Though the internet has evolved much since its creation, not that much has changed in the way websites are hacked.
There are over a billion websites that make up the World Wide Web. It would take an average human being 160 years just to see the already existing websites if the individual never rests and if load time and continuous queries took three seconds to give results.
Today several search engines try to protect their users from websites that have been hacked. They do this by sending warnings to users if the website is unsafe. Currently, they deliver over two and a half million warnings per day per search engine.
Out of all the scanned websites by the security infrastructure of these search engines, over 1.5% are found to have some IoC (Indicator of Compromise). For a particular website, this means that this website has been hacked.
Websites depend on many interconnected systems working together. There are components like the DNS (Domain Name System) that direct requests to their destinations. On top of this, there are plenty of moving parts in the system. Many specialized providers provide a lot of individual nodes. All these are points of potential hack and play a major role in how your website gets hacked.
The majority of hacks fall into various categories. They include the following:
- Access Control
- Software vulnerabilities
- Third-party integrations
Today, we shall look at access control.
Access Control
Access control is simply how a person logs in to a website, a social media forum, or a server (i.e. FTP, SFTP, SSH)
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a communication protocol used to transfer data and files to a client from a server on a computer network.
SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) is a network protocol that allows access, management, and transfer of files over a data stream that is reliable.
SSH (Secure Shell Protocol) securely operates network services across networks that are not secure. It is a cryptographic network.
Access control is easily overlooked but each point is a potential source of a breach into an entire system. If you have a weak insecure log in points are a perfect target for hackers. There are several tactics hackers employed to exploit access control and they are as follows:
Brute Force
This simply put, is the repeated guess of log-in credentials until you get the correct information and sequence.
Hackers are developing brute force attack tools that make the entire process automated. By doing this, they can carry out a larger number of hacks at the same time.
Sometimes when a brute force attack has occurred, you might try to gain access to your website or social media platform but cannot gain access. If this happens, it is a sign that this website has been hacked.
DDoS Attacks
A distributed denial of service (DDoS) is the process of overwhelming a website with traffic and requests that might not necessarily be real.
A hacker uses a botnet which is a large number of previously hacked or malware-infected computers.
A hacker usually has control of the botnet which he/she directs to target a website and access it over and over overwhelming it with traffic resulting in the website crashing. When you see a website crashing due to too much traffic than it can handle, this is a sign the website has been hacked.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
In cross-site scripting, a hacker introduces a malicious code into an authentic website which runs the malicious script on the client-side when unsuspecting users access the website.
If an unsuspecting user accesses the website with his/her devices, this malicious code could give the hacker access to your GPS location, turn on the microphone or turn on the webcam.
If you ever find your GPS or webcam on while using the said hacked website and you did not turn them on, then this is an indication that this website has been hacked.
DNS Spoofing
It is also referred to as DNS cache poisoning.
Here, a hacker redirects traffic from a legitimate server to a malicious one. This leads unsuspecting users to websites bearing malicious scripts.
Upon close inspection and investigation, the users might find themselves in websites resembling legitimate ones. This is a sign the website has been hacked.
These are just some of the tactics hackers employ to hack into websites and exploit them. To get the complete information on this topic, visit, cwatch.comodo.com/
Conclusion
It is important to keep your website safe no matter the size of your business to ensure client data security and to maintain the integrity and reputation of your business and yourself.
When logging in to your website, it important to employ a two-step authentication process. It is not hack-proof but it is much safer than conventional one-step authentication.
