It’s been 25 years since the idea of hacking gained mainstream attention. Then at the start of her career, actress Angelina Jolie starred in the cult classic movie Hackers. While both technology and security have advanced since 1995, hacking is still a major concern for internet sites.
Internet security is at the forefront of the minds of many consumers. Especially given the rise in mobile payment solutions. The mobile pay offers fast, convenient payments for consumers and vendors alike.
How Hackers Can Access Your Site
Surprisingly, the methods used in a movie from the 1990s aren’t completely obsolete. While no one uses payphones these days, hacking is still a problem in 2020.
Hackers have a wide variety of ways to access private data from websites, but some are more common than others.
A few of the techniques hackers use are:
- Phishing scams. Perhaps you’ve received an email from a website you frequent, saying your password needs to be updated or your payment method needs to be verified.
Savvy internet users know, of course, that these emails are scams. However, millions of people fall for phishing scams every year.
- Malware and viruses. Malware and viruses are often sent through links to a seemingly legit website address that gives hackers access to your computer instead.
- Keylogging software. Keylogging software collects the keystrokes from your keyboard, often including passwords and financial data, and sends it to hackers to exploit.
- Exploiting SQL and other vulnerabilities. Hackers use so-called SQL injections to enter malicious commands into unsecured websites via the search or login fields.
It’s not just a plot on your favorite television show. Ransomware is a very real rising trend in hacking. The New York Times reports that 2019 saw a 41% increase in ransomware attacks.
Ransomware attacks involve hackers gaining access to a site and demanding a certain amount of money to relinquish the site.
Tips for Keeping Your Site Safe
As hard as hackers work to access data, others work just as hard to protect it. Here are 4 ways to keep your site safe from hackers.
1. Keep software up-to-date. Hacking is an ever-evolving enterprise. That means your site must stay ahead at least one step ahead of any potential vulnerabilities. It is imperative that you keep your site’s software up-to-date as a first line of defense against hackers.
2. Require complex passwords. You can’t create a login for most sites these days without an uppercase and lowercase 8 letter password, plus a character.
Many internet users complain about needing to remember such a complex password, but its purpose is to protect a site’s data, not to annoy or inconvenience its users.
3. Use https instead of HTTP. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the very foundation of the internet. It’s used to transport text, pictures, and other media from the website to a web server.
However, regular HTTP addresses are unsecure. HTTPS addresses, however, use a secure connection to encrypt vulnerable and sensitive data from hackers.
4. Activate verification prompts. Users can’t check their email from a new device these days without getting verification prompts sent to their phone or other pre-approved means.
Verification prompts are another annoying but essential step in web security. Using them on your site can help ensure the designated user is, indeed, the one accessing the site and not a hacker.
Hackers Damage Customer Trust, Not Just Their Bank Accounts
Having your site hacked doesn’t just cost you financially. It damages your reputation and violates the trust of the customer.
Many companies that have been hacked never recovered or were sued. Keeping your website secure from hackers can help prevent financial ruin.