Website attackers

Website attackers or hackers have many different motives. Stealing data, personal or group gratification, and profit are all common motivators for hackers. Once a hacker has successfully broken into a computer, they can do just about anything with a workstation or web server, some of which are:

Modifying web content (e.g. vandalize a web page or entire website)

Creating new content (e.g. upload illegal movies or software)

Shutting down your website

Deleting your website and data

Stealing passwords

Stealing business logic (e.g. the algorithm to approve/deny a home loan)

Stealing business data (e.g. credit card information)

Using the information to create accounts for the internal network or promote user accounts within that network.

Using your computer to launch further attacks on other systems.

Using your computer as a SPAM mail relay (E.g. send out millions of emails with viruses or special promotions that originate from the your server)

Using your computer to run scripts (E.g. open hundreds of Paypal accounts for fraudulent use)

Using your computer for denial of server attacks on other networks. (A way to slow down the performance of a Web site by repeatedly and rapidly requesting information from the site's server, preventing the server from focusing on its normal operations and blocking other users from accessing the site.)

In addition, hackers are thinking of more uses for compromised computers every day.