Mobile redirects: how to detect and remove viruses from your website

Mobile redirects: how to detect and remove harmful viruses from your website

Being a business owner is pretty tough. Especially, if your business is well-known and successful. So there should be no surprise if your website is hacked. In this article we will talk about mobile redirects. Make yourself comfortable and let’s dive into this important topic.

What is a mobile redirect?

Basically a mobile redirect is a code that redirects users to another website. For example, website owners can redirect visitors intentionally to show them a new website version.

But the majority of mobile redirects are created by hackers. Their most common goal is to redirect your potential customers to an infected website. Hackers aim to steal user’s money, personal info or force them to install some harmful apps. Also, hackers can redirect users to your competitor’s websites. In any case, this kind of mobile redirects take away your customers and create a bad image for your business. And you should know that mobile redirects steal more than 25% of your customers. That’s a lot, isn’t it?

How to find out if your website is hacked?

The first thing you can do is to check your website on any mobile device. If you get redirected, then there is no doubt – you’ve became a victim of some hacker. But if you weren’t redirected, it is still too early to relax. Mobile redirect can be focused only on, for example, iPhone users. Then if visitor is using any other operating system, he or she will browse your website as usual.

So it will be smarter to try some other ways to detect a virus on your website:
• Google Webmaster. This could be a good free tool if it worked the way we want. Webmaster can detect some viruses on your website, so there is no guarantee it will see mobile redirects. Also, it does not protect your website. Moreover, Webmaster can block your website if it is hacked. In this situation you will lose more customers.
• Antivirus app. Such apps can detect viruses, but you should remember that mobile redirects are well disguised and usually are ignored by antivirus apps.
• Hire a webmaster. You can hire a specialist who will monitor your website and check it’s code. But such service can be pricey because webmaster must be on duty 24/7. And even a good specialist can’t always detect viruses.
• Check .htaccsess files. It is a hard and long way to detect a mobile redirect. Not every person can handle this job. Also, you can reinstall your CMS but this is not easy as well.

One more thing you should know about – website backdoors

Hackers usually place a backdoor on the hacked website. It gives them a continuous access to the site even if you change all account passwords. These website backdoors are pretty hard to spot because such scripts vary from 1 or 2 to hundreds lines of code.

And it is more likely that you will not detect these backdoors using previously listed ways.

So what should you do?

Fighting hackers is always a struggle. Especially if you are going through this fight alone. But you can use specialized services like Cobweb Security. This service is much cheaper than hiring a webmaster and much more efficient than any of the other ways for detecting viruses and protect your website.

With Cobweb Security you get a team of professionals who will be always on duty during hacker attacks. Also, they will repair any damages viruses make to your website. You can be sure that your site is always safe. And if you ever get blacklisted by major search engines, you will be immediately notified by Coweb Security team. Nothing should threaten your success.

Also, Cobweb Security has it’s own antivirus that is based on a unique and advanced algorithm.WebDefender scanner can locate malware scripts and viruses that are not detected by other antiviruses. It is easy to install and is compatible with all PHP platforms.In addition to this, for WordPress website owners we have plugin providing full site security

As you can see, it is much easier and effective to get help from experienced professionals. It’s better to prevent the problem than struggle with all damage afterwards