?
And can Google find it?

TTUL
Gary

Generally Google or other search engines will not find pages that are not
linked. You can make sure that Google doesn't list it even if it does find
it by putting META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX" between the
head/head tags.
Rob

However, scumbag crackers will continue to probe around in websites --
looking for any un-linked pages you may have. And, neither robots.txt,
nor META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX" will deter them.
Lately I've seen *concerted* probing efforts in my cgi-bin directory --
for things like contact.cgi, eforms.cgi, kontakt.pl, order.cgi, u.s.w.
All 'live' scripts found at _other_ web sites no doubt. (I've already
honey-potted the 'usual' scripts -- such as formmail.pl)

You can use .htaccess to restrict access to _just_ those ip's that you
wish to have access to the web pages. .htaccess is a server-side
control that the crackers can't (well, can't easily....) get around.

I use .htaccess and deep(er), totally bizzare sub-directory names to
try to prevent cracker access to some things. Of course, you need
to turn off directory indexing, too. And, avoid IIS...


But, what do/did either of these topics have to do with antennas?

73
Jonesy
--
| Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
| Gunnison, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
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