Did You Know That Your Website Isn’t Immune to Cyber Threats? Learn How to Avoid Them.
Websites often find themselves targeted by cybercriminals. Whether their motivation is fueled by their wish to spread malware, tarnish your good reputation, steal valuable data, or other reasons, you need to take the steps necessary to keep yours safe.
Today, we will take you through the essentials of how to do it while familiarizing you with the most mention-worthy cyber threats to your website:
Security Vulnerabilities
The interaction between hackers and developers resembles a battle between cats and mice. Generally speaking, one group always tends to be two steps ahead of the other due to a never-ending probing process for security vulnerabilities to exploit. Although developers will attempt to release a security patch as soon as possible upon learning a potential exploit, this can take time. In some instances, hackers can do a fair share of damage in the meantime.
Therefore, webmasters need to take a proactive approach when it comes to securing their websites. For starters, keeping your CMS up to date is one of the essentials. Then, it’s good to secure the so-called front door, your website’s main login form, with a strong and resilient password. Otherwise, your website will be a sitting duck for targeted brute force attacks during which a hacker attempts to guess their way through in an automated fashion. In case your memory needs some help, an industry-grade password manager such as NordPass can be a true lifesaver.
Finally, be sure to make regular backups so your website can be restored to a previous functional state on demand. In case you suspect any malware is present, do not hesitate to perform a virus scan.
Social Engineering
Suppose hackers are unable to break through the front door using brute force. In that case, they may resort to sly and manipulative tactics, the end result of which is convincing or otherwise tricking you into revealing your password.
These tactics fall under the category of social engineering. For instance, an impostor could create a fake Facebook profile and pose as one of your co-workers, superiors, or other system administrators. In a false sense of urgency, you may get pressured into telling them your password or bestowing administrator rights upon their account.
The solution is to double-check who you’re dealing with by contacting the same person through another communication channel such as email, phone, or in person. It’s essential to instruct anyone who can modify your website in any way to do the same when facing a similar situation.
Malware
Despite having crafted a strong password, your efforts will be useless if the device you’re accessing the website from is infected with a keylogger. This is a dangerous form of malware that records your keystrokes and sends them back to the attacker. Even in its rawest form, analyzing them can reveal the exact sequence of any keys you’ve pressed in a given time.
Do not take this matter lightly, and make sure to have an antivirus scanner installed on every device, whether it be a tablet, smartphone, or PC. Although none of them can provide 100% protection, you will be reasonably safe from all forms of malware this way, including trojans that can grant the attacker complete control over your operating system.
Network Attacks
How secure is the network you’re connecting to your website from doing any administrative or editorial tasks? This plays an important role in ensuring that anything you upload to it reaches its intended destination instead of getting intercepted by would-be snoops. If you haven’t utilized the necessary caution when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, now is an excellent time to start.
A good way to be worry-free is to use a VPN. In essence, this creates an encrypted tunnel that provides a safe way to exchange information with the target server without anyone being able to read it on its way there. To be extra safe, if you’re working from home, make sure that you’ve changed the default password on your router and that its firmware is up-to-date.
Vandalism and Data Destruction
Different groups of hackers may have different motives behind breaking through your website’s defenses. Some may be after personal information you’re storing on the server, while others are looking to deface or vandalize it, either to tarnish your public image, spread political or religious propaganda, or other malicious goals.
To remedy the damage, make sure to have a recent backup ready to restore your website to its former state in as little time as possible. But ideally, it’s best to prevent an intrusion from happening in the first place. Remember what we’ve said about using a password manager in conjunction with a strong password? Put it into practice. At some point, you’ll be glad you did.
Conclusion
Your website faces a myriad of cyber threats daily. By reading this post, you should have a clear vision about how to proceed and safeguard it against them.
