Your website could be a major security risk!
If your website has not been serviced within 6 months it could be a huge security risk!
Modern websites can be very powerful work tools. They can perform a wide variety of functions. From gathering information and online sales, to complex human resource management, any modern business needs a good website. However, the complexity of a modern website is the very thing that leaves it vulnerable to malicious attacks.
Modern websites are constructed around a basic framework, WordPress and Wix are just two of many. WordPress is the most popular by quite a large margin.
The most basic installation of any of these platforms is VERY basic, to say the least. In construction terms it’s a bit like buying a house in kit form, you get the foundations, plumbing, basic electrical system, walls and a roof. That is it. You might get doors, but no locks. You might even get a boundary fence but the gate doesn’t close.
The next step a web developer does is to choose the theme. A theme controls the visual and functional aspects of a site.
To continue the construction analogy, one can choose Cape Dutch or Dockside Warehouse and just about anything in between. Themes are constructed by third-party vendors. There are literally thousands of themes available, both free and paid for. Themes do not control the security of a site, just the aesthetics. So, the house we are building now has beautiful chandeliers and a flat screen tv, but still no locks on the doors and the main gate is standing wide open, an invitation to any internet miscreant, human or robotic.
90% of the sites on the internet are in this condition. They may look nice, but they have little or no security in place.
Aspects like security, data collection and visitor statistics are controlled by smaller, independent software apps called plugins. Plugins, like themes, are mostly developed by third-party developers. They do not come all bundled up with the basic platform installation. A web developer has to add these plugins as the site develops, and requirements dictate. This system ensures that websites don’t become bloated with unused and unrequired functionality. Don’t build a mansion if all one requires is a beach cottage.
There are good plugins and there are not so good plugins. Every plugin is a potential backdoor to allow hackers to gain access to your site’s files and settings. Good plugin developers are constantly updating their products to keep pace with the ever-changing status of the internet, with particular emphasis on security. Good plugins get updated frequently, often once or twice a month.
Websites are constantly coming under attack from “bad actors”, mostly in the form of bots. Bots are robotic software gadgets designed by really nasty people. Bots constantly and repeatedly attempt to break into the admin section of websites. These are called “brute force” attacks. They can create all sorts of havoc and completely break a website. Even if they don’t succeed in breaking in, they still use up all of the allocated bandwidth for a website.
This is where the expense comes in. If your website is unprotected, eventually your website host will begin charging you for excess bandwidth, to begin with. Eventually they will switch your website off, because an unprotected website is a risk to the entire network not just one site.
Modern websites need constant minor-level maintenance. Even if you are not adding new content, your theme and plugins need to be frequently updated in order to close the gates and keep the locks properly locked.
Get your website serviced today!