What do you do when you go to pull up your website and it doesn’t show up? I’m going to show you today how to prevent your website from being hacked and what to do if it does happen to you.
So, you get an email or a call from a friend or colleague, telling you your website’s down. The blood rushes from your face, you try to pull it up yourself, nothing comes up. What do you do? Well, do this one thing to help protect you from having to go through the hassle of this ever happening again as well as what to do when your website gets hacked or goes down?
The first thing you need to do is call your hosting company and get them to reset the password on the account or do it through their website.
The password is probably the most important thing.
Now, when my husband did a bunch of studies on password effectiveness and password encryption, the simplest way to double down on the effectiveness of a password is to put three dots at the end of your existing password. So, if it’s cats and dogs dot, dot, dot. Just put dot dot dot at the end of all of your existing passwords to double down on the effectiveness of that password.
Once you get your password reset for your site, then you’re going to have to ask your host, “Do I have a backup?” So very important that you ask your hosting provider, how often are they are backing up your website so that you could immediately go to them? If they have backed up your website and it can get you back online right away.
The last step would be to make sure you know how to get a hold of your webmaster 24/7. Stuff happens, and if he’s not available then you’re going to have to know how to go to your host directly, this is where an executive log in sheets like the one I have for my clients. This helps ensure that you have all your information including passwords, domain information, and other important information you may need to get back online.
Here’s are some BONUS tips that I want you to know, from my book Marketing Espionage Executive Checklist to Safeguard your Asset: I have also attached at the bottom of this blog the download of our Executive Log In Sheet, for your use.
1. Where did you buy your domain name and when does it expire?
Find out if the company where you bought your domain offers auto-renewal so you will never be in danger of losing the URL. Remember there is a credit card attached to this purchase, so keep the card number and expiration date up-to-date.
2. Where is the Website Hosted and When does it expire?
Some clients host their site inhouse, but the majority purchase hosting from an outside vendor. Make note of the hosting company name, your user name, password, and hosting expiration. Be sure the credit card information is accurate and current.
3. Your Website’s Login Information
Keep track of how to get into the backend of your website, the username, and the password needed to edit content or write the blog.
4. Google Analytics and Google AdWords Accounts
Everything may be under one Google account, but keep track of these details on the Executive Checklist for security and convenience.
5. Social Media Account Details
Keep your login details handy for all your social media sites. Having everything on one page will make your life much easier should something need immediate attention.
Password Security Strategies
Lastpass.com Keeping track of your passwords can become extremely tedious. I have upwards of 150 passwords and it was becoming unbearable. That’s when I started using LastPass.com, a password vault using cloud encryption to keep track of all my passwords. I highly recommend this service.
Remember to always have a backup of your website. Make sure to add dot dot dot to the back of all your passwords immediately or change them all at one time. As well as make sure that you are ready to jump quickly when the website does go down.
You need to have those resources at your fingertips. You know, your hosting number and what phone call and your logins. Your website logins and you can get that you can get it to shut out. Whoever’s gotten in there, you can shut it out. Hosts can get all the new content back on your website and you’re back in business.
Watch the FULL VIDEO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnKBcNyxelw
Download Our Executive Log In Sheets