What can you do to protect yourself and your website(s) from hacker attacks? First the bad news: If a hacker really wants to get into your website or take your site off the Web, then he or she can probably do so (given enough time and effort) and you can’t do much about it. After all, if a hacker can break into the FBI or CIA website and cause problems, what chance do you have?
Don’t panic! There are some basic steps that you can take to help guard against anyone gaining illegal access to your site and to help you get back up and running again if the worst really does happen. As the saying goes:
"Hope for the best, plan for the worst, and expect anything in between."
Here are some common ways that hackers gain access to your site (or even your home computer) in no particular order:
Weak Passwords: While using a short, simple password at every Internet site you access (and at your own website) may make life somewhat easier for you, it also makes breaking into your site nearly...