We’re constantly hearing stories about hackers targeting websites to obtain the private data of millions of people. They may be after credit card information, tax information, or social security numbers. These kinds of data breeches can negatively impact individuals for years after the initial hack. And today, even more attention is being paid to our data privacy and the way websites even sell our information to outside companies in what is currently a perfectly legal system.
It’s imperative that you know your clients’ small WordPress sites aren’t being hacked to get at credit card information, but that doesn’t mean their sites are safe. Without a background in internet security, what can you do to protect your clients?
Let’s take a closer look at what hackers are doing online.
Malicious Content
If a hacker can insert malicious code with the hopes that visitors will click, that’s enough to create a critical situation on your client’s site. Hackers aren’t targeting small sites for personal data breeches, but malicious content is problematic enough.
You may have noticed unusual comments with links or maybe they hijack the site’s email for clicks. With WordPress, some of this malicious content comes plugin hacks, which you may not notice until it’s too late.
Spread Viruses
Some hackers will spread viruses using your website’s backend code. Or they may upload files on the front-end right under your nose. If a visitor to the site interacts with this code, the hacker spread the virus to their computer and on and on.
If the customer can track down the virus or malware to your client’s site, this can affect a lot more than just their business.
Host Phishing
We’re all familiar with phishing scams that come through our email, but we may not think about how phishing scams originate or how they’re hosted. A hacker can create a fake page on your client’s site intended to collect information from visitors.
A contact form created by hackers can do a ton of damage in a short time before you even realize it’s there.
Host Pages
Here’s a crazy one you may not think about. Some hackers actually use their skills to create actual, legitimate pages hosted on your site to boost their own SEO. It will redirect customers to their own website directly from your client’s page without anyone noticing what’s happening.
There are also ways to do this by creating an intricate system of backlinks that go from your site to theirs. Without a background in internet security, this would be nearly undetectable.
Overload System
Do you know what a Distributed Denial of Service Attack is? Hackers may create a DDoS attack by overloading your servers so your site goes down. There are a lot of reasons hackers may choose this type of attack. Sometimes it’s just because they want to prove they can.
Occasionally, these DDoS attacks are followed by a ransom. They attackers want something in return for restoring your access.
Steal Bandwidth
Some people may do this without realizing by stealing images from your site and using a hotlink, which has the side effect of using your site as a host for their page images. But it can be more complicated than that.
Other hackers will actually use sites purposefully to support their own activities, such as mining for bitcoin. Hacking into sites like this will effectively take over your bandwidth to support what they’re doing.
These things only scratch the surface of what could happen if your client’s WordPress site is hacked. And if you’re overwhelmed by the mere thought of these problems, you will quickly be consumed when it does happen to you.
As you’re designing gorgeous websites to support your clients’ business, how do you address these concerns. Partner with an expert on internet security with WordPress sites and call Site Trustee today.