Your website and emails in the age of hackers

The Risks

• Your emails will be flagged as spam and not delivered.

• Your website will be hacked, defaced and suspended until it is fixed.

• Your website visitors will see a Warning instead of your website.

The Cause

• Malicious Software (Malware) injected in to your website.

The Solutions

• Back up your website often and keep the backups on your computer, not at your website.You can use Backup Wizard in cPanel, or Akeeba Backup within Joomla administrator area.

• All your website software must be the latest versions.

• Your computer must be regularly scanned for malware.We recommend Malwarebytes, Spybot and Super Antispyware. Google them, download them and use them often.

• You must use secure passwords.And secure user names. A recent global brute-force attack on Wordpress websites assumed a user name of 'admin'. Don't use it !

Details.

It is likely that if you have an insecure Joomla or Wordpress website you will be hacked soon.

The hacks fall in to two categories;

1. Defacement Attacks.

Often with an image and slogan connected with the political situation in the Middle-East.

2. Spamming Attacks.

Sometimes with fake bank (phishing) webpages being set up on your account.

We will probably know that you have been hacked before you do and your site will be immediately suspended  for everyone's protection.

You may notice a large volume of bounced-back undelivered emails (called backscatter). If you do, let us know asap as that often means your site has been hacked and is/was spamming.

What should you do now ?

• Don't ignore the threat.
  
  
• Log in to your Joomla administrator area and check that it is the latest version
  
  
• You must consider migrating your site to Joomla Version 3. More details here

• Check that if you have the JCE editor installed, it is the latest version
  
  
• Find any other plug-ins, components or modules and ensure you have the latest versions. Uninstall any you no longer use.
  
  
• Change passwords of all Administrator accounts on your website.
  
  
• Change your cPanel (hosting ) password.
  
  
• Delete any old versions of your website which may still exist in subfolders on your website. They are vulnerable too.

More help

If you are worried, please get in touch and we will be happy to help.

The AISweb Team 2014 - 2017