Brute Force Attack & Website Security

An Important Lesson About a Brute Force Attack

This month, instead of sharing a how-to, I want to tell you about a recent experience that comes with an important lesson about website security.

Last week, the company that oversees my WordPress website — handling backups, updates, and general maintenance — emailed me to say my site had been under a “Brute Force Attack.”

Seeing those words definitely made my heart skip a beat.

Thankfully, as I kept reading, they reassured me that my website had not been hacked and everything was secure. Their monitoring systems caught the attack, blocked it, and protected my site exactly the way they were supposed to.

Still, it was a wake-up call.

Seeing those words I panicked initially until I read further where they noted that my website had not been hacked into and my site was fine.

What Is a Brute Force Attack?

A brute force attack happens when a hacker (or generally automated software and AI) repeatedly attempts to guess your username and password combination by sending thousands — sometimes millions — of login attempts.

It’s not usually a person sitting at a computer typing guesses. It’s automated software programmed to run through endless combinations until it finds the right one.

A distributed brute force attack is even more aggressive. Instead of coming from one location, the attacker uses a network of computers across the internet. This spreads login attempts across many IP addresses, making it harder for basic security systems to block the attack.

Many blocking tools work by identifying and restricting suspicious IP addresses. When hundreds or thousands of IP addresses are used at once, it becomes more difficult to stop without advanced protection.

Website Passwords: Your First Line of Defense

When my web company contacted me, they also asked me to confirm that I was using a password with at least 10 characters, including symbols and numbers.

I felt a lot better replying, “It’s much longer than that.”

Your password is your first line of defense when it comes to website security. A weak password is like leaving your front door unlocked.

Strong password best practices include:

• 12–16+ characters minimum
• A mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Numbers
• Symbols
• No dictionary words
• No reused passwords from other sites
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Using a password manager can also help you generate and store secure passwords safely.

“Why Would Anyone Target My Website?”

I used to think the same thing many people think: Out of all the websites on the internet, why would someone target mine? I’ll deal with it if it ever happens.

Here’s the problem with that thinking.

Years ago, hackers mainly targeted big corporations and government institutions. That’s no longer the case. Today’s hackers use automated programs that scan the internet looking for any vulnerabilities in any website. They don’t care if you’re a small business, a blogger, or a local service provider.

Why?

Because gaining access to one website can give them:

• Login credentials
• Email access
• Customer information
• Stored payment data
• Personal details
• Access to other platforms if passwords are reused

Often, once they access one account, they try the same credentials across multiple platforms. One weak link can open many doors.

The Cost of “I’ll Deal With It Later”

If you don’t currently have someone overseeing your website — handling backups, updates, security monitoring, and plugin management — it’s time to seriously consider it.

Here’s why:

• Recovering a hacked website is expensive
• Downtime costs you credibility and sales
• Search engines can blacklist compromised sites
• Customer trust can be damaged permanently
• In some cases, hackers erase everything

Yes — sometimes attackers don’t just break in. They delete your entire site. Why? Sometimes it’s vandalism. Sometimes it’s retaliation. Sometimes it’s simply automated destruction.

And if you don’t have clean, recent backups? You’re starting from scratch. The cost of prevention is far less than the cost of recovery, particularly if they hold it for ransom (ransomware).

My Advice

After this experience, I’m even more grateful that I have professionals monitoring my site daily. They caught the attack before it became a problem. I also have an automatic backup consistently.

Website security is not optional anymore. It’s essential business infrastructure — just like insurance.

If you’d like to talk to someone who truly understands this world and can help protect your website the way mine is protected, I highly recommend reaching out to:

Current Marketing Services
919.780.4810
http://currentmarketingservices.com

PS: If your site disappeared tomorrow, would you have a backup ready to restore it immediately? If the answer isn’t a confident “yes,” it’s time to take action.