Essentially the hacking seems to have happened because of a zero-day flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

This just shows how important it is for everyone to patch their computers.

However, there is another patch which most webmasters forget to do and that is to patch their online softwares. Be it CMS’ like Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal or any other software that you use online, it is extremely essential that they are patched to the latest build. From my early days as a developer I have observed how software flaws have been picked up by hackers. They simply run a search on google for websites running a particular software by keying in certain standard URLs that are unique to the software and then  hack into the website – defacing the homepage, deleting core files, dropping their own files or even stealing the database.

To add to one’s misery I have also observed that  users often install a CMS and don’t backup the entire installation. Reason being the size of the installation is often too large for a backup; this is a major error. Because if your site is hacked, you have to restart building your website from scratch. Trust me, this is really disheartening and time consuming.

As a webmaster these are some of the key points you must adhere to

1. Patch your software

a. You can subscribe to your software’s newsletter that updates you when a new patch is available.

b. You can add a feed from your software’s website to your feed reader warning you when a software update has been posted.

c. Use Fantastico in the first place when you start installing known software. Fantastico will automate updates relieving you of updating your software from time to time.

2. Backup Backup Backup

Seriously! Need I elaborate on how important backing up is? Use your site’s control panel. If you are hosted with WebCynergy, simply head to www.YOURWEBSITE.com/cpanel and run an entire backup of your site. You can download this backup and keep the copy with you for a hay day.

If you would rather concentrate on your business or your website was developed by a few developers and you are no longer in touch with them, simply contact us. We will maintain your website by patching and updating your software from time to time for a small annual maintenance fee. How about that?

Host safely.