Don't Risk Google Penalties
Our typical workday was abruptly interrupted when we realized a malicious hack had put 75% of our daily operations at risk. As cyberattacks become increasingly prevalent, it's never been more important to secure your business. Without strong protection in place you could be left vulnerable and may face the severe consequences; think Google penalties that can easily push down search engine rankings! In this blog, Hollywood Branded outlines proactive methods that can prevent malware and other security issues, so you don't need to worry about any malicious cyber intrusions.
Don't Be The Next Victim - Protect Your Data
Every day, cyber attackers try to breach the security of over 30,000 websites - a staggering 11 million attempts every year. As online safety becomes increasingly important in the digital age we live in today, it is essential that businesses take steps to protect their data and information from malicious forces lurking on the internet.
Rule Of Thumb For Basic Security
Many basic security procedures have lessened in effectiveness as attackers become more sophisticated. With malicious software continuing to evolve, the list below provides an effective way to continue to keep your website safe.
- Use strong passwords
- Install SSL Certificate
- Generate a weekly or monthly backup your website
- Add Firewall
- Monitor Activity
- Limit the IPs than can access the portal
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Scan your website every at least every month
If You Are Using Word Press
Step 1: Ensure That All Plugins and Themes are Up To Date
Plugins and themes are developed by third-party developers, and it's not uncommon for them to have vulnerabilities. Once these vulnerabilities are discovered, the developer will release an updated version that fixes the issue. Having outdated plugins and themes can be easily targeted by hackers and of course, you don't want that to happen.
To update your plugin, simply login to your WordPress website > Go to Plugins > hit update
Step 2: Remove Unused and Unknown Plugins and Themes
Having too many plugins and themes installed can significantly slow down your website. The worst thing, it will expose your site to vulnerabilities so make sure you think before you hit install.
Step 3: Use Personalize Login Instead of Wp-Login
One of the most common areas of vulnerability in WordPress is the login page. The default WordPress login page is located at wp-login.php, and it's a prime target for hackers who want to gain access to your site. A lot of business owners forget this but it's really a must to change the default login link.
Step 4: Change The Database Prefix, Avoid Using Wp_
A database prefix is an identifier that helps organize databases and table names in a database management system like MySQL. Every WordPress installation uses a default database prefix of wp_. While it may seem minor, leaving this as-is can be an open invitation for hackers.
Step 5: Restrict Maximum Upload Size
Control the maximum size of any uploads to keep your system and data secured. It's rare to come across huge uploads that can strain network traffic; if it ever does happen though, be sure to analyze what type of file and if it could potentially be malicious. Keep yourself protected from exceeding the allowable limits as well as sketchy transfers.
What To Do If Backdoor Happens?
Nobody wants to receive the notification that their website has been hacked, however, it does happen and you must be prepared for it. While every case of hacking is different, one commonality among most attacks is the use of backdoors – hidden malicious code used to infiltrate and compromise your website’s security in order to gain access to confidential data or damage its reputation.
In most cases, backdoor injection looks like these:
- xJjksj.php
- trojanbis.hck
- xxxy00k.html
If you're not comfortable dealing with these codes, we highly suggest consulting an IT expert or using tools to save you time.
Tools We Use To Level Up Our Security From Malware Attacks
As manual protection could take up valuable time, thankfully we have the technology now which can help us strengthen our defenses.
Not only do these tools clean the site of lingering traces of malware, but they also fight off any upcoming attempts too.
1. Sucuri - Hassle FREE Protection
Sucuri provides round-the-clock monitoring for your website, which is essential given that attacks can happen anytime. It offers complete website security protection, including website malware removal, vulnerability scanning, DDoS protection, and web application firewall (WAF). The malware removal service is particularly worth highlighting, as it provides an instant solution to your malware problems, thus reducing the impact on your website's ranking and reputation.
Sucuri has also a team of security experts available 24/7 to offer support via email, phone, or chat. This means that you will have a dedicated team available to help you with any security concerns or questions you may have.
2. FREE Security with Cloudflare
Cloudflare is a good start to protect your website from various attacks. Aside from its DDoS protection features, it also allow you to improved website performance and free SSL certificates to ensure that your website is secure and trustworthy.
3. Mimecast - Cloud-Based Email Security
Mimecast has established itself as a crucial layer of defense for organizations that use Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It provides an extra level of protection, shielding businesses from any cyber threats or malicious activity. With its advanced technology, dangerous messages can be identified quickly and safely contained before doing any significant damage to applications or data.
Before It's Too Late!
All in all, keeping your website malware free is very crucial. It's always best to take measures against these attacks, but if you get it, you must ACT before it's too late. Timely malware cleanup can help ensure that your website remains accessible and secure and your reputation intact. With the right tools and resources at hand, you should be safe!
Eager To Learn More?
Want to learn more about cybersecurity? Check out our other blogs below.
- Preventing Tax Fraud and Financial Scams With Brian Watson
- How Cyber Fraud Almost Ended Our Agency (A Learning Lesson For Agencies & Brands)
- How To Build A Better Agency
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