Learn how we helped a client restore their hacked website. We’ll give you practical tips on how to handle a website hack and effectively protect your online presence.

Cyber ​​attacks are part of everyday life today.

Hacker attacks destroy websites, steal customer data, and cause significant economic damage by encrypting IT systems. In Austria, the number of ransomware attacks is increasing significantly: According to a study by Deloitte and SORA, almost half of the companies surveyed have already experienced such an attack. Despite this threat, few companies have a crisis or emergency plan in place.

The damage often affects more than just the technology.

Our client’s long-maintained website suddenly became unusable. Although backups were available, they turned out to be just as „infected“ as the original site. The attackers could therefore not be simply removed from the system. As a result, important content – ​​images, text, and layout – was lost. This was a significant setback, as this content was essential for the rebuild to build on the previous work.

While technical damage can usually be quickly identified and assessed, communication damage is more difficult to grasp and repair. If text, images, UX and UI designs, as well as the customer approach, have to be completely redeveloped, this poses a major communication challenge. This significantly increases the financial outlay, as existing materials cannot be used.

How do you secure the content of a website?

An effective IT security concept and measures for detecting attacks are crucial for protecting the content of a website. It is equally important to raise employees‘ awareness of IT security through targeted training and to educate them on how to use the technical systems.

On a communication and design level, content should be archived in a structured manner and kept accessible at all times. A systematic communication approach defines and documents when, where, and how different customer groups are addressed. This avoids duplication of effort and provides access to a proven content and design system in the event of a disaster.

The following measures contribute to securing a website:

• Perform regular security updates
• Change systems when the update support expires
• Systematic and long-term backups
• Use firewalls and security scanners

How did we manage to save the content of a hacked website?

1. Use of a Secure System
   To access the compromised website, we used a specially configured computer. This computer was reformatted and contained only the necessary tools and the operating system to minimise the risk of further infection.
2. Use of a Secure Network
   Mobile internet offers greater security than DSL or Wi-Fi routers, which are more vulnerable to attacks. Mobile data is transmitted encrypted over 5G, 4G, or LTE networks, ensuring better identity protection through authentication.
3. Use of a VPN and a Dedicated IP Address
   A VPN service hides our IP address behind a fixed IP address in Düsseldorf. Since the client’s website was no longer accessible online, this measure prevented further unauthorised access while still allowing access to the content.
4. Strategy for Securing Content and Designs
   We focused on the requirements of those who would later work with security. We compiled text content, usability aspects, and full-page screenshots into a single document and created an offline backup of the entire website on a laptop.

From protecting existing content to redesign

Once the previously lost content was restored, we were able to plan the redesign and further development of the website and transparently present the associated costs.