{"id":7177,"date":"2020-01-09T15:00:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T12:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/?p=7177"},"modified":"2026-03-11T11:00:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:00:04","slug":"how-to-prevent-hackers-from-exploiting-your-website-key-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/how-to-prevent-hackers-from-exploiting-your-website-key-steps.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Hackers from Exploiting Your Website: Key Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alas, we\u2019re not living in an ideal world where everyone respects other people\u2019s right to private property and privacy. We\u2019re talking about hackers now \u2014 cybercriminals who\u2019re constantly looking to exploit weak security spots in websites to steal data or pull off their dirty tricks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a <\/span>report <\/span><\/a>published last year, the majority of hackers\u2019 targets (nearly 60%) were small businesses. That\u2019s because small and mid-sized enterprises can\u2019t afford to spend as much on protecting their websites from hackers as big companies can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not so hopeless, though. If you\u2019re a small business owner, you can effectively prevent cyber crooks from shamelessly breaking into your website without having to spend a fortune. Just follow our guide below.<\/p>\n

HOW HACKERS CAN USE YOUR SITE TO THEIR BENEFIT\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even a site comprised of just a bunch of static HTML files with plain text and a few images can attract the attention of cybercriminals. What can they use it for?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

This is by no means a full list of hackers\u2019 \u201cingenious\u201d ideas. It keeps growing as new technologies come into existence. When can you say that there are other, unwanted administrators of your site?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SOME TELLTALE SIGNS THAT YOU\u2019VE FALLEN VICTIM TO A HACKER\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Signs<\/p>\n

1. You have far fewer visitors to your site than before<\/h3>\n

After breaking into your website, hackers implant their code into your pages or change your code for theirs entirely. This enables them to redirect visitors to other locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once search engines discover that your site is out of order and acting suspiciously, they push it down SEO rankings. This further reduces the number of visitors, who can\u2019t find your site as easily as before.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/span>Visitors see a deluge of strange banner ads or popups<\/h3>\n

Normally, in this case, plugins and themes are the soft spots that hackers can exploit automatically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed-in users don\u2019t see the ads. Only visitors who\u2019ve come to your website by clicking a link on a search results page or on another site do. As a result, hackers can be the masters on your site for ages until you finally discover their presence.<\/p>\n

3. You can\u2019t sign in<\/h3>\n

If you can\u2019t access your dashboard by entering the login\/password pair you\u2019ve typed in dozens of times before, it means you\u2019re in trouble. The most likely cause of this problem is that your login is too simple and predictable like \u2018root,\u2019 \u2018admin,\u2019 or \u2018test.\u2019 That makes your site an easy target for hackers.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. The content of your main page has been altered without you being aware of it<\/h3>\n

Often, cybercriminals show off their coding skills or try to make a fool of you by messing up with your content and adding their own \u201cfunny stuff\u201d for good measure. In other cases, the damage can be far more severe, with hackers letting you know they want money from you by placing a message right on the main page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We anticipate your next question, \u201cHow can I keep hackers away?\u201d The answer is, \u201cYou can do a lot.\u201d Read on.<\/p>\n

KEY ANTI-HACKER GUIDELINES<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Key<\/p>\n

1. Find a High-Quality Hosting Provider<\/h3>\n

Be careful when choosing a hosting provider. While it\u2019s tempting to save a few dollars, you may bitterly regret your decision afterward. A cheap server divided among a large number of sites can be the perfect breeding ground for viruses that will spread from one site to another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take your time and perform a thorough search for a reliable hosting company with a good renomm\u00e9 and reasonable pricing plans. Avoid twopenny-halfpenny hosting providers who don\u2019t care about the security of their servers and don\u2019t perform regular scans for malware and malicious code<\/p>\n

2. Coin a Unique Login. Make Your Password Impossible to Guess<\/h3>\n

Hackers adore simple logins and short, easy-to-crack passwords.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First off, if your administrator login is still \u2018admin,\u2019 change it immediately. Your new login should not be related to your life or work. For example, choosing your pet\u2019s name or the name of your favorite football team as your login or its part is not advisable. A hacker can find it out just by visiting your Facebook page, for example.<\/p>\n

What makes a good password? Read <\/span>Google\u2019s recommendations<\/span><\/a> to find it out. In addition, make sure you don\u2019t have a single user with a weak password.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Storing passwords securely is also extremely important. We highly recommend encrypting all your sensitive data, including passwords, by using a one-direction algorithm (SHA or equivalent).<\/p>\n

This article<\/span><\/a> describes various methods to hide real values of passwords.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other preventive measures as far as passwords are concerned:<\/p>\n