Plainfieldfest Website Infected With Malware

Last week, Patch discovered that the Plainfieldfest website, plainfieldfest.org, was infected with malicious software. Warnings from Google and anti-virus software appeared when Patch attempted to reach the site.

Screenshot of the Google warning that appeared when Patch attempted to access plainfieldfest.org

According to a Google site status report, "Some pages on this website install malware on visitors' computers. Some pages on this website redirect visitors to dangerous websites that install malware on visitors' computers."

About one percent of all American-hosted websites scanned by Google in the last year had some type of malware.

The website is not an official village website, rather it is maintained by the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation.

Robert Epley, the executive director of the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation, said in a phone interview on Wednesday that "third-party" content on the website had been compromised with malware.

The site is usually dormant in the months following the festival, but the foundation was planning on ramping up their promotional efforts in about a month, Epley said. He also thanked Patch for identifying the problem.

Epley said the foundation was working to correct the problem, and he expected the website to be running again soon.

Plainfieldfest will be on July 14, 15 and 16 this year. Epley said the festival has a positive impact on the village. “Any time you bring 12,000 to 15,000 people to the village it’s a big economic boost.”

Image at top via Shutterstock