VOLL Web Studio / Blog / How to check the site for the presence of viruses?
How to check the site for the presence of viruses?
The development of the Internet and information technologies has not only plenty of advantages, but also disadvantages. The attackers do not stand still either and constantly develop new modifications of malware, which is loaded to web resources discreetly, causing irreparable damage to the owners or users. At the same time, it may not appear openly, gradually destroying the code, stealing the information or personal data. Therefore, checking the site for the presence of viruses should be carried out regularly, regardless of how correctly the functionality works.
As usual, infection occurs on popular services, when using demanded plugins, towards which the hackers direct their attention first. The site becomes “an easy prey”, if the development is not qualitative enough, and there are gaps in the code for convenient penetration from outside. It is very important to understand that the development of sites is a responsible process that should be trusted only to professionals.
In any case, it is necessary to use special antivirus utilities that can identify external interference. With their help, you can check the site for malicious code by reconciliation with a database of signatures containing data about all existing viruses. The principle of utility operation is distinguished from antivirus programs used for testing PCs or other gadgets. They only detect, but do not eliminate the problem. During the scanning, areas similar to the database of signatures are noted. Analysis and removal of the damaged code is carried out in manual mode.
How do viruses affect the site?
It is difficult to evaluate the amount of damage, which the code, made by hackers, can cause, since they may have different goals. However, the consequences of its presence on the web resource may be serious and irreversible. According to the type, the method of penetration and the specifics the virus on the site can perform the following actions:
Get access to personal information of registered users (logins, passwords, bank card numbers, etc.)
Damage the code, files, resulting in violating the site functionality, it becomes heavy, the pages are loading slower.
Implement files that spread the malicious code on the server. As a result, page replacement or content may occur.
Discreetly redirect visitors to a web resource with similar design where they can leave personal data, payment details.
Replace the number of users’ wallets in order to receive payment to the hackers’ accounts.
Penetrate the visitors’ PC. If the security check has not been made by the user’s antivirus program, the viral software is embedded in the computer, violating it, damaging files, getting access to passwords and other confidential information. In some cases, the hacker fully controls the PC, carrying out cyberattacks or crypto -mining (illegal trade of cryptocurrency).
The most destructive consequences of such an attack::
Be banned, blacklists of search engines. First of all, the site promotion is suffering, since, noticing suspicious activity, Google may stop displaying in search result of web resource, which can cause the loss of positions, reduced traffic for a long time or even for good;
Customers’ refusal from cooperation. When entering the site, the user’s software usually carries out a testing for the presence of the virus. If a threatening message appears on the screen, the visitor will most likely close the page. Customers whose data have been stolen on this resource, will never return to it even after eliminating the problem;
Loss of access. At the very least, the owner may lose the opportunity to enter the admin panel, as the attackers have entered the authorization system and changed logins and passwords.
How to check the site for the presence of viruses online?
Unlike PCs or gadgets that have a stable structure, a modern web resource is a dynamic object that is in constant access for visitors, search robots, etc. It can work in a permanent interconnection with services, applications, and plugins. Therefore, to track the appearance of a malicious code is a quite difficult task, even after the total server check. To identify the activities of attackers in real time, special services are used to check sites for the presence of viruses online.
These are anti-virus scanners that not only record the change in static code, but also reproduce the visitor’s actions, tracking changes before the start of any process and after some time after its completion. This allows you to notice the suspicious activity of particularly advanced malicious programs that are not started immediately, but after a few minutes after the user is on the web resource.
Among the most popular services that carry out a really high-quality check of sites for the presence of viruses, it can be identified:
Google safe view. Receive a possible attack first during indexing, which is necessary to protect the users of search engines. Web resources with a changed code or malicious files are sent to the “Black List”;
Kaspersky Virusdesk. One of the most popular services that is convenient and reliable at work. It can perform file scanning up to 50 MB for 1 time for free. The main drawback is the irrelevance of information, since the analysis of the link is carried out with delay for a couple of days;
Dr.Web online. With its help, checking for the presence of viruses on the site is done in the current mode, it is sufficient to enter the URL of the site. It is suitable not only for owners, but also for visitors to ensure PC security;
QUTTERA. Service for dynamic analysis by means of which you can check files, individual pages, as well as the presence of a number of databases in black lists (MalwaredomainList, Google-Safebrowsing, PhishTank et al.);
VirusTotal. It carries out site checks for the presence of viruses online with an analysis by IP address. It is suitable for quick daily resource scanning, as it constantly receives updates. During the work, it combines information obtained from 65 different bases.
How to check your site for the presence of viruses?
Most often, online services scanning is a necessary, but insufficient measure to get rid of hacker attacks. It allows you to identify the consequences of their activities, but does not eliminate the source of the problem. This means that it will occur again. Therefore, when the first “symptoms” are found: slow downloads of pages, complaints of visitors, messages from the hosting provider, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive security check of sites.
Creating a backup. During checking or removing the code, unaffected areas restored only with the backup version can be damaged.
Testing files on the server, for which the built-in antivirus program is used. They are most often infected, because they contain important information about the system of operation, structure, and visitors of web resources.
Analysis of downloaded files. Next is worth checking the safety of the site from the outside, making sure that there are no extraneous utilities, scripts. They can collect data about users, redirect them to fraudulent areas.
Determination of the latest file editing dates. This will help to fix the exact time or a period of the attack in order to identify the source of the threat. For this reason, log files are analyzed with system information about the service with particular attention to post requests. It is also necessary to block IP addresses that have appealed to the site during the detection of the threat.
Detection of vulnerable parties CMS. Even modern engines have some drawbacks in the development that can cause the formation of gaps in security. Therefore, before checking the site for the presence of viruses, it is worth reading about the disadvantages of CMS on specialized forums and blogs.
If for the protection of your PC or smartphone from external influence, the user can independently install an antivirus program, then to ensure the safe work of the site the user’s level isn’t enough. Only a competent IT specialist can check the site for phishing, changing of the code, the presence of extraneous attack and eliminate the problem, preventing its appearance in the future. The main thing is that the web studio which the owner will contact, must be really professional and could fulfill the entire complex of work from identifying to complete elimination of malicious effects.
Comments