Once in a while we get those breaking news about company’s website being hacked and information getting stolen. Often those website hackers are outside of the country. Hacking website is something that most website owners are concerned about. You may wonder- why do people do such things? Or maybe you just run small company and have insignificant information on your site, but you still get hacked? So what’s in it for hackers?
There are several reasons why people do that. So let’s take a look at few of them:
1. Stealing Money
This is probably the most feared reason, why somebody would hack your information. Companies that accept credit card payment, collect and store financial data from customers or simply sell any goods- those companies should take strict security precautions to protect that information. Website hackers that get hold of credit card numbers or bank accounts can simply go shopping with that money.
2. Stealing Information
By hacking certain websites, hackers get access to private and personal information such as: social security numbers, driver license, address, and other information. They can usually steal enough information that can lead to identify theft. So again, any website that is collecting and storing that type of information should make sure to protect their websites and take strict security measures.
3. Website Vandalism
Some website hackers do that to destroy their competitors. Others do that just to grab people’s attention, fight for certain rights or protect against certain company’s actions. Sometimes people hack websites to destroy somebody’s reputation because of hatred or other personal reasons.
4. Personal Satisfaction and Thrill
Yes, unfortunately there are those types of hackers that do it just because they can. It gives them thrill and personal satisfaction that they were able to break into somebody’s system. Some take it as personal challenge to break into somebody’s computer or websites.
5. Website Hackers Helping to Identify Security Breaches
Some hackers believe it or not hack websites of large organizations just to identify security risks and flaws. If they can do it, then others with other harmful desires can to. Identify such risks and gaps helps companies to protect themselves from further security breaches.
There may be many more reasons why somebody would hack the website. So who is at risk? Anyone who owns a website. Yes, even the small ice cream shop down the road. Unfortunate, everybody need to protect their website and their private information. Check out our article on “Basic tips for protecting your website” If you had your website hacked, please share your experience with us. We would love to hear what was the reason and how you were able to deal with it.
