An overseas computer hacker has managed to wipe out nearly 100 New Zealand websites.
Some of the customers, who are mostly with the service provider ihug, are having to re-build their websites at a cost of thousands of dollars.
Kathryn Fisher, who sells her sunbeds on the internet, is one of an estimated 200,000 website owners who have suffered the same fate around the world thanks to a notorious Turkish hacker called Iskorpitz.
"On Monday morning I had been informed by clients that my website had been hacked," Fisher says.
The demolition tally on New Zealand websites is growing.
"We've heard from about 80 or 90 so far who have definitely been affected, it could be up to as many as 500 or 600," Paul Brislen of ihug says.
Some New Zealand website owners, including Fisher, were on hosting site quik.co.nz that ihug bought last year. It did not store backup copies of the websites.
Getting a new website up and running is going to cost Fisher about $4,000.
Ihug even admits people should back up their systems, despite the website they bought not having that facility.
The Internet Society of New Zealand says businesses need to have a good look at the contract they have with their host and make sure they understand what the provisions for back up are.
While no-one on the internet is immune from this sort of attack the message is clear, have a back up system or make sure your website host has one of their own.
