You may be aware of the Russian hacking assault in late 2016. Or, maybe you heard about the PHP malware attack on American websites which was traced to the Ukraine around the same time. Either way, you should not have to worry. With proper protection, you can greatly reduce the chances of your site being impacted by malware.
In late 2016 we had firsthand experience with the international internet malware concerns. We had an inquiry which resulted in our gaining a new client who was using a PHP based website which was infected by…. Well…. First, a little more background.
The website hosting servers run software called PHP and make using the ‘php’ language possible. Somewhat like running a Windows operating system makes running some very popular PC programs possible. PHP is a very popular coding language which is used to build WordPress blog sites and various other PHP based websites. Some custom designed e-commerce websites, or storefronts, are built with PHP and it is used in other mixed coding websites.
The newer the version of the PHP system, the more resistant it is to the malware traced to the Ukraine from the late 2016 internet assault. In order to run the latest versions of PHP the server must be using modern components. Older systems can’t run newer versions.
Our new client was using an older server so We updated the server and this resolved some of the php malware vulnerability they were experiencing but did not eliminate the problem entirely. The malware had left infected files behind so we turned to SiteLock. We installed the SiteLock system on this website and it found and eliminated the problem files and has protected the site without incident ever since.
Adding SiteLock protection is affordable and effective and can provide a tailored or complete solution with virus and firewall protection for your site and the skilled technicians to address any problem which may arise in this ever changing environment. Let us know if you’d like to explore the various levels of protection SiteLock can provide and we’ll SiteLock your website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUVPxcaEA8w
Fortunately, this client’s website was protected with an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer Certificate. This encrypts the transmission of data between the website server and the user’s browser and a must for e-commerce websites. So, no data was ever taken and the cause of their downtime was eliminated.
Recently, Google has started to give preference to websites with SSL. A website with SSL has an address which begins with https: while those without it begin with http:. This protection also improves your website’s ranking when potential customers search for your products or services.
Two lessons from this experience. One, you should plan on upgrading your website’s hardware, the servers that host it, regularly and as dictated by the changing technology. The second is the same lesson Benjamin Franklin shared with us. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The SSL Certificate saved the day, a new server gave improved PHP security, and SiteLock will now keep the site safe and uptime at a maximum.
Contact us if you’d like to move your website to a new server, to get an SSL Certificate, or SiteLock malware protection for your website or anytime we can be of assistance.
