How Do Websites Get Hacked?

Have you ever wondered about website hacks? A recent experience for one of our clients has prompted us to share some of our knowledge on website hacks and explain some ways in which Wordpress websites can get hacked. Statistics tell us that 41% of websites get hacked through vulnerabilities in their hosting platform, 29% by means of an insecure theme, 22% via a vulnerable plugin and 8% because of weak passwords. It’s important to understand that there is no 100% sure fire way to keep out a hacker, but some simple measures can act as a deterrent. Keep reading to find out more!

Choose A High-Quality Hosting Provider

While going with a budget provider will save your wallet, many budget hosting providers take shortcuts in the protection of the websites they house. Often not offering malware scanning and daily backups in their base plans. If there is ever an attack on your website, the customer service is lacking or they simply point you away to deal with the problem on your own. Therefore, choosing a reputable provider that charges fairly for the quality of service and a proactive approach to security should be on the top of your list of measures to keep your site from being hacked.

Keep everything up to date

Almost half of website hacks come in through vulnerable and outdated plugins and Wordpress themes. Either update plugins yourself regularly or use a hosting provider that offers automatic plugin updating software. Make sure you are removing every plugin and theme on your site that is not absolutely necessary, this is also important for your site speed also. Avoid installing plugins and themes from untrustworthy sources, especially free ones. If they don’t offer plugin updates, be wary and look for another that is being actively maintained.

Force strong passwords

The best thing you can do is change your passwords frequently. Create a strong, random password with a random password generator. You can use an external service, or the password generator included in Wordpress.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us about your website’s safety, or enquire about our own Gold hosting service.