Overview:
Presence News confirms that a recent malware intrusion impacting website performance and search visibility has been resolved. While formatting disruptions and temporary ranking drops affected both readers and contributors, remediation efforts are complete and Google services are expected to resume shortly. The newsroom issues an apology to partners and outlines next steps to restore full visibility and stability.
Presence News is confirming that the recent technical issues affecting our website were the result of an external malware intrusion — not internal negligence, content violations, or publisher misconduct.
After working closely with our website and security team, malware was fully removed from the Presence News platform. According to our technical lead, Ashish, all malicious files have been eliminated and safeguards have been reinforced to prevent future intrusions.
As a result, Google Ads services are expected to resume, and Google Search visibility is now in recovery, with indexing and ranking normalization already underway.
What Happened
Over the past several days, Presence News experienced:
- Temporary Google malware warnings
- Reduced Google Search visibility for articles
- Disruptions to site formatting
- Ranking drops affecting contributor and client content
These issues stemmed from a malicious external attack — a growing problem across independent media platforms, particularly those covering civic accountability, business, and public-interest reporting.
Impact on Contributors & Partners
We understand that some contributors and businesses rely on Presence News for search visibility, discoverability, and long-term SEO value. During this incident, some articles did not rank competitively, and formatting inconsistencies may have affected reader experience.
We sincerely apologize to:
- Contributors whose articles temporarily lost visibility
- Businesses and clients relying on organic search exposure
- Readers who experienced layout or access issues
This disruption was unintentional and temporary.
Current Status
As of this update:
- Malware has been fully removed
- Website security has been reinforced
- Google Ads reinstatement is in progress
- Google Search indexing and rankings are recovering
- Site formatting issues are being actively corrected
Search visibility typically rebounds progressively after Google clears a security flag, and we expect continued improvement over the coming days.
Commitment Going Forward
Presence News remains committed to:
- Platform transparency
- Protecting contributors and readers
- Maintaining search integrity for published work
- Investing in stronger cybersecurity measures
Independent newsrooms are often targets precisely because they operate outside corporate media structures. This incident will not slow our mission — it strengthens our resolve.
We appreciate the patience and support shown by our community during this disruption and will continue to provide updates as full normalization is completed.
Statements
- Statement from Presence News technical team
- Internal confirmation from website administrator Ashish
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