Take a moment to think about all of the websites you typically visit during a day or week. Now from that list, how many of those sites do you think store information that’s personal to you? Nowadays, this includes most websites. For this reason, when a website gets hacked, it’s usually a pretty serious issue.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A HACK?
Most legitimate websites that are trusted with sensitive information will use safety measures to guard against cyberattacks. There’s no such thing as a perfect network security system, however. There’s always a chance that a crafty hacker could find a way past a website’s firewall. If this happens to a site that you use, here are a few things that could happen.
INFORMATION LEAKS
Cybercriminals hack websites for a variety of reasons that range from wanting to steal financial information to doing it just for kicks. Depending on their motive, you can typically expect that personally identifiable data such as usernames, passwords, and financial information have been stolen.
After a hack, you should limit your interactions with that site for a while. Avoiding the site will help minimize your exposure to any risks created by the hacker. It would also be a smart move to run a virus scan if you have an antivirus program installed.
EXPOSURE OF INFORMATION
In addition to the breach of your private data, a hack can leave your information exposed to other hackers. Often hackers who successfully break into a website will sell or post stolen information on the dark web. The dark web is an area of the internet that’s only accessible with special software and allows users to perform activities anonymously.
Knowing how bad the attack was and how much of your data was exposed can help you take the necessary precautions to prevent possible access to your other information. The extent of the damage caused by the hack will depend on the website that was hacked. For example, a news website likely won’t have as much information on you as the website you use to pay your health insurance bills.
ITque specializes in network and data security and has created many articles, posts and videos that help keep our client’s data and network secure:
- ITque Blog – weekly posts with tips and tricks to keep your technology running smoothly.
WEBSITE REDIRECTS
Something else that can happen after a website is hacked is a site redirect. A site redirect is where you’re automatically taken to another webpage. Given that many hackers are monetarily motivated, they could be piggybacking on another website’s good reputation to drive visits to their own spam-laden site. This is especially dangerous, as the redirect site could contain malicious software (e.g., viruses or worms) that will allow the hacker to extract sensitive information such as credit card data and passwords.
NETWORK SECURITY CAN PROTECT YOUR WEBSITE FROM HACKERS
ITque is a leader in network security services. Our team provides enterprise-quality protection from phishing attacks, viruses, malware and any other type of threat. Our information security analysts will perform an IT and security audit to assess your vulnerabilities. After the initial assessment, we’ll work with you to create a plan to address those issues.
To learn more about our network security solutions, call Scott at ITque today: 408.500.0724
As your IT partner, ITque will provide valuable technology solutions to help grow your business.