If you’re like most business owners, your website is your shop front, your brand on display and an essential sales and marketing tool. You’ve spent amount of money building it and attracting visitors.
In short, it’s business critical, and it would be a disaster if that shop front were smashed, your reputation was tarnished and visitors stopped coming. This is why website security is so important.
There are 4 main threats that can destroy your website…
1. Website Malware
Your website can be attacked by malware just like desktop PC’s. The worst thing is you might not even know your website has been under threat until its blacklisted by search engines or customers start to complain about infections they can pick up from visiting your site.
Tip: Keep your website server up to date with the latest patches and security updates.
2. Malvertising
Criminals can also sneak malware infections onto legitimate ad-funded sites using malicious advertising or ‘malvertising’.
This form of attack is insidious because the website owner often has little control over which ads are served on their site or where they come from, and conventional site scanning may miss an infected ad if it’s not visible during the scan
Tip: Use repeatable advertising networks.
3. Search Engine Blacklisting
Search engines such as Google and Bing scan websites for malware and, if they find any on your site, your site could be blacklisted. This means that they stop listing the site, stop sending traffic to it and, depending on a visitor’s browser, they may also display a warning about the infection before the visitor goes to your site, even if they enter the address directly.
Tip: Sign up for Google & Bing Webmaster tools to get email warnings if your site is blacklisted.
4. Brand Impersonation
Criminals use well-known names and brands to trick people into disclosing confidential information or installing malware. Often, they use fake websites to fool people. The best- known example of this kind of attack, known as ‘phishing’, is when a fraudster uses a fake bank site to lure customers into revealing bank or credit card details and passwords.
Tip: Use Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates to authenticate your site and reassure customers that they are not using a phishing site.
I hope you found this helpful, if you need any further help with security then please get in contact. We know security is important for your business.
If there’s anything we can help you with then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How would I know if my website has been infected with malware?
You might not even know your website is under threat until search engines blacklist it or customers start complaining about infections they picked up from visiting your site - keeping your website server patched and up to date helps prevent this.
What is malvertising and why is it hard to spot?
Malvertising is when criminals sneak malware onto legitimate, ad-funded websites through malicious adverts. It's hard to control because website owners often have little say over which ads are served, and normal site scanning can miss an infected ad that isn't visible during the scan.
What happens if my website gets blacklisted by Google or Bing?
Search engines stop listing your site and stop sending it traffic, and depending on the visitor's browser they may see a warning about the infection even if they type your address directly. Signing up for Google and Bing Webmaster tools will alert you by email if your site is ever blacklisted.
How can I stop criminals creating a fake version of my website?
Brand impersonation, often through phishing, uses fake websites to trick people into revealing bank or card details. Using Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates helps authenticate your real site and reassures customers they're not on a phishing site.
To find out how we can best support you, be sure to request a free quote and brochure by clicking on the orange button below. We’d be delighted to work with you.
Until next time.