Google is probably the most qualified entity to speak about the number of websites being hacked and compromised on the World Wide Web, and a recent report from them not only indicates that the number of hacking attacks is rising, but also that this trend is currently showing no signs of slowing down. According to Google’s data on compromised websites that are reported, around 32 percent more hacks happened in 2016 when compared to 2015. This is not just because hackers are getting more ingenious and are finding new ways to attack websites, but also because security on some sites is growing relatively stagnant, especially when it comes to older sites.
On the bright side, approximately 84 percent of reports of hacked websites that Google started labeling as dangerous in front of users were able to clean house and came up acceptable or completely clean in a subsequent test. By their estimates, however, a staggering 64 percent of compromised websites are never told that they have been hacked and need to make security improvements. This troubling state of affairs is reportedly caused by the fact that many webmasters fail to verify their websites in Google’s Search Console. Verification would not only help Google in indexing their websites but would also allow the search giant to reach out to webmasters when necessary.
While Google does harp on preventive care in their blog post, they do provide a list of numerous resources that can help webmasters who are hacked or are trying to avoid getting hacked. They have reportedly beefed up their documentation to be more clear and useful, and have provided easy-to-follow guides for webmasters who wish to defend from ongoing hacks. On top of that, Google’s resource database is currently being updated with entirely new documents meant to help users prevent hacks and figure out if a website that’s acting a little off has indeed been compromised, or if a technical error of some sort is to blame. In addition to improving the security of its own services, Google has been committing a lot of resources to promoting contemporary cyber security practices in recent years in an effort to make the Internet at least somewhat safer.
