Website Defacements
Typically used by system crackers, Website Defacement enables a hacker to change the visual content of a website. The hackers achieve this goal by attacking the hosting server and leaving a politically or competition motivated message on the victim’s website.
This type of hacking is a result of weak server security. Usually defacement is harmless, i.e. the data is not compromised and only the visual content of the website is changed to display either the name of a hacking group or the hacker’s religious or political message. Every now and then, defacement is used as a cover up for a more malicious activity or a virus and can sometimes result in the hacker deleting essential files from the website server.
Defacement results in business unpopularity because users no longer feel safe to carry out credit card transactions. Once the online reputation of a business is compromised, it becomes a very difficult task to bring back the trust of the customers.