The modern marketplace has become totally dependent on the virtual storefront. The people rely on the Internet to buy the things, seek information, post and share information with his fellowmen, and almost all of his daily activities are based on the Internet in one or the other way. Likewise, the B2B, healthcare units, educational institutions, social activities and, etc., are also dependent on the Internet.
Though it is a welcoming issue, it has led to cyber security related issues in parallel. We encounter security issues on everything from the hosting servers to personal PCs and mobile devices. A strong password for the storefronts will be no more effective. There are several other things to be considered. The world wide web has billions of web pages with millions of websites, and cyber security is becoming the major business. Hacking, Phishing, Denial of Service (DoS) attack and other Internet mischiefs have become the normal day in the Internet world.
Some of the weakness of any website that may lead to phishing attacks are weaker username and passwords, use of sold plugins, outdated versions of platforms, weak FTP credentials, cheap hosting, and more.
The common types of attacks are:
- Bypassing the normal authentication and gain remote access to the environment via FTP, Admin, and, etc.
- Embedding of Malware on the website via script injection
- Pharma hacks, the most dangerous spam menace visible to search engines alone. The website may get tagged as ‘compromised’ by the Google.
- Malicious redirects creating a negative impact on both the primary domain and sub-domains.
The Best practices for security are:
- Stay updated with the technical changes
- Backup of the website
- Use of scanners to check infections
- Verification of the website through the Google webmaster
- Use of strong passwords
- Detection of would-be attackers by scrutinising inbound PHP requests
- Use of the latest security update
- Deletion of unused templates
- Restrict editing and rewriting
- A continuous check and updates on PHP extensions inventory
Some of the security measures from a user point of view includes:
Secure surfing: It is better to avoid logging into the sites without an Http connection.
Web browser warnings: Hackers may install malware which would infect the computers. It is better to stop browsing whenever there is a display warning regarding the site’s insecure status.
Review of privacy settings: It is recommended to review the site’s privacy settings often for most of the sites keep changing the way about the use of one’s personal information.
A check on details shared via social media: Several sites and apps ask for details through Google or the social media. There may be onlookers who might misuse the details to send spams for his fellowmen.
Cover the tracks: It is better to browse the web anonymously. In addition, it is wise to install the browser extension and block the advertisers’ web trackers.
We, at Orange Mantra, a reputed web design, development and Mobile app company offer a secure and safe website development on major platforms. We develop futuristic and interactive websites for the regional and global clients.