Infected pages detected by our Edge

A hacker secretly puts malicious code on your website. It isn't obvious, it's built in subtly. You notice nothing. Your visitors notice nothing. But Google does: it understands what's going on and shows a big warning in the search results. By then, you've been hacked for weeks without knowing it.

That's the tricky reality. Hackers aren't always after ransomware or stealing customer data. Sometimes it's spam hidden in your code, or malware that is only shown to search engines. The rest of the internet sees your site as normal. And you see nothing at all.

Netslim Edge now watches every page of your site. If bits of malicious code creep in, or hidden spam that you can't see, you hear about it immediately. Even better: the Edge removes it before your visitors are affected.

Why hackers get in so easily

Your WordPress site gets hundreds of attacks every day. A WordPress plugin with a security hole, a weak password, outdated code. Hackers only need to find one opening. And they always find it. They are very patient and very good at what they do.

The nasty part: they don't need to take your site down to cause damage. A small injection of malicious code is enough. This code can:

• Add spam links to pages (only visible to Google)
• Plant malware that infects visitors
• Redirect your site to phishing sites
• Run crypto-mining code (your server comes under heavier load)
• Create backdoors for future attacks

And you see none of it. You can click through your site and everything looks normal. The shop works, and so do the contact forms. But in the background, all kinds of things are happening that shouldn't.

Google warns you too late

Google scans your site daily, so it usually does find malicious code. But that sometimes takes weeks or even months. And by then, tens of thousands of visitors may have already downloaded infected code.

You also don't get the warning in your mailbox right away. You see it in your Search Console, or your visitors see it: a red warning in their browser saying “This site may harm your computer” or something similar. Not exactly good for your reputation.

With the Edge, you know sooner. It checks every page at high speed, line by line. Infection? You get a signal right away. And you don't have to wait for Google to spot it.

What the Edge does exactly

The edge checks your pages in two ways. First, it recognizes suspicious patterns that point to malicious code. Second, it compares what you have on your server with what is actually delivered to your visitors. Mismatch? Then you know something is being injected.

This is how the edge also finds hidden spam. For example, a hacker inserts 50 spam links into your pages, but invisibly. They are white on white, or behind display: none in the CSS. Google sees them, you don't, and your visitors don't. The edge sees everything.

The good part: when the edge detects something suspicious, it removes it before your visitors see it. No waiting, no extra step. Your site stays clean, and your visitors only see the version without the junk.

A concrete example

Say you run a web shop on WordPress. A plugin has a leak, and a hacker gets in. They quietly add ten affiliate links to all your product pages. Customers can't see these links, but they earn the hacker money every time someone clicks through. Google does see those links. Slowly, it gives your site lower rankings, because it treats this as manipulation.

You notice nothing. Until one day Google warns you and your rankings collapse.

With the edge? It detects those links in your source code the moment the hacker plants them. You get a notification. The edge removes them. Done. Your site stays clean, and your rankings stay intact.

Why you shouldn't just wait for Google

Google is careful. It wants to be sure before it flags your site as infected. That means an infection can go unnoticed for weeks, while you could be claiming damages.

There's more. Once your site is on Google's list of infected sites, it doesn't just take weeks to get removed. The impact on trust is much bigger. Customers see your site, see that warning, and go to your competitor. You can't easily fix that trust problem.

So you don't want to wait until Google gives the signal. You want to know as soon as it happens. The edge does that.

How to turn it on

The Edge Protect feature is now available for Netslim hosting customers. You turn it on in your customer portal: go to Security, choose Edge Protect, and switch it on. You can also set which pages get priority. Sometimes you want to check certain pages (your payment page, for example) more often than others.

The edge then checks continuously. If it finds anything suspicious, you get a notification in your portal and an email straight away. You can then see what was found, and have the edge scan again after you have fixed the problem.

Want to test how it works? With Edge Protect you can see how to turn it on. Or go to your hosting panel and look for the Security option. If your site isn't hosted with Netslim yet, we can first help you with WordPress hosting with standard security features included.

It feels good to know your site is being monitored all the time. You no longer depend on Google's slow response. You are the first to know.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Edge Protect and antivirus on my computer?

Antivirus on your computer only protects that one machine. Edge Protect protects your website itself, on the server. It looks at every page you have online, including code that is hidden or only visible to search engines.

Does Edge Protect slow down my website?

No. Edge Protect scans your pages in the background, in parallel with normal traffic. Your visitors won't notice anything. It doesn't make your site slower.

Can Edge Protect keep a hacker out completely?

Edge Protect detects and removes infections, but it can't prevent 100% of break-ins. That's why it's important to keep your WordPress, plugins and passwords well maintained. Edge Protect is your last line of defense.

What happens when Edge Protect finds something suspicious?

You get a notification right away, by email and in your portal. The edge removes the malicious code before your visitors see it. You can then investigate how the hacker got in and close the gap.

Does Edge Protect work on all websites?

Edge Protect works best on sites that run on our servers. For sites outside our hosting, you can also use the edge via DNS. Ask us about the options.