How to keep hackers out? How it happened, how to solve it and how to prevent it.

1. Help! My site has been hacked!
How it happened, how to solve it and how to prevent it.

2. Hacker
How do hackers get in?
Hackers usually get in to your home directory
through an exploit in the installed software.
These exploits are often found in older software versions
and in old or ‘sketchy’ extensions.
Sket chy

3. Extensions Deprecated

4. Soft

5. ware
ersion of
e.g.

6. a

7. Photo

8. Album e.g.

9. an

10. old

11. v
Joomla

12. or

13. Wordpress

14. Burglar
(the

15. hacker)
Depict it as your home
If you forget to close your garage door or a window, a
burglar has an easy way of getting into your home.
In older software versions, the developers sometimes
unknowingly leave a door or a window open.
In some cases, malicious developers do this intentionally:
think of it as someone sketchy building your garage (the
extension), and keeping a key to the garage door for
themselves, allowing them to secretly enter your home.
The

16. garage The

17. house
(the

18. extension) (the

19. software)

20. Muhaha!
Burgled (hacked)
Through these open doors and windows, a burglar can
freely enter your home and cause all kinds of trouble: like
stealing your belonings or tearing the place apart.
The

21. garage The

22. House
(the

23. extension) (the

24. software)

25. Exploit
Scripts
How hackers work
Your

26. files Like burglars accessing your house through an open
on

27. the

28. server window, hackers can access your home directory through
an exploit in the installed software. Once in, they typically
use malicious scripts (exploit scripts) to:
- Steal data (e.g. from your customers)
- Send thousands of spam mails in your name
- Place unwanted images and text onto your website
- Attack other servers from your website (DOS)
Sket chy

29. Extensions Deprecated

30. Soft

31. ware
ersion of
e.g.

32. a

33. Photo

34. Album e.g.

35. an

36. old

37. v
Joomla

38. or

39. Wordpress

40. Exploit
Scripts
What can you do about it?
Your

41. files Deny hackers access
on

42. the

43. server To prevent hackers from gaining access, all exploits (the
open windows and doors) must be closed. Make sure to
update all installed software and extensions and remove
the ones you don’t trust.
Remove the malicious scripts
It’s possible that hackers still have access or steal data
through installed exploit scripts. These will have to be
removed as well.
Sketchy

44. Extensions Deprecated

45. Software
ld

46. version

47. of
e.g.

48. a

49. Photo

50. Album e.g.

51. an

52. o
Joomla

53. or

54. Wordpress

55. Gmblz...
Keep hackers out.
Update your software regularly.
For more information about solving and preventing
hacks, go to: www.byte.nl/hackpreventie (Dutch)