All web resources, regardless of their promotion, are potential victims of hacking. This can be done by scammers for some benefit or just for fun. Hoping in this case for chance is simply unacceptable. It makes sense to work out the security system of the site in detail.
In this article, we talk about the dangers of hacking, how to protect your resources from such attacks, and what to do if you are hacked anyway. You can avoid this unfortunate scenario by allocating the resources necessary to protect yourself, for example, use the pulsetic monitoring service. In this article, we will understand what cybersecurity is, why it should not be neglected, and what basic protection measures must be taken.
Business Or Entertainment?
In the modern world, hacker attacks are no longer surprising. More than once it was widely announced that attackers were trying to take over the database of some federal company. But for sure, many cases are also simply hushed up. Despite the fact that we have now given such a large-scale example, do not think that because you are not a large company, then you are safe.
Let’s figure out what goals attackers can pursue.
- web resource capture
- theft of confidential information
- infection of the site with a virus and an attack on users
- publishing content or taking actions on behalf of a company to damage its reputation
- placement of black optimization elements in order to compromise the resource in front of search engines
Hackers can act in their own interests, earning in any way on site owners and users, as well as on behalf of competitors. Do not forget about dDOS attacks, in which the site is not hacked, but reloaded. This can be done for revenge, to try your hand or just for fun.
How Can A Site Be Hacked?
Although we pay great attention to passwords, we try to come up with a complex combination of letters and numbers, they are always the focus of attention for hackers. After all, why hack when you can use a password?
The password can be stolen or guessed. The password from the administrative panel can be stolen using a keylogger or a Trojan running into the system. Selection is also a technical process, but it can only handle simple options.
The fact that the technology of such penetration into the site or gaining access to other people’s accounts is relevant is evidenced by a huge number of password guessing programs on the Web. True, they are more suitable for those who want to read the correspondence of their beloved in social networks, and not for something more serious.
All open components of a web resource are also considered vulnerable to fraudsters, i.e. the site itself and all kinds of add-ons.
Taking care of security, you should pay great attention to the choice of hosting. The most budgetary is shared hosting, when several sites are hosted on one server. If one person is infected with the virus, everyone will be infected. A more competent solution in terms of security would be the choice of dedicated or virtual dedicated hosting.
The problem of security of web resources today is so acute that even search engines pay attention to it. Google notifies site owners if any suspicious results appear. To use these features, you must register with the Google Search Console.
Protecting A Resource At The Creation Stage
The web security process is complex. You can lay the foundations for safe use even at the design stage of the project.
- Differentiate user access levels (actions that users can perform on the site).
- Install protection against bots. Thus, you can prevent the selection of passwords.
- Limit direct user interaction with site components.
- Enable user input validation. This will be needed for those who will work with the site directly in the future, i.e. for company professionals. If you enter any element of the code incorrectly, it can cause serious problems.
- Hide the CMS structure.
- Manage error handling. By causing an error, hackers can get the necessary data about the functioning of the system.
7 Tips To Keep Your Website Secure
Now let’s look at the main work that is recommended to be carried out periodically in order to maintain the proper level of resource security.
Reguler Update
Over time, hackers find weaknesses in the software, and updating it will reduce their activity to zero. So don’t be lazy to keep track of new software versions and update. It is the hoster’s job to take care of server software updates, so you can concentrate on keeping the CMS up to date. Don’t forget about plugins, especially those related to user uploads.
Browsers also need an update. Older versions of Internet Explorer are especially vulnerable to hackers. Never use the remember password feature in your browser.
Sol Injection Prevention
SQL injection is an attack where an attacker uses a URL field or a web form. If he manages to insert malicious code, then he can gain unlimited access to your materials, for example, he can delete items, get into the database, and so on.
The solution to the problem is to minimize the use of dynamic queries and use parameterized ones. Remove all unnecessary database server functionality. The more features you have, the more opportunities a hacker has to get to your site.
To check for SQL injections, you can use special services.
Analyze Error Messages
Often an error field with a lot of information can give a hint to attackers, especially when it comes to data mining. Do not specify what exactly the visitor of the resource did wrong. Get by with the general text “Incorrect username or password”.
Use Complex Passwords
This is not only about the admin panel, but also about setting password characteristics for users when authorizing on the site. Enter the restriction that it must contain at least eight characters. Not all users carefully approach the creation of a password, so just determine its form.
All passwords must be kept encrypted. Even if someone gets access to them, deciphering them will not be easy and very labor intensive.
Track Files Uploaded By Users
Downloading files is a great field for hackers to operate. If all your checking comes down to looking at their extension, you should urgently think about additional measures. After all, the extension is so easy to fake.
To ensure security, you can assign “file cannot be executed” rights to all uploaded files. Or, using .htaccess, write a ban on accessing files with a double extension.
Don’t Forget About SSL
SSL is a format used for secure communication between users and a server. However, do not think that the protocol always acts as a guarantor of security. If an insecure communication channel is used, hackers can obtain a certificate and thus access user data.
Remember Filters
Let’s talk about XSS attacks. The actions of hackers come down to injecting malicious code into the system that replaces the content of pages, for example, displays an advertising message that the attacker needs. The virus can be picked up by the site administrator, who will follow the proposed link, or hackers can find a hole in the site’s security themselves.
To avoid negative consequences, do not forget about the need to filter tags and all nested constructs.