Have you ever faced website defacement? If so, probably the next thing on your mind was website defacement monitoring.
If not, then you are very fortunate because website defacement is a great threat to any business that is running online. Running an online business is a huge responsibility and requires a well-built and robust security system. No matter whether you are a big or small business owner, hacking is a live threat to everyone functioning online.
Website defacement is a change in the appearance of a webpage of a website or the complete transformation of a website. These are unauthorized changes made through targeting a website. This form of vandalism is often performed by using SQL injections and FTP. Website defacement is often carried out by system crackers or hackers for various known and unknown reasons. Sometimes website defacement is done just to show professional skills or for fun, whereas other times, it results in crimes.
Many online hacking competitions are also organized for these hackers to show their talents and skills. Website defacements are generally performed on popular and trending websites resulting in a loss of time and money to the owner.
Why website defacement? Website defacement is carried out by hackers for numerous certified reasons. Some carry it out for fun, some for an ideal or goal.
- Some hackers or system crackers deface a website just for fun. They just want to penetrate into administration and prove their skills, mocking all IT and technical support professionals.
- Website defacement is also done to access personal information, files, and data.
- Some hackers wish to have free traffic by placing their links on popular websites
- Religious and government sites are also targeted very often. The non-religious and anti-government hackers, popularly known as “hacktivists,” target such websites.
- Some website defacements are done just to eliminate you.
In all the above-mentioned website defacement scenarios, the content of the website is changed with certain pictures and messages or various links. All of this ends up resulting in serious losses to the owners, whether it is in money, time, or reputation.
How is a website defaced?
A website is hacked or defaced through various tools and methods.
- SQL injections are the most common and widely used method to gain admin access. In this malicious process, SQL statements are placed on a webpage or website.
- Never ever share your username and password with anyone. Once the username and password are known, it becomes easier for hackers to deface through FTP.
- By the use of poor hosting companies or infected PCs.
- Use of weak and predictable usernames and passwords.
Effects of website defacement
Defacing a website may be fun for the hacker, but it is always a nightmare for the website owner.
- Loss of money: The various costs of repairing and repaying customer losses and other such technical support processes can cost millions.
- Loss of time: A normal defaced website takes around 1 to 3 days to be made to work and function efficiently again.
- Reduced privacy and loss of information: Website defacement is sometimes done to access private information, data, and files. From manipulating and accessing customer details to changing your privacy settings, each and everything is in the hacker’s hand. Everything is at stake after the website defacement.
- Reputation damage: Money and time loss are almost bearable but the reduced SEO rankings and loss of reputation are the biggest impacts of website defacement for any business. It often leads to the reduction of the number of loyal and trusted customers
What to do in case of website defacement?
The technical and IT support team along with website owners should always be ready to face such attacks and problems. There are a number of steps and precautions to prevent and reduce the impacts of website defacement.
- Have a backup. Having a backup of every database along with each and every file and piece of information makes it easier for recovery. Backup your data regularly to reduce the loss.
- Avoid themes and plug-ins and other changes from unknown and unreliable sources.
- Use strong passwords, usernames, and account management settings to prevent vandalism.
- Consider and monitor unexpected sudden increases in traffic to the web server.
- Install firewalls and always use virus free and non-infected PCs.
Now, don’t let hackers easily deface your website and create problems for you. Simple and regular monitoring steps can shield you from becoming a victim of online vandalism and other such troubles. However, if you experience website defacement, contact your hosting provider and get your website offline temporarily till you get the problem fixed. Have a talk with your technical support team and look for complete recovery. Once your website is ready, restore your online presence.
So, now start following these simple but very crucial steps and create a fence for your online security and continue functioning smartly and efficiently with the above-mentioned tips. They are really helpful.
Is website defacement happening in 2023?
In today’s online-driven world, every website is prone to hacking and defacement. Even big and highly secured websites are sometimes targeted and defaced easily. Nowadays, there is not a single website that can be said to be hundred percent flawless if it has information that can be exploited. Sometimes this problem can have worse effects if you run your business with a defaced website. It can affect your reputation, sales, and business simultaneously.
Small entrepreneurs and businessmen usually neglect the threat of website defacement. This is where they provide more attention giving an invitation to the system crackers and hackers. In recent times, various surveys have listed the alarming threat of website hacking and defacements to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
As a website owner, whether small or giant, it is crucially important to understand the risks and damages website defacement or hacking can cause. Giving less attention to the security of your website offers plenty of invitations and opportunities to hackers.
- Several system crackers can penetrate into your system security, resulting to the exploitation and stealing of your important data and customer information.
- Can send spam through your server by easily accessing your email server
- Hackers can deface your website content
These several threats and outcomes incorporate the need to enhance your security to reduce their impacts. There are numerous ways and tips that can help you to easily minimize the impacts and risks of these online threats.
Being up to date
Keep your website and scripts updated if you use a Content Management System like WordPress etc. Always install the updates as soon as possible. Remember, increasing popularity always increases vulnerability.
Always have eyes on user uploads
Although user uploads can add interactivity to your website, these user uploads are often used to upload malicious content to your server. Make sure you have a security check before a user uploads content or a picture on your website server.
Strong passwords:
Passwords are basic and crucial security options. People now understand the potential and importance of strong passwords over traditional simple passwords. Avoid using easy-to-guess and simple passwords. The addition of numbers, characters, symbols, etc makes a password hard to guess and crack. Keeping a strong password can help you protect yourself from hackers. Several password management programs can assist you in creating a strong and hard-to-expose password for your security.
Website defacement monitoring
If you monitor and check your website regularly, then you automatically reduce the risk of hacking to a large extent. Obviously, there is automated software that does all sorts of monitoring such as email blacklist monitoring. Even a few minutes of monitoring gives you an idea of the status of your website. Along with this, having very few administrators also lessens the threat of website defacement. Make sure you have only trusted people as administrators for your website.
Virus Protection
For the complete security of your website, having good virus protection is essential. Safe anti-virus protection for your PC can help you secure your websites from different hackers and online threats.
Provide limited login attempts
Ensure your website security by installing several login safeguard measures. These safeguard measures can help you put a stop to millions of login combinations used by hackers to intrude into your website. After a certain number of failed attempts, these login safeguard measures keep banning the dedicated IP address.
Always use a reliable host
To get the website back into function quickly, web hosts play a very crucial and major role. Always use the best reliable web host for your website.
Use SSL security certificates
If you pass information and data between server and website, then SSL security certificates are ideal for providing security for your websites. When the channel or medium is not secure, hackers easily capture data and information to gain various access to personal data and user accounts.
Have regular backups
Although you follow each and every possible tip and ways to secure your website but having a regular backup is the most important tool. Regular backups are very useful at the time of online threats as these backups help you restore your website easily. You can have a regular backup of your important data and information by yourself or with the help of your web hosting service provider.
Now, as the phrase says, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so it’s better to follow the simple steps and measures to save extra time and cost wasting on website downtimes. It is always better to take the help of a professional team that is capable of handling and rectifying website defacements. No matter how good you are at understanding the depth, but you will not have the expertise that the professionals in this area have. So in order to be prepared for website defacement, it is better to leave the job in the hands of experts.
Website defacement, it is better to leave the job in the hands of experts.
