Why Your Site Is a Target
Automated bots scan millions of websites looking for vulnerabilities. They do not care if you are a large corporation or a small business - if your site has a weakness, they will find it. The attacks are not personal; they are automated and opportunistic.
Common Attack Vectors
Brute Force Attacks: Bots try thousands of username/password combinations. Prevention: strong passwords, 2FA, login attempt limits.
SQL Injection: Attackers inject malicious code through form fields. Prevention: parameterized queries, input validation, security plugins.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Malicious scripts injected into your pages. Prevention: input sanitization, Content Security Policy headers.
Plugin Vulnerabilities: Outdated plugins with known security holes. Prevention: keep plugins updated, remove unused plugins.
Essential Protection Measures
- Enable two-factor authentication on all admin accounts
- Use a web application firewall (Wordfence or Cloudflare)
- Keep all software updated promptly
- Use strong, unique passwords for every account
- Change default admin URLs and usernames
- Monitor file integrity for unauthorized changes
- Regular security scans with automated alerts
What to Do If You Get Hacked
- Take the site offline immediately to prevent damage to visitors
- Change all passwords - hosting, FTP, database, admin
- Scan for malware with your security plugin
- Clean infected files or restore from a clean backup
- Update all software and close the vulnerability
- Request Google to review your site for security warnings
Prevention Is Cheaper Than Recovery
Professional malware cleanup costs ₹5,000-₹15,000. A clean backup restoration takes 30 minutes. But if you have no backup, rebuilding a hacked site can cost ₹50,000-₹2,00,000. Invest in prevention - it pays for itself many times over.