Why should people backup their website files

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Backing up computer files, much like fastening seatbelts, brushing teeth, and seeing the doctor, is a must. Ever since the dawn of the internet, many dangers have emerged to threaten the very existence of files. These threats double especially when people have websites that contain very important information. Backing up of the files kept on websites assures the owners that should any virus or malware bring a website to ruin, important data are kept safe and locked away.

A lot of cybercriminals out there have figured out more sophisticated means to make a buck. They and their creations, these viruses and harmful programs have spread all over the worldwide web. They’ve crashed billions of computers and countless websites, erasing files for good.

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While it’s true that many of these files can be recovered, sometimes, the effort is just not worth it. The old saying that an ounce of prevention is a lot better than tons of cure applies oh-so-well in this particular situation. The mere act of saving files once a week to an external drive changes everything.

Just be sure to run them through an anti-virus program first before backing them all up.

SiteLock provides its clients with only the best internet security. To find out more about SiteLock, visit its official website.

Small businesses should not underestimate web security

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When websites receiving a huge number of visitors get hacked, it makes headlines. For example, when several government websites were hacked by ISIS weeks ago, the incidents were all over the news. The same can be said when the Equifax data breach was made known to the public earlier this month.

Because of this, many small business owners share a common misconception that their website is safe from cyberattacks. They rely on what is called “security by obscurity,” mistakenly thinking that because their website is not as popular as bigger websites, security concerns are little to none.

The unfortunate reality is that there is no such thing as “too small to hack.” Any website is prone to hacks or other forms of cyber threats.

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Cybercriminals target websites for the following resources:

Bandwidth: A huge bandwidth is a costly commodity nowadays. Thus, cybercriminals who illegally share or distribute software online hack web servers to steal bandwidth so that they could carry on their illicit activity.

Website traffic: If a website, even if it is small, has an active comment section, cybercriminals can use it to their advantage by sending spam or stealing website traffic for their own profit.

Confidential data: One of the worst web attacks by hackers is stealing customer data, including email addresses. Small businesses have to defend their websites against this type of attack as it can lead to loss of customer trust.

SiteLock helps secure their clients’ websites by scanning for clarity, blocking ambiguity, and having frequent backups. To review the company’s services, visit its official website.

The basics of bandwidth management

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One of the integral tasks in setting up and running a website is allocating and managing bandwidth to the people who help keep it operational. Probably if it were only one person running the website, then it wouldn’t be so much of a problem. But if there were more than ten people using one internet connection then business owners should know just exactly how to use bandwidth.

Bandwidth is the max data transfer rate of a connection, and as such, it measures the amount of data that can be used over a period of time. An example would be the commonly-used gigabit Ethernet connection, which has a bandwidth of 1,000 Mbps, or 125 megabytes per second. Internet cables clock in at around 25 Mbps.

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Managing this depends on how many people will be using the entire system. Larger companies such as call centers would need a higher bandwidth, while smaller businesses may do well with a few internet cables.

It is important to remember that bandwidth doesn’t measure how fast the data travels since that information depends on the cables themselves. Although it can be ruled that the speed of this is negligible. What business owners need to calculate more than the speed is the amount of information needed. That also has a significant impact on bandwidth management.

SiteLock is a global industry leader when it comes to business website security solutions. One of their specializations is accelerating site performance through bandwidth management. Learn more about SiteLock by logging on to this website.

What to do in the event of a security breach

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The recent Wannacry virus caused a lot of damage to many companies when it wreaked havoc on the web just last April. While some of us are still reeling from its effects, it would be good to pick up a few lessons from the disaster. Here are the next logical steps to take in the event of a security breach.

This must first be communicated clearly and urgently within the organization. Someone simply has to press the panic button so that people will react promptly.

The next step is to disconnect. The team has to assume that the breach has already corrupted at least one computer. It is also prudent to assume that there is a malicious intent to corrupt other computers located in the same network. The logical solution is to eliminate the network so that there is no connection that runs from one computer to another.

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If the problem has in fact infiltrated the company’s system, disconnecting from the network somewhat stops the bleeding and this limits the problem from spreading further to other computers.

Cleaning must be done on all computers individually. At some point, the OS will be releasing the latest updates once the developer has identified the nature of the virus or the malware that has breached the system, and these updates must be installed completely.

It is very hard to tell the extent of damage there is at the onset. But companies can surely put into practice a number of things in their breach protocol to ensure that the problem does not become more complicated.

Since 2008, SiteLock has been a key player in business website security solutions, serving a worldwide customer base of more than 8 million businesses. For the latest web security solutions, please visit their website.

Signs of ransomware vulnerability

A business is a target for ransomware malice, because of the nature of interconnectivity in the workplace. Historically, a lot of the biggest online disasters are those which targeted huge businesses and caused significant damage. Here are some signs that your business may be vulnerable.

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1. A high incidence of suspicious incoming emails

Every so often, you might encounter an email which doesn’t make sense. You don’t know the recipient, and you don’t even see any relation between his industry and yours. It could well be a real person doing this, but it could also be a bot. Now, if such emails are too frequent, chances are you are being targeted.

2. Frequent pop-up windows that come out of nowhere

A lot of malicious ware cause damage because these have been allowed to enter your system somehow. Malware programmers use bait to catch unsuspecting victims. A very effective bait is pop-up windows. These windows have content which can be quite enticing. Perhaps they offer discounts on a product. They can even be a charity pitch. They can be anything, but if they come out of nowhere, be very suspicious.

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3. No web security scheme

If you handle any business which has a network of computers that are required to do work, and you have no web security scheme in place, this is a big sign that you are inviting trouble. You have to note that this is the exact profile that malicious elements are looking for.

Since 2008, SiteLock has been a key player in business website security solutions, serving a worldwide customer base of more than 8 million. For the latest web security solutions, please visit the company’s website.

The industries that benefit the most from web security

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Various businesses have attested to the role of web security in improving and expediting operations. The truth is that there are always malicious online threats out there preying on organizations which have a high dependency on information. There are, however, a number of industries which typically take the way of employing web security more than other industries.

Government is obviously an information dependent organism. The truth is that all governments keep critical information as a natural aspect of public service. Government data is always centered on public welfare, which simply cannot leave any space open for web threats.

Non-profits are also empowered by web security. They typically get funding from income generating organizations, which they use to serve various noble causes. With this much dependency on them, they need to ensure that all their data are kept safe.

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Production industries are highly dependent on web security in order to ensure that their functions are seamless. Companies in the production practice are market driven, and they ensure that they can fulfill what the market demands. Web security gives them an additional degree of protection so that their functions are not compromised. Their utmost concern is their volume of production.

Granted that such industries are the ones who mostly employ web security solutions, it also goes to show that they are also the ones which malicious online threats aim to corrupt the most. With protection against these threats, these companies are able to best fulfill their roles.

SiteLock is a company whose services include reviewing and fixing threats, preventing future DDoS attacks, and accelerating website performance. For more updates on web security, visit the company’s website.

Some clues that you’ve been hacked

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Hacking is one of the most unfortunate realities that any individual or entity has to face in this age of internet dependence. It is such an infamous, dreaded phenomenon because it is also one of the most subtle threats out there. However, an incident of hacking leaves traces that you may observe from the view at your work station.

One of the classic signs of hacking is an application installed in your PC which you are certain that you didn’t download. This happens when you unknowingly allow a program to do changes on your computer. There are many ways by which you can be tricked into this. One example is that of a window with a clickable button that takes the form of something familiar, like the close button on what looks like an otherwise trusted window.

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Yet another sign that you might be hacked is when you get emails from people whom you do not know. This means that somehow, your email address has circulated outside of the usual places. This makes you a target of malicious programs.

One of the most glaring signs of hacking is when you are alerted to credit card purchases which you are also certain you did not make. This is very frightening, and having your PC or mobile phone cleaned becomes secondary. Calling your credit card company to cancel your card should be the priority response.

Hackers will always be there to challenge the most secure solutions in web security. It’s a good thing that the good guys who protect us are some of the most brilliant innovators in the field.

Founded in 2008, SiteLock has been serving a worldwide customer base of more than 8 million with the technology that deters the biggest security threats on the web. For the latest in web security, please visit their website.

Cross-site scripting: A significant web security risk

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At the start of the year, around 1,600 WordPress plugin vulnerabilities were analyzed over the course of 14 months. It was discovered that 46.97 percent of these were prone to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

According to a study by Symantec in the second half of 2007, there were 11,253 site-specific cross-site scripting vulnerabilities documented, a figure considerably higher than the 2,134 traditional vulnerabilities recorded during the same period.

XSS is a security vulnerability that enables hackers to inject malicious, client-side scripts in trusted websites. By doing so, an unsuspecting user who accessed the web-based application will unwittingly execute the code or script, allowing the attacker to view and manipulate sensitive page content, session contents, authorization cookies, and other information retained by the browser on behalf of the user.

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The hacker will then be able to use the victim’s credentials to access the website. If the website contains sensitive information, such as credit card data, the hacker can steal the information. He can also gain administrator privileges on the website, should he be able to successfully inject a code that the web host or owner clicks on.

These are just some of the consequences of XSS attacks; the effects of this vulnerability range from trivial nuisances to significant web security risks.

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How companies can keep their websites free from hackers

Websites, especially high-profile ones, with a lot of information and traffic, have become the target of hackers everywhere. Many people depend on a lot of websites, and when these sites are brought down, it can paralyze a lot of everyday routines. But there are ways to keep websites secure. Here are some of them.

Always update the software.

One of the most critical parts of websites is the software used to run them. Websites should be updated as soon as new versions of programs are available. A lot of the security breaches performed these days were executed by bots that scan sites they can exploit. Updating every five days may not be enough to keep websites secure.

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Change common passwords.

Having a username/password gate is not as secure as many people think. In fact, it’s not secure at all, especially if the passwords used are common. When it comes to passwords, people have to remember to make them CLU – complex, long, and unique. Complex passwords should be far from personal preferences. Long passwords should contain at least 12 characters. Unique passwords mean that the password a person uses should not be repeated.

One server should contain a single website.

This is important because having multiple sites in a single container leads a very large attack surface. Hackers can aim anywhere and hit almost anything. Hosts should remember that different websites update irregularly, meaning one site may be secure, but the others may not. And if one site is infected, and they’re all on the same server, all the other sites can be corrupted before the hosts know it.

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SiteLock has helped its clients for nearly a decade, by providing quality web security services like DDoS protection, firewall development, and automated detection and remediation of malware threats and other related scams. Learn more about the company by visiting this website.