Lesson 1 of 3
The threats websites actually face
2 min
Most attacks on websites are automated. Bots scan millions of sites for known weaknesses; nobody needs to target you personally.
The common ones
- Outdated software. A plugin with a published vulnerability gets exploited within days, sometimes hours.
- Brute-force logins. Bots try leaked and common passwords against
/wp-admin, SSH and control panels. - Phishing. Fake emails trick staff into entering passwords on a look-alike page. This targets people, not servers.
- Malware and defacement. Once inside, attackers inject spam links, redirect visitors or mine cryptocurrency.
- SQL injection and XSS. Poorly written code lets attackers run database commands or inject scripts into pages.
- DDoS. Floods of traffic that overwhelm a server. Usually handled at the network level by your provider.
What attackers want
Your server's resources, your visitors' data, your search ranking (for spam), or simply your email reputation for sending spam.
Security isn't one product. It's layers: updates, strong logins, backups, monitoring and least privilege. Each layer catches what the others miss.
Signs something is wrong
- Unexpected admin users or files you didn't create
- Your site redirecting visitors elsewhere
- A sudden jump in outgoing email or CPU use
- Search results showing pages you never wrote