Why would anyone
Want to hack MY Website?
The Reasons Why Hackers Target WordPress Websites
Why Even Small Websites A Target For Hackers
Have you ever asked yourself this question? It sounds reasonable enough
You’re not a major company, you don’t have masses of personal data stored, you don’t even sell anything online. Nothing you could be coerced into parting with money on there – So Why?
Sadly though, if you’re on the internet, you WILL be targeted by hackers – and here’s why:
Simply EVERYONE is a target
Most people don’t realise is that virtually all hacking these days isn’t done by small minded petty people sitting in dark rooms going through fist stages of puberty, – it’s done by hacking software on a major scale. Just like everyone else in the 21st century, hackers have discovered the huge benefits offered by automation – all they have to do is write a sinister program (or buy one on the darkweb), then sit back and watch as their computer does their dirty work for them.
Nowadays you don’t even have to be computer whizz to be a hacker. the worst thing about this situation is that hacking software isn’t discerning; it’s automated and continuous.
It doesn’t target specific websites or companies – it sets up a dragnet and attempts to hack every single website it finds. It is a pure numbers game
Sucuri, one of the world’s foremost online security companies, estimates that it takes about 30-45 days for an entirely-new website to be discovered and targeted by hackers. Much like Google, these programs trawl the internet looking for vulnerable targets – and once you’re on their list, you WILL be targeted.
It’s not actually about you (most of the time)
These days most hackers aren’t concerned about what they can do to your site – it’s about what your site can do for them:
Hackers may use your site to hack others, either inserting malicious code on to your site that infects your visitors’ computers with viruses, malware or spyware,.
They can use your own email system to send out emails full of viruses. This is a big problem – not only does it keep the vicious cycle going, it can ruin your reputation with your customers and send your Google rankings down the tube or get your website domain banned.
Hackers may steal your traffic, using your website to sell their own products or pretending to (either by inserting their code onto your pages, or by redirecting those pages somewhere else). If your customers ever ask you why you’re suddenly selling off-brand pharmaceuticals, online gambling services, or other nefarious things, then you’ve been hacked.
Worst of all, hackers may not even try to profit, but do it anyway. Yep, someone might just hack your website to broadcast a political message or to show everyone their Mad Hacking Skills. That’s how some very sad SOB gets their kicks.
Now You Know Your Site Will Be Attacked. What Should You Do?
If your site is going to be attacked (and it is!), the most important thing you can do is try to keep it safe. Here’s what we suggest
Keep your site up-to-date
New technologies, new security measures, and new hacking techniques arrive constantly. If you fail to keep your website updated you will increase your vulnerability massively.
Backup and scan! Then Backup and scan!
Hacked websites often wind up riddled with malicious code, which regular scans will pick up and alert you about. And of course, the faster you jump on a compromised website, the better, especially if you need to delete it all and restore from backup. Of course, you need to have a regularly-updated backup of your site for that. It’s like insurance – you don’t want to ever have to use it, but if you ever do then you’ll sure be glad you had it!
Install a Virus Software Programme to protect you computer, but it will not protect your website.
All this can be pretty time consuming and needs a couple of hours attention a week, sometimes more and needs to be done manually. If you are running a business you know how important your websit eis, but simply do noy find the time and maybe even the inclination, to keep your site up to date.
An Alternative To Doing It Yourself
Sign up for our WordPress Management System
If you don’t want to think about protecting your site against hackers, why don’t you leave it to us? We are experts, after all, and we do this every day. We offer a few levels of support, ranging from regular software updates all the way up to more advanced security measures.
