What Does Malware Do to Your Website and How to Prevent It

Malware is a major cyberthreat that can significantly damage your website or business. How can you keep your website safe when one million new malware threats are created every day?

Posted in Cyber Attacks and Malware

February 13, 20267 min read

Malware is one of the most common and damaging cyber threats websites face today. With more than one million new malware variants created every day, no website, regardless of size or industry, is immune.

A single malware attack can compromise sensitive data, damage customer trust, disrupt site functionality, and lead search engines to warn or block users from accessing your pages. Left unresolved, these issues can result in traffic loss, revenue impact, and long-term reputational harm.

Understanding how malware works, what it does to websites, and how to prevent infections is critical to protecting your online presence. Below, we explain what malware is, why it poses a serious risk, the most common ways it impacts websites, and the practical steps you can take to detect, prevent, and stop attacks before they cause lasting damage.

What is malware?

Malware, short for malicious software, refers to any software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to systems, networks, or websites. While the definition of malware sounds simple, its effects are anything but.

It is often associated with computers and servers, but can also target websites, operating systems, web applications, and even individual components such as web browsers. Cybercriminals use malware to carry out common types of cyberattacks, including stealing sensitive information, distributing spam, redirecting traffic, giving hackers remote access to files, or maintaining hidden control over a compromised site.

How does it work?

Malware exploits vulnerabilities or weaknesses in your website’s software, plugins, themes, or server configuration. Once attackers gain entry, malware can execute hidden processes, modify files, and communicate with external servers without your knowledge.

It spreads through a combination of technical exploits and social engineering tactics designed to trick users or site owners into granting access. Social engineering attacks often rely on urgency or fear, such as fake security alerts, deceptive emails, or misleading pop-up ads, to convince users to click on malicious links or download infected files.

In some cases, malware disguises itself as a legitimate update, plugin, or security tool. Once installed, it executes its functions, which may include stealing data, injecting spam, redirecting traffic, or encrypting files for ransom. Because these attacks often appear harmless at first glance, malware infections can go unnoticed for long periods, allowing cybercriminals to carry out broader cyber attacks without interruption. Many modern malware attacks are automated, meaning cybercriminals can scan thousands of websites per hour in search of easy targets.

What are common types of malware?

Websites can be compromised by many different forms of malware, each designed to achieve specific goals, including:

Viruses: Attach to legitimate files and spread when those files are executed
Worms: Self-replicate and spread across systems without user interaction
Trojan horses: Disguise themselves as legitimate software, plugins, or updates
Ransomware: Encrypts website files or databases and demands payment for recovery
Spyware: Secretly monitors user activity
Fileless malware: Operates in memory to evade traditional file-based detection
Rootkits: Hides malicious activity and maintains persistent access
Keyloggers: Records keystrokes to steal login credentials
Adware: Forces unwanted ads onto websites
Bots and botnets: Turn infected websites into part of a network used for large-scale attacks

Malware is commonly introduced through compromised plugins or themes, vulnerable website code, infected software downloads, malicious advertisements, or phishing emails that target site administrators and lead to unauthorized access.

What can happen when malware infects your website?

Malware attacks can cause a number of different problems on websites and apps. Here are some of the most common issues these attacks can create:

Website defacement

Malware can replace your site’s content with unauthorized messages or images. These defacements often promote political agendas, scams, or extremist messaging and can immediately drive visitors away.

Data theft

Malware can steal customer information, login credentials, credit card details, or intellectual property. If your organization is involved in a customer data breach like this, it can undermine customer loyalty and trust.

Hide in advertisements (malvertising)

Malvertising spreads malware by prompting users to click on an ad or through a “drive-by” download, which automatically infects a visitor when they visit the site. Cybercriminals can either inject malicious code into an advertisement or upload their own malicious ad to an ad network that will distribute it across millions of websites at a time.

Redirect visitors to malicious websites

If visitors to your site are secretly redirected to another site – especially one that looks suspicious – you have been affected by a malicious redirect. This will erode user trust and can lead to search engine penalties.

Grant cybercriminals access to your site

Backdoor malware allows attackers to maintain persistent access to your website. This hidden access allows them to steal data, modify content, or reinfect your site even after you’ve attempted to resolve apparent issues.

Place spam content on your site

SEO spam floods your website with hidden pages, links, or keywords. This tactic hijacks your search rankings, often resulting in a sudden, dramatic drop in organic traffic. In addition to injecting spam links and keyword-stuffed pages, malware may force unwanted pop-up ads onto your website. These ads often promote scams, fake software updates, or malicious downloads, severely degrading the user experience.

Get your site blacklisted

Search engines like Google actively scan for malware. If your site is infected, it may be blacklisted, flagged as unsafe, or removed from search results entirely. Visitors may also see warning messages that prevent them from accessing your site.

What are the possible consequences?

Your reputation, website traffic, and/or revenue will likely take a hit if your website is infected with malware. Suspicious activity or signs of malware on your site could make your site appear untrustworthy, damaging your reputation and preventing visitors from returning, especially if a data breach occurs. In fact, 65 percent of online shoppers who have had their credit card or other personal information stolen refuse to return to the site where their information was compromised – a loss that many websites and businesses could not afford.

Fortunately, preventing malware infections is affordable, manageable, and a good investment towards the success of your website.

How to prevent malware on your website

Preventing malware is far easier (and more affordable) than recovering after an attack. Here are some tips and cybersecurity tools to help:

Reducing vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities are weak points in the website’s code that can be exploited to attack a website, and cybercriminals can find them automatically by using bots.

Vulnerabilities can be prevented by:

Installing updates and patches promptly. If your site is built using a CMS like WordPress, updating your software and plugins as soon as updates are available ensures that vulnerabilities are patched quickly.
Using only what you need. A website’s risk of compromise increases the more features it has. Reduce your risk by only using the plugins and features you absolutely need – and fully uninstall anything you’re not using.
Using a vulnerability scanner and an automated patching system. This helps to automate the process of keeping your site updated.

Blocking automated attacks

No website is too small to fall victim to a cyberattack, as cybercriminals frequently use malicious bots to automatically look for websites with vulnerabilities. Fortunately, these bots can be blocked with a web application firewall (WAF).

Finding and removing malware quickly

A cyberattack costs more the longer it takes to find, but prompt malware removal can reduce the cost and damage incurred. Using a website scanner that looks for and removes known malware on a daily basis ensures that you’re catching threats swiftly.

Maintaining secure backups

Routine file backups are essential for recovery after a malware attack. If ransomware encrypts your files or your site becomes unusable, clean backups allow you to restore operations quickly without paying a ransom. Backups should be stored securely, isolated from your live environment, and updated regularly to ensure they can be restored when needed.

Protect your website with SiteLock

Hackers are always looking for vulnerable websites to add malware. Given the prevalence of this threat, website security should be a top priority for your business. SiteLock security plans prevent vulnerabilities, block automated attacks, detect and remove malware, and provide 24/7 expert support to ensure your website is protected against cyberthreats, safeguarding your data, brand reputation, and visitors.

If your site has already been compromised, SiteLock also offers immediate website hack repair to help you recover quickly and safely. Don’t wait until your website has been compromised by malware to safeguard your data. Explore SiteLock’s website security plans or contact our team to get started.

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