Summary: Most small-business websites run on WordPress, and the biggest risk is usually old plugins that nobody has updated. Attackers scan the web for these known weak spots and use the sites they find to spread malware, post spam, or steal what visitors type into forms. Keeping the site and its plugins updated, and knowing who is responsible for that, prevents most of it.

Your website is one of those things you set up once and then stop thinking about. It sits there doing its job, so there’s no reason to touch it. That’s exactly why a neglected website is one of the common ways a small business gets hacked.

Most small-business sites run on WordPress, which powers more than 40% of all websites, according to W3Techs. WordPress itself is solid. The risk is usually the plugins and themes added to it, which often don’t get updated for years.

How a neglected website gets hacked

Attackers don’t usually pick your business by name. They run automated tools that scan huge numbers of websites looking for known weak spots, like a plugin with a security hole that hasn’t been fixed. When the tool finds one, it breaks in. It’s all automatic, and it isn’t aimed at you personally.

That’s why old plugins are the problem. When a plugin maker finds a security flaw, they release an update to fix it. Until you install that update, the hole stays open, and the automated scanners know exactly what to look for. Security researchers who track WordPress flaws find that the large majority are in plugins and themes, not in WordPress itself.

What a hacked website is used for

A hacked website rarely announces itself. Instead of shutting your site down, attackers usually keep it running and use it for their own purposes:

• Serving malware. Your site gets changed so that visitors are infected or pushed to a page that tries to install something.
• Spam and scam pages. Attackers add hidden pages selling fake goods or pushing scams, riding on your site’s good standing with search engines.
• Stealing form data. If your site has a contact or checkout form, a hacked site can copy what people type into it, including personal or payment details.
• Redirects. Visitors who click your link get sent somewhere else, often a scam or malware site.

The damage lands on you even though the attacker was after your visitors. Search engines flag hacked sites with warnings and drop them down the rankings, and browsers may block them, so customers see a red “this site may be dangerous” screen instead of your homepage.

Is your website at risk?

It depends on how your site is built.

If you use a hosted website builder like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify, most of the security and updates are handled for you behind the scenes, so your risk is lower.

If you have a self-hosted WordPress site, usually set up by a web designer or agency on your own hosting, then keeping WordPress, the plugins, and the themes updated is someone’s job. The question is whose. On a lot of small-business sites, the honest answer is that nobody has touched it since it launched.

You can usually tell your site is at risk if you don’t know who maintains it, it hasn’t been updated in a year or more, or it’s running plugins from a developer who has since disappeared.

How to keep your website safe

• Keep everything updated. WordPress, plugins, and themes all need updating when new versions come out. Many sites can be set to update automatically.
• Remove plugins you don’t use. Every extra plugin is another thing that can go wrong. If you’re not using it, delete it.
• Stick to well-known plugins. Use ones that are popular, well-reviewed, and updated recently. Avoid anything that hasn’t been touched in years.
• Watch for abandoned plugins. Sometimes a plugin stops being updated, or gets removed from the plugin store because of a security problem. When that happens it stops getting fixes, so check now and then that the plugins on your site are still supported, and replace any that aren’t.
• Lock down the admin login. Use a strong, unique password for the website’s admin account, and turn on multi-factor authentication if your setup supports it.
• Add a security plugin or web firewall. A reputable one can block common attacks and warn you when something changes. Your web host or IT provider can recommend one.
• Keep backups. If the worst happens, a recent backup lets you restore the site instead of rebuilding it from scratch.
• Know who’s responsible. Decide who looks after updates and security, whether that’s your web designer, your IT provider, or your hosting company, and make sure it’s clearly somebody’s job.

What to do if your site is hacked

If your site does get hacked, moving quickly limits the damage:

• Get help straight away. Cleaning a hacked site properly is a job for your web host, IT provider, or a website security service. Most hosts have dealt with this many times and can help.
• Take the site offline. Putting up a simple “down for maintenance” page stops visitors from being harmed while it’s cleaned up.
• Change the passwords. From a device you know is clean, change the passwords for your hosting account and the website’s admin login, and turn on multi-factor authentication.
• Restore a clean backup. If you have a backup from before the hack, restoring it is often the fastest fix. If you don’t, the site will need to be cleaned by hand.
• Update and tidy up before it goes back live. Update WordPress, the plugins, and the themes, and remove anything you don’t recognize or no longer use, so the same hole doesn’t get used again.
• Tell anyone whose data was affected. If the site handled customer details or payments, check whether any of that was exposed, and let those people know if it was.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my website has been hacked?

Common signs are a warning from Google or your browser, a drop in search traffic, pages or pop-ups you didn’t add, or your web host getting in touch about a problem. If you’re not sure, your IT provider or web host can check.

Do I need to update my website if it works fine?

Yes. A site can look completely normal to you while an out-of-date plugin leaves a door open for attackers. Updates close those holes, which is why they matter even when nothing looks wrong.

I use Wix or Squarespace. Am I at risk?

Much less so. Hosted builders handle the updates and most of the security for you. You should still use a strong admin password and MFA, but you’re not responsible for patching plugins the way a self-hosted WordPress site is.

Who should maintain my website?

Someone should own it clearly: your web designer or agency, your IT provider, or your hosting company, depending on your setup. The important thing is that someone is actually doing the updates.

What is a security plugin or web firewall?

It’s a tool that sits on your website, blocks common attacks, watches for changes, and can alert you to problems. On WordPress, a reputable security plugin is a common, low-cost way to add that protection.

Sources and further reading

• W3Techs: WordPress usage statistics — the share of websites that run on WordPress.
• Patchstack: WordPress vulnerability report — research showing most WordPress security holes are in plugins and themes.
• NCSC: Small Business Guide — UK guidance on keeping software updated and patched.

If you’re not sure whether your website is being kept up to date, or who’s responsible for it, that’s worth sorting out before something goes wrong. Your IT provider or web host can check where things stand and take over the upkeep. And if you don’t have an IT provider, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll help you sort it.

—

Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.