Search results are not instantaneous. Google or other search engine bots index sites beforehand. So, while bots crawl each web page, it correspondingly scans through the different web pages to get hold of any wrongful activity happening on a webpage. The issue is that with millions of websites, search engine bots take some time to detect hacking on a website.

So, by the time a user or site owner comes to know of a cyber hack on the site, a good number of days have already passed. In fact, as per studies, it usually takes around 287 days to identify a data breach.

As per research by an ecommerce website design company, we have enlisted 4 tell-tale signs that a website may be hacked. Being aware of these signs will save a website from heavy losses.

1. Google keeps on showing a warning sign whenever one visits a site

Usually, the Google search console helps a lot. They send messages to site owners about a possible hack on a website whenever they detect any malicious code, spam content, or social engineering pages. Also, Google displays warning messages to every site visitor to be wary of visiting the site.

Other than that, Google has laid out some best practices that can prevent hackers from accessing a site

●   First, use anti-virus software on the computer where one works on a website design and development to avoid passing on infection from an infected file. Keep the computers and their software like antivirus updated. Never use a computer or laptop for web development if the device doesn’t have updated anti-virus software.

●   Second, turn away from visiting sites that Google warns of being malicious.

●   Third, Before using any plugins for a website, thoroughly check if the developer has a good rating and is available in times of need.

Surprisingly, numerous WordPress websites also have outdated plugins, and themes that give a free pass to hackers.

●   Fourth, never get into the trap of opening, or downloading Emails that appear spammy. Rather, straight away report them to Gmail or another mail service provider.

2. Web hosting service blocks the website

There is a very good reason why web design company in Toronto like Cube InfoTech vouch for good web hosting services. The thing is that these web hosting services keep on scanning websites for any possible hack. And the moment they get a slight indication of any kind of malware working its way on any of the web pages of a certain website, they instantly disable the website to hold the further spread of the malware.

Out of the numerous kinds, some of the threats that web hosting services catch hold of are;

●   There are well-known Viruses, ones that infects computers.

●   Or, there is Spyware that secretly gathers info from users without their knowledge.

●   Then there are trojan horses who are dubious. They look like a useful application. But the moment one clicks on any of the links or files, it steals all information and also harms the computer.

●   Moreover, They also get a whiff if your server is used to send any spam or phishing emails.

●   Interestingly, reputed web-hosting services also report high CPU usage due to malware code running on a site.

3. A lot of pop-ups and scrupulous ads on the webpages

Many websites rent places for others to put ads. But what if the complete website is flooded with ads and pop-ups about insurance, lottery, holidays, and whatnot?

In short, whenever a user visits the site, instead of the content of the page, all one sees are ads and mindless pop-ups.

If a site owner notices ads that he never vetted for, head to a webmaster

Like if someone has a Toronto-based salon website which is getting a lot of unknown ads and pop-ups, head straight to a reputed agency of web design Mississauga. It is a tell-tale sign that things are not okay with the site.

4. A slow website

Have you ever seen a robust website failing to load? Or a check-out page that fails to complete a transaction?

As per agencies of web development Toronto, any webpage must load within 3 seconds to utilize the user attention span. But if one has to wait for more than that, it’s a problem. Most of such unscrupulous activity happens on critical web pages. Like the sign-up or the payment page.

Other than unoptimized images and JavaScript issues, one thing that slows a website is malware

This is because, the malware is using the website and its server to perform unscrupulous activities. Like sending spam emails or stealing user credentials.

Not only that, it uses the site to flood it with dubious ads and pop-ups. Or there is some sort of ransomware running on the site. All these extra things put a heavy load on a website thus making it slow.

Hacking ruins all the hard work that a business puts in

If a site has malware, Google warns site visitors from visiting the site. Google shows a red page that says not to visit the site as it is harmful. Users seeing warning signs right away block such websites from opening them. Many even block the site from opening in their browser. Not only is it a loss of leads, but also gravely reduces conversion rates.

That’s why a site owner and hired webmaster must keep an eye on such tell-tale signs so as to safeguard the website from such malpractices.