Hackers are not simply driven by a malicious compulsion to search and destroy. Instead, these people are most often participating individually or in groups in cybercrime for profit.
While web design companies work harder than ever to protect servers and individual sites, talented hackers persist in finding ways to exploit less sophisticated defenses. Their objective is to uncover data that they can sell or can be used to acquire assets directly.
What are Hackers Looking For?
Opportunities to steal or buy information for profit are increasing daily. With sophisticated technical skills, hackers eventually figure out ways to infiltrate servers to uncover usernames, passwords, and personal information from many servers.
Here are some ways your server and computer data can become vulnerable to cyber intrusion:
- “Phishing” is one of the most popular activities among hackers. The activity involves cyber missions to obtain personal and sensitive information, including usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers, by posing as a trustworthy entity.
The process involves introducing well-designed, legitimate-looking pages that can trick you into entering account data or social security numbers during your visit to what appears to be a trusted site. Hackers create pages that may pop up as login pages of a trusted financial site. Once you provide a login identity and password, the hacker will be able to log onto your existing bank account and begin stealing data and more.
- Spam pages and links can be stealthily added to your website using combinations of SEO phrases that boost the website business’s search rankings. Inserting those spam links and pages in many other sites enhances the presence of the malicious spammer’s website.
In addition, spammers may insert “redirects” into your content. These can be hyperlinks that take an unknowing visitor to a malicious site without notice, even seamlessly redirecting searchers to the alternate location.
- Spreading Malware for profit is another strategy. Hackers will infect your website with highly contagious malware that spread to every visitor’s computer. The result can be devastating as your site gets flagged, your reputation with clients will be destroyed, and your reputation is permanently damaged.
- The presence of Cryptocurrency Mining has become a widespread phenomenon in recent years. As both the values and acceptance of virtual currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others reach new highs almost daily, the desire to “mine” new currency grows among the more talented specialists. However, the mining process demands an extraordinary amount of computational capability, so “miners” find ways to infiltrate and steal capacity from multiple outside servers.
- Even simple Information Forms on commercial websites can provide extensive information about potential clients for hackers who sell personal data like addresses and phone numbers. And, of course, credit card number theft is rampant.
Take No Chances with Your Website Design
The stakes are high when investing in a successful and highly secure website. While creating effective and appealing websites to attract and convert customers is a primary mission, ensuring your server and website are not vulnerable to hackers is essential.
As many large and small businesses have learned following a massive data theft or spread of certain malware, results can run from expensive to devastating and even to a total business failure.
Working with a trusted and proven web design company like WSI Next Gen Marketing in Napa, CA, can help to ease concerns about cybercrime while developing a truly attractive and secure online market presence.
For more information about website design, security, and the many elements of online marketing, visit the WSI Next Gen Marketing website.
You may arrange an in-person consultation with this proven web design and development company by visiting our Contact Page.
Or, you may phone WSI Next Gen Marketing at +1 707 927 5139.