How to Make Your Website Hack Proof
Hacking innocent websites is what hackers do in order to spread malware among website visitors, entice them to visit shady sites, and hack databases in order to obtain confidential customer information. However, with a few basic and easy procedures, it is simple to avoid such trouble and even totally eradicate it.
Every day, Google identifies approximately 9500 sites that have been infected with malware. Around 4000 of them are legal websites that have been infiltrated by hackers. Most victims are only aware that they have been hacked when they observe the same risk warnings on search engines and browsers as their customers, which is a sign that they have been blacklisted. This discovery was made possible by a survey conducted by StopBadware, a nonprofit organisation based in California dedicated to the spread of malware. Approximately 45 percent of victims are notified of the problem by their service or technology supplier.
Small businesses are more vulnerable to hacking because they lack the technological competence and site security measures that larger corporations have. As their expertise is required to ensure quick repairs, it prevents them from returning to their work. If their site is blacklisted by Google or another search engine, this can result in a considerable loss of sales and online visitors.
MetroSeeker.com, based in Texas, is one such company that offers online guides. Hackers attached this site, and its linkages led to another site that sells Viagra. However, it was unclear how the hackers gained access. Along with cleansing every link, the site had to erase and rebuild its server, improve the content management system, and redesign the employee log in process, as well as the site content change process.
It required three people to work full-time on the site’s recovery, as well as the assistance of the company’s hosting service. This event left the site with a warning that it had been compromised, which harmed its new business. This warning arose as a result of the spammy content that was still present in search engine results, but it might be removed now that the spam is no longer there.
Many people will have to deal with this issue at some point in their lives. The only solution is to secure everything, and here are some pointers on how to do so.
Keep software up to date.
In order to attack several websites, hackers target online software with security problems, such as blogging systems and content management software. This can be avoided by using the most recent software versions and implementing adequate security measures. Sites are frequently cleaned up after being infected, but the problems in the software are not fixed, causing them to become infected again. So, address the root issue and remove the hackers’ malicious code.
Maintain the security of your passwords.
It is strongly advised to use strong passwords as hackers attempt to obtain or crack web software passwords, as well as FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, which is used to transfer online pages from one computer to another. Hackers can easily crack predictable, default, or common passwords. Protecting your computer from virus infection is also important because it makes password theft easier.
Sign up for Google Webmaster Tools.
When your site is blacklisted by Google, which is also used by Chrome, Safari, and Firefox browsers, the amount of traffic to your site decreases. If you have registered with Webmaster Tool, you will receive immediate notifications of any malware infection, sometimes even before blacklisting, allowing you to avoid it sooner. You can acquire specifics about the problem as discovered by Google, which will expedite the cleanup process.
Seek expert assistance.
Companies that rely heavily on their websites should hire a company that provides immediate alerts in the event of being blacklisted, scanning for vulnerabilities, monitoring any malicious activity, and assisting with repairs in the event of a hack. Companies that have critical customer information databases linked to their websites should have security safeguards built into their sites.