The internet is a dangerous place with hackers and other cybercriminals looking for an opportunity to gain unauthorized access to websites. As a site owner, this is one of the biggest concerns. Hence, most site owners look for the most secured plan when they buy web hosting. Also, there are numerous tools like SiteLock Security that help them keep their website safe. While site owners are sensitive to the fact that they need to scan their website for viruses and malware, there are some doubts when it comes to the frequency of these scans.
Today, we will talk about how often you should scan your website for malware.
What is malware?
Malware is a short form of the phrase ‘malicious software’. As the name suggests, it is software that is potentially dangerous to you. There are different types of malware that can infect a website like Adware for displaying unwarranted ads via pop-ups, Spyware for tracking activity on a computer, Ransomware for locking a server and demanding money to release it, and a Trojan Horse which are viruses disguised as innocent software.
Malware is dangerous since the intention behind any malware is usually not in your favour. Many hackers use malware to gain unauthorized access to web servers and use them as per their liking. Malware can lead to a severe loss to your brand’s reputation and can also cause financial losses. Hence, it is important to scan your site to keep it clean and protected against malware.
How often should you scan your website for malware?
First things first, ensure that you have real-time scanning for your site. This is one of the best innovations in site security and helps stop many malicious codes and files from entering your server. However, this alone is not enough since many viruses and malware will disguise themselves well enough to give real-time scanning a miss. This is where a comprehensive site scan comes in handy.
There are multiple opinions regarding the frequency with which you should scan your site for viruses and malware. We believe that scanning your site at least once a week is necessary provided nothing is acting funny. If you feel that your site has suddenly slowed down or there are weird pop-ups everywhere, then you need to scan your site immediately.
This is where a tool like SiteLock Website Security is necessary. It allows you to set the frequency of scans based on your preference and also removes any malicious software without disturbing your site. It also informs you of any vulnerability that can cause security concerns in the future.
The following video demonstrates how SiteLock Security removes malware from your website:
How To Remove Malware From Your Website With Sitelock?
Summing Up
Ensuring the security of your website is important to assure users of the protection of their data and also to score some crucial SEO points. SiteLock offers a website firewall and a range of website security services that can help you ensure that you are well-protected against online attacks. Stay protected and choose the hosting plan and security tools carefully. Good Luck!