Recently, I was trying to access a website that required my email login details to enter. This seemed fishy, since I’d visited the site several times before, and it never asked for my personal information. Upon digging deeper, it occurred to me—the site had been hacked.
HTML code can be hacked by anyone with enough knowledge of HTML algorithms. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in software to gain access to information or systems they are not allowed in. However, modern websites have become far more secure, and it has become pretty difficult to hack into one.
In this article, I’ll discuss how to make your site secure against HTML hacking, whether or not it is possible for individuals to hack a single webpage/CSS and whether inspecting a website in HTML is also considered hacking.
How Do I Protect My Site From Getting Hacked?
Hackers can hack an HTML site by exploiting vulnerabilities in the web server where the HTML files are hosted. All they need is access to the login details to your web server, which will then allow them to read, rewrite, delete and create new files and permissions on the web server.
This essentially means that under normal circumstances, all your data can be compromised if your main password gets leaked or hacked into.
Whether or not your site can get hacked easily depends on several factors, such as the server you are using and how well your code is written. However, you can do a few things to make it more difficult for someone to hack your HTML code.
Use a Secure Server
Servers are the main culprit that makes your website susceptible to hacking, and using a secure server is a good way to escape such a fate. This will help protect your code from being accessed by unauthorized users.
Secure servers usually support SSL or TSL security protocols, which work well against third-party tampering with your website. These servers encrypt all the data before transferring it from your site to other destinations, ensuring maximum protection.
Encryption-protected websites will display a lock icon on the far left of their search bar, signifying that the site has a good security level and cannot be easily accessed by external entities.
While even the most secure servers today are vulnerable to hacks, it’s improbable for just anybody to be able to do that.
Make Your Code Error-Free
Ensure your code is well written and error-free. Hackers will often look for coding mistakes that they can exploit to gain access to your website or server.
For example, most rookie web developers often give away essential information about their website, such as login passwords, in their code. Hackers can quickly identify these gaps in ineffective coding and hack your website by obtaining the information they would otherwise not be able to.
Take Security Measures
Hackers often target outdated software vulnerabilities to gain access to websites. Keep your software updated and install security patches as soon as they become available. This will help to close any potential security loopholes that may exist in your code.
You should also use a firewall on your server to protect your website from unauthorized access.
Lastly, it goes without saying that you must make sure you have a strong password and keep it confidential.
Can a Static Website Be Hacked?
Yes, a static website can be hacked. In fact, any website can be hacked if the hacker is determined and knowledgeable enough.
A hacker can change the content on even the simplest static websites, including downloading code when a viewer requests to view a page or redirecting a link to a page the hacker set up.
Websites that solely use CSS and HTML are generally less prone to being hacked in contrast to the ones that include Java and PHP in their code.
However, a static website is generally less vulnerable to attack than a dynamic website because it doesn’t contain any underlying code that can be exploited. Additionally, a well-maintained static website will have fewer security loopholes than a website that is not regularly updated.
In addition to security concerns, some users wonder if you can open an HTML file without being connected to the internet. In some cases, the answer is yes. Learn more about it in my guide.
How to Recover a Hacked Website
If your website has been hacked, don’t worry. There are several steps you can take to recover your site.
First, you should determine how your site was hacked. This can be done by reviewing your website’s logs and looking for clues about the attack or any unusual activity. Once you know how the hacker got in, you can start taking steps to fix the vulnerability and prevent future attacks.
If your website’s on a shared server, you may need to contact your hosting provider for help recovering your site. They may be able to restore a backup of your website or help you find and fix the exploited vulnerability.
If you have a self-hosted WordPress site, there are many plugins that can help you recover from a hack. Often, this involves restoring your website from a backup and updating your security measures. If you are not sure how to do this, you can hire a professional to help you.
Set Up Strong Access Permissions to Prevent Future Attacks
Another way to protect your site is to make sure you have strong access permissions. Access permissions determine who has permission to access certain areas of your website and what they can do once they’re there.
For example, you may want to give access to all users to your home page but restrict access to certain pages or files for specific users. You can also set different permissions for different user groups, allowing some users more or less access than others.
Final Thoughts
Hacking an HTML site is not easy, but it is possible. Hackers will usually try to get into the server that your site is hosted on. Dynamic HTML sites are more vulnerable to attack than static sites—however, static sites with poor security can be easily hacked by experts.
To protect your site against such attacks, you must ensure that your server is very secure and encrypts your data adequately. You must also update your site with the latest security patches and ensure you do not leave any coding mistakes that hackers can exploit.