How to Protect Yourself Against Hackers
Written by Rosalind Gardner on February 5, 2008 · Comments (3)
Filed Under Webmaster Resources, Computer Tips, Scams & Scumbags ·
As you may be aware, one of my servers was recently hacked — and although I don’t want to alarm you, you should know that your sites could be subject to attack at any time.
To help you protect your sites and your data, I posted a new article “How to Protect Yourself Against Hackers” in which I share what happened to my sites and why.
More importantly, I tell you what I learned about how to defend your server, sites and computer against hackers.
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Comments
3 Responses to “How to Protect Yourself Against Hackers”
Nathan Michael on February 6th, 2008 7:11 am
Am indeed glad for the effort you made.
Thank you.
Cheers
[Reply]
Jeremy Palmer on February 6th, 2008 9:09 am
Hi Ros,
Sorry to hear you got hacked. It sounds like you sustained some pretty heavy damage. Anik and I got hit with a denial of service attack the day we launched PPC Classroom, so I can empathize with what you’re going through.
Just wanted to add a couple of suggestions to your article:
Never rely on Fantastico or any other package manager to keep WordPress up to date. Subscribe to the official Wordpress Developer Blog for the latest developments:
http://wordpress.org/development/feed/
Programs like WordPress are a hackers paradise. Wide installation base and more security holes than swiss cheese (in unpatched versions).
If you’re running WordPress, you may also be interested in these security tips:
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/three-tips-to-protect-your-wordpress-installation/
and
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/blogging/8-security-tips-and-guidelines-for-your-wordpress-blog/
If you’re running a dedicated box and have a lot at stake I also recommend having Scan Alert - the makers of Hacker Safe - do a security audit: http://www.scanalert.com/
Nothing thwarts hackers like a good firewall. Many hosts offer both hardware and software firewalls. Hardware firewalls are better because they can stop the hackers before they even get to your box.
Last, but not least, if you’re running Amember, WordPress, PHPBB or any other web application with wide distribution you need Mod Security - http://www.modsecurity.org/ - Most attacks occur at the web application level and this application can prevent XSS attacks, SQL injection attacks and more. You can build your own rule sets for access and monitor unusual traffic patterns.
Some of these solutions are free and some are paid, but if you have a lot on the line you can’t afford not to protect yourself.
Best,
Jeremy
[Reply]
Ojaville » Blog Archive » How My Site Got Attacked on March 31st, 2008 8:38 am
[…] remember when Rosalind Gardner’s site was hacked; it took her some time to recover from the effect. She has a set of posts about previous hack […]
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