WEBSITE SECURITY & MAINTENANCE

Keep Your Website Safe, Secure and Virus Free

The Website Security & Maintenance Guide

Overview

Website security is the process of protecting your website from viruses, hackers, and other online threats. While website maintenance is the process of keeping your website up-to-date and running smoothly.

Website security and maintenance are both important for ensuring that your website is safe and functioning properly. By taking the time to regularly update your website software and plugins, use a strong password, and avoid clicking on suspicious links, you can help protect your website from potential threats. Additionally, by backing up your website files regularly and checking for broken links, you can help keep your website running smoothly.

Statistics

• According to a report from Symantec, an estimated 1 in 14 websites are hacked each day. This means that approximately 700,000 websites are hacked every month.
• According to the same study, an average of 1,009 websites are hacked each day, which means that approximately 36% of all websites are hacked at some point. Furthermore, the study found that 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
• According to a study by Sucuri, an average of 30,000 websites are infected with malware each day. Furthermore, the study found that 84% of WordPress websites are vulnerable to attack and 75% of hacked websites are reinfected within 24 hours.
• According to a study by Symantec, an average of 8,846 websites are infected with malware each day. This means that approximately 33% of all websites are infected with malware at some point.

Hacking FAQs

How Do People Hack Websites?

There are many ways that people can hack websites. Some common methods include SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and phishing. SQL injection is a type of attack that allows attackers to execute malicious code on a database. Cross-site scripting is a type of attack that allows attackers to inject malicious code into a website. Phishing is a type of attack that tricks users into giving away their personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

Why Do People Hack Websites?

There are many reasons why people hack websites. Some common reasons include to steal personal information, to distribute malware, or to deface the website. Additionally, some people hack websites for political or ideological reasons.

How Do You Know If Your Website Has Been Hacked?

There are a few signs that may indicate that your website has been hacked. These include unusual activity on your website, unexpected changes to your website, or new files on your server. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to take action immediately to clean up your website and prevent further damage.

What Should You Do If Your Website Is Hacked?

If your website is hacked, the first thing you should do is change all of your passwords. Next, you should scan your website for malware and remove any malicious code that is found. Finally, you should contact your hosting provider and let them know about the situation. They may be able to help you restore your website.

What Should You Do to Prevent Your Website from Being Hacked?

There are a few things you can do to help prevent your website from being hacked. First, you should regularly update your website software and plugins. Second, you should use a strong password. Finally, you should avoid clicking on suspicious links. By taking these steps, you can help protect your website from potential threats.

WordPress Plugins

WordPress plugins are software programs that extend the functionality of WordPress. There are plugins for a wide range of tasks, from adding social media buttons to your website to creating a contact form.

How do WordPress Plugins Impact Website Security?

WordPress plugins are written in PHP, a programming language that is susceptible to security vulnerabilities. Additionally, WordPress plugins are often developed by third-party developers, which can make it difficult to know if a plugin is secure. Furthermore, WordPress plugins are often not updated on a regular basis, which can leave them open to attack.

While WordPress plugins can impact website security, there are a few things you can do to help mitigate the risks. First, you should only install plugins from trusted sources. Second, you should always update your plugins to the latest version. Finally, you should consider using a security plugin to help scan for and remove malicious code.

How Do WordPress Plugins Impact Website Speed?

WordPress plugins can impact website speed in a few ways. First, some plugins are poorly coded and can slow down your website. Second, some plugins make use of external resources, such as images or JavaScript files, which can also slow down your website. Finally, some plugins add unnecessary code to your website, which can bloat your pages and slow down your site.

How Do I Install a WordPress Plugin?

Installing a WordPress plugin is typically a simple process. Most plugins can be installed directly from the WordPress Plugin Directory. To install a plugin from the directory, simply log in to your WordPress site, navigate to the “Plugins” section, and click “Add New.” Then, search for the plugin you want to install and click “Install Now.” Once the installation is complete, you will need to activate the plugin.

Malware

Malware is a type of software that is designed to damage or disable computers. Malware can be used to steal personal information, distribute spam, or launch attacks on other computers. Additionally, malware can be used to infect websites and spread to other users.

How Does Malware Work?

Malware works by taking advantage of security vulnerabilities in software. Once malware is installed on a computer, it can take control of the system and perform various tasks, such as stealing personal information or launching attacks on other computers.

Types of Malware

There are many different types of malware, each with its own specific purpose. Some common types of malware include viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware.

Viruses

Viruses are a type of malware that is designed to infect your computer and spread itself to other computers. Viruses can cause a variety of problems, including slowing down your computer, deleting files, or even stealing personal information.

Trojans

Trojans are a type of malware that is designed to trick you into install it on your computer. Once installed, Trojans can give hackers access to your computer and allow them to perform various malicious actions.

Worms

Worms are a type of malware that is designed to spread itself by replicating itself on other computers. Worms can cause a variety of problems, including slowing down your computer, deleting files, or even stealing personal information.

Spyware

Spyware is a type of malware that is designed to track your online activity and collect sensitive information. Spyware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge and can be difficult to remove.

Adware

Adware is a type of malware that is designed to show you unwanted advertisements. Adware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge and can be difficult to remove.

How Can You Tell If Your Computer Has Been Infected with Malware?

There are a few signs that may indicate that your computer has been infected with malware. These include unexpected changes to your system, new files or programs on your system, or unusual activity on your computer. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to scan your system for malware and remove any malicious code.

What Should You Do When Infected with Malware?

There are a few things you can do if your website is infected with malware:

Remove the Malware

You can remove the malware from your website by deleting the malicious files or code. You can also use an anti-malware program or a tool provided by your operating system.

Restore Your Website

If you have a backup of your website, you can restore it to its previous state. This will remove any changes made by the malware.

Alert Your Visitors

If you have visitors to your website, it is important to alert them that your site has been compromised and that they should take precautions when visiting.

Change Your Passwords

Once your site has been cleaned of malware, it is important to change all of your passwords (including FTP, CMS, and hosting) to prevent the hackers from gaining access again.

Install Security Measures

Once your website has been hacked, it is important to install security measures to prevent it from happening again. This may include a web application firewall, malware scanning, and secure hosting.

Conclusion

Website security and maintenance are important in order to protect your website from malware and other security threats. By taking steps to secure your website and keep it up-to-date, you can help prevent hackers from gaining access to your site and avoid potential damage to your business.

Authored by: Tony Pallotta

As the owner of Up Early Designs, Tony Pallotta is well versed on all things digital.

From SEO to design, speed, security, maintenance, and more you name it, Tony has done it. But nothing happens overnight. Tony has been in the digital world going all the way back to dial up internet. But what really separates Tony from the competition is he has already owned a brick and mortar retail store in Boston for 12 years.

So he brings a truly fresh perspective to all of the projects he works on.

To learn more about Tony and Up Early Designs, please visit our About page.