How can you monitor and reduce the risk of malware infecting your website?

Monitoring a website for malware risks should involve checking for unfamiliar pages, security notifications, and server logs. Reducing those risks requires keeping software updated, restricting directory permissions, using encrypted transfers, and protecting the computers used to manage the website. These measures cannot guarantee that a website will remain free of infection: even if its components are up to date, risks may remain if the hosting provider has not patched the operating system.

Start by looking for unexpected pages and security warnings

Regularly search Google using site:yourdomain to check for pages you never published or unfamiliar topics. These results are clues that the website may have been compromised, not conclusive evidence of a malware infection.

• Google’s guidance identifies the Search Console Security Issues report and notifications as monitoring channels for reviewing problems Google has detected.
• Check whether the website contains phishing pages or pages infected with malware; the source material also recommends using the Safe Browsing API to test URLs regularly.
• Watch for traffic from regions or content in languages that differ from those of your intended audience. For example, a website primarily serving users in Japan that suddenly receives a large volume of interactions from Italian IP addresses warrants further investigation, but geographic differences alone do not establish that it has been compromised.

Review logs regularly—and protect them

If you have server access, watch for traffic spikes, unfamiliar URL parameters, and changes in redirects in the logs. Parameters containing =http: or =//, or a sudden increase in redirect traffic, may indicate that an open redirect is being exploited, but do not confirm an infection.

The logs themselves also need protection because attackers may try to modify them. Monitoring should go beyond total traffic volume to check for unusual requests and redirects.

Your update checklist should cover more than the core website software

Keep an inventory of the software, forums, blogs, and plugins used on the website, and track their versions and patches so maintenance is not forgotten after installation. Each additional tool may increase the risk of attack.

• Keep website software and plugins updated, and stay informed about the hosting provider’s operating system patching status.
• Keep software and antivirus protection updated on the workstations used to build and manage the website, and check for viruses, Trojans, and other malware.
• Know where to find security support information from your hosting provider or publishing platform, and keep up with security news.

Reduce risks through permissions, secure transfers, and third-party content checks

Use strong passwords, choose third-party applications and advertising providers carefully, and verify their reputations and support contact details. Transfer data using SSH or a secure file transfer protocol, which provide encryption, rather than plaintext telnet or FTP.

If you have server access, also review the server configuration, avoid unrestricted directory permissions, and check for cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection vulnerabilities. These checks do not cover every situation; further research is still needed based on the website’s platform and components.