Website security is all about being prepared. You should be able to pinpoint your risk factors and close off any possible avenue for a malicious actor to enter. Though you may not be able to completely shield your site from a particularly motivated cyberattacker without investing a great deal of money, doing simple steps to prevent your site from being taken down should still be viable for you to accomplish.
Daniel at Pixelstorm talks about some bulletproof security hacks that could help you prevent most cyber attackers from taking over your site:
Always use HTTPS
This is the first step to establishing good website security, and one you should not overlook just because of how simple it is. Using HTTPS encrypts information that your site receives from your users and vice versa. When you don't use HTTPS, anyone with enough programming skills could easily read the messages sent between your site and your users, and depending on the site you're running, it could end up compromising your users' password information, or worse, their credit card number.
Do: If you don't have HTTPS yet on your site, contact your web hosting service and see whether they have a plan available that could upgrade your protocol into HTTPS.
Check up on your error messages
Error messages do not seem like an obvious pathway that can be exploited by cyberattackers, yet what error messages reveal can tell a lot about how your website works, including its weak points. Savvier cyberattackers could easily take over your website through various methods if you don't immediately fix this vulnerability. From username enumeration attacks to a leak to your software version – that is exactly the possible cyberattacks that your site could experience if you don't create a redirect page for when an error occurs to your site.
Do: Make a separate error page that would redirect users experiencing the error to this page. Be sure that all common errors are covered by this page redirect.
Shield your site from possible SQL injection
SQL injections are a type of cyberattack that occurs when a malicious code is entered into a site through the use of a web form. Now that we've gotten the definition out of the way, let's talk about what an SQL injection can do to a site.
If you've ever heard of a database containing usernames and passwords of a site getting leaked online, then you've just witnessed one of the most common fallouts from failing to prevent an SQL injection attack. Although there are several ways to stop an SQL injection attack from happening, one of the most popular is to implement parameters on queries for your website's database. When you do this, a cyberattacker cannot directly access information contained in a database by hijacking existing commands with their own code snippet via the input form since the queries are contained to execute certain commands based on previously defined parameters.
Another possible way to stop an SQL injection from happening is through input validation strategies such as imposing character count limitations on your web form and banning the usage of certain symbols. The key here is to reduce the loopholes in your code to decrease the risk of it being exploited by malicious actors.
Do: Restructure your website's code to close possible loopholes that cyberattackers can exploit.
Beware of cross-site scripting
Aside from SQL injection, another common cyberattack that your site can experience is cross-site scripting, popularly known as XSS. Cross-site scripting exploits vulnerabilities in websites that commonly use client-side code, which is a type of code that gets immediately loaded when a web page is visited by a user.
Unlike SQL injections, which tend to affect larger groups of people, XSS attacks can be more sophisticated, with the intent to target specific people or gain administrator access to a website. It works by inserting a malicious script in several ways – it can be attached to a website's legitimate URL or even entered through a comment box. So, how do you prevent a cyberattacker that uses this technique?
Just like SQL injection, the answer is to implement input validation strategies. Limit the number of characters that a user can input to your website and do not allow embedded HTML into any of your input boxes.
Do: Include input validation commands in your website's code structure.
Staying one step ahead of cyber attackers can be difficult. But by focusing on certain techniques that are widely known to even the least experienced of cyberattackers, you could provide a basic defensive measure that could keep your site safe.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).