Website Penetration Testing — How to Prevent High Website Threat

From Blog Breach to Cybersecurity Champion

This may be one of the best posts you will read from me. So, ensure you read to the end

Website Penetration Testing?

870,000 vulnerabilities. 90,000 attacks per minute. 60% of blogs stand defenseless. Those were the chilling statistics that slammed into me like a cyber tsunami, ripping away my beloved blog to the ravages of hackers.

The average $20,000 ransom? A mere footnote in the face of losing a digital space I’d poured my heart and soul into.

But instead of drowning in despair, I did something unexpected. I dove headfirst into the murky depths of the digital underworld, determined to understand the enemy and protect others from suffering the same fate.

My journey transformed me from a naïve blogger into a cybersecurity champion, my fingertips now fluent in the language of malware and firewalls.

In this article, I’ll share the scars and strategies forged in the fire of my loss, guiding you through the battlegrounds of online security and showing you how to build an impenetrable fortress around your blog.

Naijabizxtra.com- My Lost Treasure

2001 I started a news blog with the intention of sourcing and publishing business ideas as they relate to my country Nigeria.

I chose one of the best hosts online, built my blog, and configured all the necessary plugins. I started publishing officially on the 2nd of September 2001, and everything went well.

I continued publishing manually until late 2002 when a friend suggested auto-publishing for me.

I doubted the moves, but the persuasion gave room for me to try it. Because I did not know how to set up the auto-publishing plugin, I handed over that job to him, and actually, he configured it and my blog started receiving posts from other bloggers.

I became so happy that I no longer needed to sit and write content, let alone publish.

Unfortunately, that was the beginning of my problem.

After 7 months of auto-posting, my website loading speed dropped, and the bounce rate increased by 40%.

My traffic nosedived and my revenue dropped from $1250 to $300 monthly.

I was still battling with the drop in revenue, and shockingly the site content turned from English to Chinese. It is a clear sign that my site has been attacked.

All efforts to recover the website from the host angle proved abortive. Even after restoring the backup, the problem persisted until my hosting company claimed there was nothing, they could do about it.

I couldn’t just let go, so I went deep into research on why I lost my site to hackers and how did they gain access to my site. That was the first time I came in contact with the keyword website penetration testing.

That was how my journey into cyber security career started, and behold my site was attacked through the auto-posting plugin, which wasn’t updated for more than 3 years.

Most updates are as a result of security threat. In other words, updates serve as patches to any vulnerable part of the blogging tool.

This means that hackers attack the security strength of blogging tools such as plugins from time to time, and any loopholes serve as a road to penetrate.

So, leaving a plugin un-updated for a long period increases the vulnerability of any blog using the plugin.

With that, I lost a voice in the business industry I cherished so much. So, there is a need for regular website penetration testing.

What is Website Penetration Testing?

Website penetration testing is the practice of hiring a white hat hacker or cyber security expert to check the defensive strength of your website against hackers.

In other words, your website is like your treasure house, where you hire engineers to conduct integrity tests, to detect and prevent avoidable failure.

That is website penetration testing

Benefits of Website Penetration Testing

The benefits of website penetration testing can’t be overemphasized. Below are some of the benefits:

· WPTs use advanced website penetration testing tools and techniques to detect security threats that automated scanners can’t detect

· Prevent costly data breaches: By fixing vulnerabilities before they’re exploited, you can avoid the financial and reputational damage caused by data breaches, hacking scandals, and ransomware attacks.

· Build Confidence: Knowing that your website is protected gives you the confidence to work on improving your visibility without constantly being disturbed by hackers

· Improve website security posture: Regular penetration testing helps you build a strong security posture by identifying and addressing weaknesses in your website’s infrastructure, coding, and security practices.

In short, website penetration testing is an essential investment for any website owner who wants to protect their valuable data, maintain a positive online reputation, and sleep soundly at night.

Now you have a better understanding of what website penetration testing is, and its benefits, let’s look at the common website threats to look out for:

7 Common Website Security Threats to Watch Out For:

SQL Injection:

Hackers exploit vulnerable forms by injecting malicious code that tricks your database into spilling its secrets. It’s like a silent heist, leaving no trace but stealing sensitive information like passwords or financial records.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS):

Think of those tempting candies at a stranger’s door — they might look harmless, but they could be laced with something nasty. That’s the essence of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Hackers sneak malicious scripts into seemingly innocent website elements like comments, buttons, or links. When unsuspecting visitors interact with them, their browsers execute the scripts, opening the door to data theft, malware spread, or even complete account takeover. It’s like biting into a poisoned candy — the damage is done before you realize it.

Brute Force Attacks:

Hackers unleash automated bots that pummel your website with countless login attempts, hoping to stumble upon your password. Weak passwords or outdated security are like flimsy locks — a dedicated brute force attack will eventually knock them down and grant the hacker access to your digital domain.

Malware Injection:

Think of those insidious parasites that invade a healthy body, slowly corrupting its functions and spreading illness. That’s the chilling reality of malware injection. Hackers stealthily inject malicious code, like viruses or worms, into your website’s core. This code acts as a digital parasite, hijacking your website’s behavior to:

· Spread spam or phishing links to unsuspecting visitors.

· Steal sensitive information from your users.

· Launch attacks on other websites, using your site as an unwilling accomplice.

· Deface your pages with unwanted content or ads.

It’s like watching a healthy body succumb to a disease — your website becomes a tool for harm, damaging its reputation and trustworthiness.

Zero-Day Vulnerabilities:

These are hidden flaws in software, unknown to both you and the software developer, that act as unguarded backdoors for skilled attackers. Before a patch can be issued, your website becomes a prime target for these digital burglars, who exploit the vulnerability to steal data, inject malware, or cripple your entire online presence.

Outdated Software:

Outdated software is like a house with crumbling walls and exposed windows — easy pickings for any opportunistic intruder. Hackers exploit these vulnerabilities to steal data, inject malware, or wreak havoc on your website.

Phishing Attacks

Digital deceivers cast fake websites and emails like nets, hoping to snag your most sensitive information — passwords and credit card numbers — before you ever sense the danger.

From the beginning of this article, you can attest that the list of website threats mentioned above is the tip of the iceberg.

Every blogger needs to sit up against a common enemy, or we perish after putting a whole lot of effort into building our future

Website Penetration Testing- How to Prevent Website Attack

There are fundamental best practices every blogger must implement to reduce the possibility of a website attack to the barest minimum. The steps are as follows:

· Ensure you use a super strong password. Combine all forms of character when forming your password across all your website database, WordPress admin, and hosting

· Use the paid version of a reputable security plugin such as Wordfence that has features like firewall protection, malware scanning, and login attempt monitoring.

· Regularly update your WordPress theme, plugin, and WordPress core once there is an update. In fact, enable plugins auto update features

· Ensure regular backup of your website.

Above all, conduct website penetration testing periodically on your website

5 Stages of Website Penetration Testing

There are 5 steps to a comprehensive pen testing exercise, which are:

Reconnaissance:

This is the information-gathering stage. At this point, we manually gather website information from every point it is linked online. The domain, hosting, plugin, and the WHOIS information. We don’t leave any stone unturned at this point because it is the foundation of the process.

Scanning:

At this stage, we deploy highly sensitive website penetration scanning tools such as Nmap to scan a site for vulnerability. This includes scanning for weak passwords, outdated software, misconfigured settings, and known security holes in plugins or frameworks.

Vulnerability Assessment

As the name implies, we the pen testers manually analyze the results from the scanning and assess their severity and potential impact on the website. This involves understanding how the vulnerability can be exploited and what damage it could cause.

Exploitation

This is where the pen testing job becomes more interesting and technical. We bring fiction to reality at this point because we exploit the identified vulnerabilities using real-world attack techniques.

Reporting and Recommendation

At this point of website penetration testing, we compile all our findings, observations, and possible recommendations for fixing them in a detailed report in an easy-to-understand language for the website owner

Website Penetration Testing — Conclusion

Remember the chilling statistics that opened this article? They weren’t meant to scare, but to empower. By understanding the threats and investing in website penetration testing, you can rewrite the narrative.

From victim to advocate, my journey shows that vulnerability can be a catalyst for change. Take control of your online security, embrace proactive testing, and become a builder of digital fortresses.

Let’s work together to turn the tide on cybercrime and create a web where security and creativity dance hand-in-hand.

My Service

My team and I have over 14 years of experience in the Cybersecurity industry, we have a proven track record of success in both hands-on and managerial roles.

We are passionate about creating a safer world where businesses are protected from Cybercriminals, and we have worked tirelessly to make that dream a reality.

Our expertise has been recognized through the approval of six patents in the United States, and we always seek new ways to innovate and improve upon existing solutions. we are committed to helping businesses protect themselves and their customers from the ever-evolving threat of Cyberattacks.

Click Here to engage us now for the maximum safety of your website