Keep Your Site Administration Passwords Secure and Safe
Recently, one of my client’s websites was compromised due to a compromised password. We all must be reminded of the significance of maintaining the security of our user credentials. Fortunately, the hacker did not cause any damage to the website. Visitors to the official website were not affected. The hacker placed malware-infected pages on the server. These foreign pages attracted visitors interested in free software and inexpensive goods. Once these pages were discovered and removed, the situation was resolved. It could have been significantly more severe. The foreign content could have been explicit or the hacker could have been more malicious, potentially destroying the website.
How did the hacker gain unauthorized access?
Diagnostic analysis revealed that one of the website’s administrative user accounts had been compromised, granting the hacker super administrator privileges. Once inside, the hacker modified the website’s configuration to facilitate the easy upload of malware-infected content onto the server.
How should the website be secured from unauthorized use?
- Implement robust password policies, requiring users to create strong passwords that incorporate a random combination of letters, uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers, and special characters.
- Refrain from using passwords that can be easily guessed or found in dictionaries.
- Regularly change passwords to enhance security.
- Remove and deactivate unused user accounts, and restrict the privileges of accounts that do not necessitate administrator or superadministrator roles.
Additional Measures for Enhancing Website Security:
- Implement master passwords, similar to PIN codes, for administrative pages to further restrict access.
- Conceal administrative pages to prevent unauthorized access.
Contact me if you need to know more