You are a small business website owner or an average person running blogsite. Why would anyone break into your website when you believe you don’t have anything of value? There are lots of other people asking the same questions.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals are continuously crawling the web for websites you might not expect. Small businesses used to rely on security through obscurity, but those days are past as hackers are realizing the financial incentive they could get by attacking even the smallest sites. The National Cyber Security Alliance estimates that 20% of all small businesses will be hacked within a year. According to Symantec, 31% of targeted attacks focus on business with fewer than 200 employees.
Here are some reasons anyone would be interested in hacking your site.
User Information
Hackers can steal usernames, passwords, or even emails. This information could be used to attack other websites and you could be sued for damages. What’s more, they could change a site’s login page and details such that all the money goes directly to them.
Use the Site for Other Attacks
When hackers want to expand their attacks, they create a large network of compromised computers which they use to attack other websites. This system makes it hard for authorities to find out whose hacking and makes it hard to stop.
Rent Access to Your Server
Having a compromised server could make it easy for hackers to access it and sell it to malicious users who would then use it to attack the VISA website and send spam.
Spread Malware
Hackers who need to spread viruses, Trojans, and other illegal stuff need a site to store these dangerous files. They don’t want to risk their servers, which could be traced back to them. They will hack a site and upload malware to it, where they’ll now send out spam to unsuspecting individuals.
SEO Spam
SEO spam involves injecting backlinks and spam to valid sites. This is a profitable way for hackers to make money. When your site has been compromised, an attacker uploads a backdoor which redirects your visitors to their sites, which could get you penalized by search engines.
Bragging Rights
Young people are curious and looking for what they can do to get recognition. Hackers will attack your site for fun or just to brag by placing their names on their homepage.
What You Need to Know About Hacking
Most small business owners think that they only require some security as they are too small to be hacked. The reality is that most hackers will attack your site without ever seeing or visiting your website. Lack of basic maintenance, proper monitoring, and the right security measures could get your site defaced and infected with malware.
There was a 32% increase in the number of hacked websites from 2015 compared to 2016.
Security is not all about eliminating risk, but rather reducing the risk. While you can never reduce your risk to zero, you can take the necessary steps to reduce it to avoid becoming part of the statistic.
If you haven’t taken the right steps to protect your site from hackers, you need to talk to Subzero Lab. Being a reputable web development company, we provide comprehensive solutions ranging from search engine marketing services, e-commerce development, social media marketing and more. We are here assist you and provide assistance where necessary.
