A hack can happen to the website without the owner realising it immediately. In several instances, hackers strive to stay unnoticed while obtaining information, inserting malicious code, redirecting traffic, and taking advantage of the website for malware distribution.
Even though you are dealing with a business website, an e-commerce site, a blog, or a web application, it is advantageous to know how to recognise the Signs of a hacked website.
What are the signs that mean that your website was hacked? Below are some of the signs that might be useful for identifying your compromised website.
1. Your Website Seems to be Different-
One of the first signs indicating that you are dealing with a hacked website is a change in the website’s appearance.
You can encounter:
1. New pages and pictures that you haven’t uploaded
2. Unusual ads
3. Unfamiliar links
4. Changes in the content of the website
5. Pop-ups that occur unexpectedly
6. Your logo or business data was replaced
If you observe substantial changes on your website, which were made without your authorisation, then you may conclude that your website was hacked.
Nonetheless, not every modification of a website is a sign of hacking. One could face a coding error, installation of new plugins, or a configuration problem. Consequently, investigations are necessary in this case.
2. Your Website Redirects Visitors-
Another signal of hacking attempts is that sometimes visitors get redirected. For instance, a visitor may access your website and immediately be directed to an irrelevant site.
This destination site can be a spam website, a phishing website, or a fake shopping website.
In some cases, redirects can happen only on a smartphone or with the people who access the website through search engines.
3. Unknown Users or Admin Accounts Appear –
Check your website’s administrator accounts regularly. If you find an unfamiliar admin account, a new user, or unexpected login activity, someone may have gained unauthorised access.
Attackers often create additional accounts so they can return to the website later, even after the original security issue has been fixed.
Remove unauthorised accounts only after preserving relevant evidence and confirming how the account was created.
4. Your Website Becomes Extremely Slow-
A sudden performance problem can also indicate a security issue. A hacked website may be used to:
* Send spam emails
* Run malicious scripts
* Host unwanted files
* Perform attacks against other systems
* Mine cryptocurrency
These activities can consume your server’s CPU, memory, bandwidth, and other resources.
Of course, a slow website can also result from increased traffic, poor hosting, large files, or technical problems. Check your server logs and resource usage before assuming that hacking is the cause.
5. Your Website Is Showing Security Warnings-
Do you recall seeing the alert displayed on your browser regarding the unsafe website?
Search engines and browsers recognise some malicious practices and warn users about accessing infected websites.
Your website may get flagged for:
– Malware
– Phishing
– Suspicious Downloads
– Malicious Redirects
– Compromised Pages
Do not take the alert lightly if your website receives one; rather, find out the problem at once.
6. Unexpected Files or Code Appear-
Regularly checking your website files can help identify suspicious activity.
Look for:
* Unknown PHP or JavaScript files
* Modified system files
* Strange scripts
* Unexpected plugins
* Recently changed files
* Obfuscated code
Attackers may add malicious code to legitimate files so that they can maintain access to the website.
If you discover unfamiliar code, don’t simply delete random files. Removing evidence without understanding the attack can make the investigation more difficult.
7. Your Website Passwords Stop Working
If your administrator password suddenly stops working, your account may have been compromised. An attacker who gains access may change passwords, remove legitimate administrators, or create new accounts.
Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible. Also, review login activity and revoke suspicious sessions.
8. Odd Search Results or Strange Website Visitors
Reviewing the report of your Google search and website statistics is always a good idea. If you see weird pages, strange keywords, spam titles, sudden spikes in the number of visitors, unknown referral sites, or visitors from odd places, there is a chance that your site got hacked.
9. Users Inform About Suspicious Activities
Sometimes the visitors realise that your site is hacked before you do.
As soon as you notice unexpected redirections, strange pop-up windows, security warnings, or suspicious payment pages, you need to investigate this situation immediately.
Final Considerations-
It is important not to underestimate the power of a hacked website. Most often, cyber attacks occur without users noticing them completely.
If you see strange changes, redirections, new accounts, unusual traffic, messages about security issues, or suspicious code, remember that it may indicate the presence of hackers and cybercriminals.
Nevertheless, it is no longer a problem to protect your website. Just follow a few basic rules such as regular website security checks, malware scans, updates of software programs, good passwords, and security monitoring.
