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.

Defending web systems from malware

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The term malicious software, or malware, for short, was first coined by Yisrael Radai in 1990. But even before then, malware had already been around, albeit categorized as computer viruses. These days, the malware focus has shifted to websites as an entry point to gain access to sensitive information and even causing reputational damage to businesses.

Malware is an umbrella term for different types of intrusive software, including virus, spyware, adware, hijacker, ransomware, and many others. It is often disguised as non-threatening files, executable programs, active content, or other software. It tricks users the same way the Greeks used the Trojan Horse to implement a war attack.

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To address the presence of malware, SiteLock®, a global leader in business website security solutions, uses a three-step approach to removing malware from its clients’ web systems.

The first step is to find the unwanted malware by scanning the website and web applications both outside in and inside out. Every file and website code is scanned to ensure no stone is left unturned.

After which, the detected malware is fixed through automatic malware removal, eliminating the malicious files before problems occur.

To make sure that no such problem occurs again in the future, it is important to prevent malware with a web application firewall that provides DDoS protection, backdoor mitigation, and SQLi and XSS prevention.

SiteLock, having been established in 2008, offers holistic cloud-based website protection for more than eight million clients worldwide. It deploys comprehensive monitoring reviews and fixes threats while preventing future attacks, accelerating website performance, and meeting PCI compliance standards. Read more about the company by visiting its official website.