With all of the websites out there, why would website hackers even consider bothering with my website? There are bank websites, credit card websites, huge corporations…why would a website hacker look at the small guys when there are much bigger fish in the virtual sea to steal from?
In most cases, website hackers are not going to target your website because they are attaching you personally, they have other motives. Website hackers don’t care if you have a small shopping cart website selling jewelry or if you simply have a website for your Air Conditioning Repair Services with information on your maintenance plans. Website hackers are targeting the software powering your website. They are trying to sneak in through a piece of software that is out of date or compromised plugin with the goal of stealing sensitive customer data or even hijacking your website altogether.
Website Hackers from around the world are always trying to break into servers and trying to break into websites. Hackers don’t care how big or small the site is, they just want to gain access to it. ~ Brett Bauman, CEO of Planetguide.com
“Most websites, about 35% of all website, use WordPress. WordPress is popular because it is a secure platform that has lots of options to build a website, blog, or e-commerce site,” according the Brett Bauman, CEO of Planetguide.com. “But, because WordPress is popular, it will be popular for hackers too.”
When a website hacker gains access to the sensitive information, they can sell it or even hold onto it for ransom. In the end, hackers want to make money, but some even enjoy the power of having the ability to hack into a site. Hackers will also try to gain access to your website to create SEO spam or infect it with malware. SEO SPAM allows hackers to control keywords and can funnel traffic away from your site to another one. Malware infected websites can even be hooked up to others and become a network of virus spreading machines.
Today, most website hacking is actually performed by machines working 24/7 looking for vulnerabilities. This is why it is important to always update all software, including plugins, and remove software that is out of date or unused. ~ Brett Bauman, CEO of Planetguide.com
Quick Steps To Protect Your Website
- Update everything from plugins to software
- Use Two-Factor Authentication
- Update Passwords Regularly
- Only Use Software From Trusted Sources
- Use WordPress Security logging
Website hackers area ready to target any website that is vulnerable. If they can gain access to your site and the information stored on the site, you can be a target for a hacker. But, the good news is that you don’t have to be hacked because there are lots of security measures that can help protect your site.