The WordPress platform is without a doubt the most popular CMS platform on the web. This platform has various features and tools which make it the preferred option for many website owners. Its popularity has captured the imagination of both good and bad people on the web. Criminals whose aim is to capitalize on the weaknesses of the platform have devised ways in which they can hack and steal valuable information from WordPress users. In fact, the severity of the attacks on the WordPress platform can range from the loss of little information to the loss of entire websites.
As per Securityaffairs.co statistics, WordPress sites are constantly under attack with vulnerabilities ranging from 1.5% to over 35.1%. For this reason, website owners need to be aware of the most common WordPress breaches and what their fixes are. Here is a highlight of some of the breaches and means of rectifying them.
1. Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
XSS attacks are by far the most common attacks on WordPress sites according to the data referenced above. These attacks occur when a hacker sends malicious scripts to a website using a web application. Such attacks are often difficult to detect because there is always constant communication between different entities on the web. When an XSS script occurs, the website becomes compromised at the code level. XSS scripts are capable of stealing confidential information from websites.
When it comes to fixing XSS attacks, it is recommended that you avoid allowing data that is less credible to your HTML documents. You can use sanitization tools on the WordPress sites to make sure that all data that gets into your website is safe. In addition, using encoding as a means to counter untrusted data can help prevent XSS attacks.
2. SQL Injections
While they might not be the most common attacks overall, SQL injections are quite common in websites that are focused on data. Most websites that have heavy databases tend to be a major target of hackers who use SQL injections to modify or delete records in databases. It is also possible for attackers to create new accounts and thus add malicious links to websites.
According to gobestvpn.com, tackling SQL injections can be done in many ways. First, disabling error messages would go a long way in preventing SQL injections. In addition, encryption services are recommended especially for all data that is sensitive.
3. Brute Force Attacks
While most of the methods used by hackers are usually complicated in nature, some methods are also simple and straightforward. Brute Force Attacks are all about trial and error. Attackers try to gain access to websites by guessing login information over a long duration of time. In the modern day, bots have taken over the job as they can do the process over and over.
Brute Force Attacks can be resolved by having lockout policies that disable further logins after a number of attempts have been made. There are also various tools that require human authentication which can be used alongside the ordinary password login.
4. Web Server and OS attacks
There are also many breaches that come as a result of attacks directed at web servers and the operating systems. When the servers and OS platforms are attacked, the loss of data is often big and the aftermaths can be damaging. Many times, these attacks are often organized even though at other times; they might come in the form of phishing attacks.
In order to fix such attacks, it is important for website owners to understand the evolving nature of attacks. Conducting security reviews, having server-side validation processes and blocking external input can provide primary protection against attacks.
5. Malware Attacks
Finally, Malware attacks are also among the most common forms of attacks on the web and also offline. Malware is basically malicious software which aims at either changing the nature of the executable codes of software or affecting the effectiveness of other software. Malware attacks often result in changed files and overall affected productivity of the website.
In order to counter malware, it is important to identify and remove affected files and also update the WordPress site frequently. When the problem is severe, restoring previous backups of the site can solve the problem. The ideal remedy though is to avoid all sources of data which might carry malware.
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