1. You Get a Ransom Demand
No joke, site-napping is real and growing. It’s profitable because ransomware users are hard to track down and many people assume it’s easier to pay off and be done than to wait for the site-nappers to be caught, and to hope that, once caught, they will restore your site in exchange for a reduced sentence.
2. Fake Virus Scan
A fading problem, but far from gone. It appeals to your ignorance and trust: “The wonderful folks at [insert cool-sounding company name] have detected [insert huge number] of viruses on your website. Let us do a complete scam — uh, I mean scan!” Plenty of people fall for this and hand over the credit card numbers. Your website won’t get cleaned out, but your bank account probably will.
3. Browser Warnings or Disabling by your Host
You might see a red-flag warning like, “This website may allow others to obtain personal information” or “known phishing site” or something similar. Of course, it isn’t you, you’re honest, but, if hackers have hit you, browsers will react to your site and warn others away.
Hosts need to be extra cautious because one infected site can infect others. If they find malware, spam ware or other dangerous stuff in your site’s code, they can shut you down.
4. Error Messages
When your code is good, you don’t get them. If they appear suddenly, that probably means new code has been added — and not by you. When you find unexpected messages in your error log, or the file path looks unfamiliar, somebody’s been playing in your sandbox.
5. Someone Else’s Site Appears
Hackers have placed code on your site that redirects to some other page, probably one that collects private info.
Vigilance
Once your website is cleaned up and back in operation, and your new security system is in place, don’t assume you’ll stay safe. Hackers are, as a group, petty little jerks who like to cause trouble — for fun or profit. “Constant vigilance is the price of liberty,” they say; it is equally true of web security.
When you contact Facet Web Tech, you’re talking to a full-service information technology partner that can oversee your web security as well as all other IT needs. Our ongoing monitoring services provide the peace of mind you deserve. Spend your time and effort running your business without fear, we have your back.