Your website is the heart of your business. It’s where clients learn about you, discover the services you offer and read all of the valuable content you create.
What would you do if you woke up tomorrow and your website was gone? All of that hard work and time you invested is gone.
When you put a few easy security systems in place, it ensures you won’t lose your website overnight.
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How Could I Lose My Website Overnight?
There are many reasons your website might go down, but website hacking is a common reason why many lose their websites. If your site is not secure, a hacker could put a malware on your website or even take over your website.
If your website has been hacked, it’s most likely because there was a hole in your site’s security, making it easy for the hacker to get in.
When a website gets hacked, it is often a crime of opportunity. The reason websites get hacked range from having an easy-to-guess password (“password,” anyone?) or a plugin with a security hole.
[bctt tweet=”“Password” is just not an effective password. Shocker, I know.” username=””]
Why Would Someone Hack My Site?
There is a variety of reasons why websites are hacked, including money or information gain, web activism or the spread of viruses or malware.
When your site gets hacked, it’s never personal (unless you have a lot of hacker friends!). Website hacking is similar to email spam. There’s no reason for it, but people are constantly affected by it.
How Can I Protect My Website?
- Keep WordPress and any plugins up-to-date on a weekly basis (or more often).
- Be sure to change your password every few months and use a password generator to create a stronger password.
- Backup your website with an external plugin like VaultPress or BackupBuddy so you always have a copy of your site in case your entire site is lost.
- Install a free plugin like WordFence to run security scans of your site. It will detect any suspicious activity and alert you via email.
What to do if your site is hacked:
- Once you realize your site has been hacked, call your web hosting company and see if they offer any assistance.
- If they don’t, and you are unsure of how to remove any malware or hacker code, I recommend working with a third party service like Sucuri to clean your website.
- Once your website is clean, make sure software and plugins on your website are up-to-date.
- Change your login password monthly.
- Add website maintenance to your calendar to ensure your site is always up-to-date.
You never know when your website might be compromised. By making sure everything is up-to-date and keeping a backup of your site, you’ll protect the investment that you’ve made in your website.
Katie Williamsen is the web and social media strategist behind Katie Williamsen Web & Social Media, LLC. She is passionate about helping fellow Boss Ladies make sure all their online tools are working and converting better than ever before. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
