Every year, hacking costs the American economy $100 billion. In a recent attack, hackers, operating under the ISIS name hacked into the WordPress sites of several businesses. Hackers often don’t have a specific agenda in mind, but they do like to disrupt the organization in any way. Often, hackers do not need much to get into a website. In cases of the WordPress hack, hackers utilized a plugin vulnerability. Small points of entry can cause maximum damage.
For small business owners, they are at a higher risk. In 2013, small businesses were targeted in approximately 30 percent of all cyberattacks. As bleak of an outlook as that sounds, cyberattacks can be avoided with the right kind of protection and knowledge of how the hackers think.
Website Vulnerability Assessment
It’s never a bad idea to educate employees about internet security. Producing a security checklist can and will go a long way in protecting your website and subsequently all your IT systems. Train your employees early and often so they aren’t the ones that are responsible for any hack that occurs.
But perhaps the most important way to correctly protect your website and IT systems is through a website vulnerability check, an in-depth check of your site consists of scanning open holes or misconfiguration issues that can be exposed or exploited by hackers. 9 times out of 10 hackers first look for open holes in any website because it presents the easiest point of entry. It is a good idea to perform a website vulnerability check as consistently as possible, whether its on a daily schedule, or even on a schedule for once a week, as long as vulnerability checks are consistent and thorough, you will have the advantage in stopping any damage before it can get out of control.
Final Thoughts
Even though the ISIS hackers may not have been really ISIS members, it’s important to note that hackers will try to build off of a name that is prevalent in the news. In any case, your website is never really safe from any hackers unless you safeguard it and provide it with the best possible protection. A website vulnerability assessment maximizes the safety of your website and it makes it much harder for hackers to find an easy way into the site.
Never take website security for granted. In the yearly $100 billion in damages caused by hackers, in most all cases it costs businesses invaluable time to step back and resolve issues caused by hacking. No one can afford to be lax in protecting their website, whether you are a corporate business or small business, security always needs important consideration. If you would like vulnerability assessment for your website, please give us a call and we will help you with your assessment.