Virus Attacks: Computer security is a very important aspect of our daily lives, whether private or professional. In our homes, we use a computer, just like in the office/workplace, and these computers contain valuable information and data which can be hacked by malicious individuals.

What are the media that can be hacked?

Almost any electronic / computer device or equipment can be hacked. To put it simply: if the device has even the simplest operating system, it is susceptible to being hacked in one way or another.However, the user, or the man, is the element that facilitates hacking in all systems, because he is the one who allows hacking to happen, well usually.

How can a hack occur on a computer system?

Hackers use different ways and methods to hack or break into a computer system, and the most popular is the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.A DDoS attack, or distributed denial of service attack, and a hacking method whose objective is to make a computer system unavailable and unusable. Its operation is quite basic: thousands of infected computers attacked a computer system with requests to overload it and thus make it unavailable. This is the best way to bring down or ‘crash’ a computer system given the extremely high number of requests to be processed by it, then to take control during the startup phase by injecting scripts.There are also “inside” hacks, where malicious software (such as malware, spyware, etc.) installs itself on the system and steals or alters valuable data. This kind of hacking, or attack, is multiplied in recent years by the boom caused by online purchases on e-commerce sites.

Can a website be hacked?

The answer is yes, a site can be hacked, and there are a number of ways besides. Here are some methods used to hack a website.

  • The exploitation of security vulnerabilities. Not all computer systems are perfect, be it OSes, CMSs, frameworks, etc., and have security flaws that can be easily exploited by those in the know. These flaws are usually discovered by developers of IT solutions, but often quite late. Except that the hackers find them out sooner and exploit them.Use of low level of password complexity. Passwords are not only used to log in to different user accounts like email, Windows, etc. They are also used to connect to the administration side (back-end) of a website and if the password is not secure enough, the site is at risk and the mercy of hackers.The exploitation of the low level of field security. On virtually every website there are fields where the user can enter data. If these fields are not well secured, hackers can inject scripts into them to hack the site from inside.
    • How to protect your website from hackers?

Just like a computer, protecting a website goes through several points, and here are a few. 

  • Choice of the host. The choice of the host is very important in the security of a website because it is usually the host who represents the first line of defense of your website. So choosing a quality and competent web host is essential to secure your website as well as possible.Update CMS and other development tools. Updates are very important in any computer system, and especially a website. By updating your system, you reduce the risk of discovering potential security breaches and increase the overall security of your site.Secure all codes on the website. Try to find a developer who is knowledgeable in computer security to best secure all the code on your website and drastically reduce the risk of hacks and script injections. Because a website is just a series of codes that the server executes, and the server will execute whatever is sent to it if there is no control.Use SSL certificate. An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is a protocol that secures connections between the server and the client by encrypting all data transmitted between the two. This will help provide a more secure and professional look for the website, as web browsers will quickly inform users that the site they are visiting is not secure if there is no SSL certificate.Use a strong password. Another important aspect of security is passwords. Using a complex password will make it difficult for hackers/computers to crack it and gain access to the administration part of the website.Never leave the configuration files in the hosting. Once the hosting configuration operation (operating system, system files, PHP, MySQL, WordPress, etc.) is complete, it is essential to delete the configuration files from your hosting, because if you do not do so not, hackers will be able to fully control your site remotely. These files provide access to all site and hosting settings, and are therefore critical. Make sure to remove them all after you finish setting up the site and other tools.

These tips are very useful these days and will allow you to have a secure website that is less prone to hacking by malicious people. However, this is not a reason to lower your vigilance towards computer threats, because new ones are created every day and are more and more dangerous.