Traffic is down, but backups remain strong
This week, the traffic of websites hosted on SWPanel has decreased by 12.7% compared to the previous week, and the data transferred has also dropped by 13.3%. Although this may seem concerning, it's important to understand what this means and how it affects your website. At the same time, backups have improved slightly, with a +0.9% daily stability. In this bulletin, we explain what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do to protect your website.
What we've seen in SWPanel
Lower traffic from hosted websites
The traffic from hosted websites has dropped by 12.7% this week, which is a significant decrease compared to the previous week. This means that websites have received fewer visits and have transferred less data. It could be due to a natural decrease in internet activity, or because bots and attackers have also reduced their activity.
Traffic origin: Spain and the United States lead, but with declines
Spain remains the country with the most traffic, with 31.1% of the connections, although it has dropped by 7% compared to the previous week. The United States also leads with 30.7%, but with a 21% drop, which could indicate that certain automated campaigns have reduced their intensity. Countries like Singapore have increased by 2%, while France and Germany have dropped by 20% and 13%, respectively.
More stable backups
Backups have improved slightly this week, with a +0.9% daily stability. This means that servers have maintained a more consistent pace when making backups, which is good news for data protection.
And in SWPanel, what's happening?
SWPanel measures and blocks all traffic entering and leaving hosted websites. This includes legitimate connections, bots, and attacks. When we see a drop in traffic, we analyze it to determine whether it's due to a natural decrease in activity or a reduction in the number of attack attempts. In this case, we haven't detected intrusions or server failures, but we have seen a decrease in attacker activity.
How we got here
The evolution of traffic over the last 6 weeks has been clear: a downward trend. Here's a summary:
- 26/09 to 02/10: 217,577,762 data transferred (16.1% of the period)
- 03/10 to 09/10: 208,142,244 data transferred (-4.3%)
- 10/10 to 16/10: 199,824,960 data transferred (-4%)
- 17/10 to 23/10: 191,672,022 data transferred (-4.1%)
- 24/10 to 30/10: 191,112,284 data transferred (-0.3%)
- 31/10 to 05/11: 166,893,990 data transferred (-12.7%)
The average for the previous 5 weeks was 201,665,854 data transferred, while this week it was 166,893,990, a drop of 17.2%. This week has also been the one with the lowest traffic since the start of the measurements. The linear projection points to a 1.4% drop in the next week if the trend continues.
What's happening behind the numbers
The drop in traffic can be due to several factors:
- Less bot and attacker activity: If attackers have reduced their activity, they may be focusing on other targets or waiting for new vulnerabilities.
- Less legitimate traffic: There may be fewer real visits to websites, which also affects the total data transferred.
- Automated campaigns: If certain attack campaigns have stopped or reduced, we would also see a drop in traffic.
In any case, a 12.7% drop in one week is notable, but not necessarily alarming. The key is to follow the trend and see if it continues or if it rises again.
What we can expect
If the trend continues, a 1.4% drop in the next week is predictable, following the line of the last few days. An optimistic scenario would be traffic stabilization, while a pessimistic one would be an even greater drop if attackers focus on other targets or if there's a general reduction in web traffic.
Warning signs to watch for:
- A sudden increase in traffic in certain countries.
- An increase in the number of attack attempts.
- A sustained drop in legitimate traffic.
How it can affect your website or business
Scenario 1: Lower visibility
If your website relies on organic traffic or marketing campaigns, a 12.7% drop could mean fewer visits, fewer sales, and lower visibility on Google.
Scenario 2: Lower attacker activity
If attackers have reduced their activity, it's good news. However, it could also mean they're waiting for new vulnerabilities to exploit.
Scenario 3: Lower performance
If traffic drops but your infrastructure doesn't adjust, it could impact your website's performance, especially if you're using unnecessary resources.
How to protect yourself and prevent issues
- Review your website's updates: Make sure WordPress, plugins, and themes are up to date. Updates often include security patches.
- Use strong passwords and 2FA: Weak passwords are an open door for attackers. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security.
- Enable BotLock: If you're using BotLock, make sure it's active. This module blocks malicious bots and crawlers.
- Configure the Firewall: The Firewall filters web attacks before they reach your application. Configure it to block suspicious IPs.
- Enable automatic backups: Backups allow you to recover your website in case of an attack or failure.
- Review plugin usage: Outdated or unused plugins are a common entry point for attackers. Remove the ones you don't use.
- Enable automatic CMS updates: If you installed your website from SWPanel, you can enable automatic WordPress updates to stay protected.
- Use the 360 Security analysis: This analysis detects CMS, plugins, and versions with known issues and alerts you if your website is at risk.
- Subscribe to the Security Bulletin: The Bulletin alerts you when new vulnerabilities are released that could affect you.
- Monitor access to your website: If you see unusual or suspicious access, contact support to have it reviewed.
Which SWPanel tools help you
- 360 Security analysis: Detects CMS, plugins, and versions with known issues and alerts you if your website is at risk.
- 360 Security bulletin and alerts: Alerts you when new vulnerabilities are released that could affect you.
- BotLock: Controls and blocks malicious bots and crawlers from your website.
- FireWall: Filters web attacks before they reach your application.
- Automatic CMS updates: If you installed your website from SWPanel, you can enable it to stay protected.
- Backups: Allow you to recover your website in case of an attack or failure.
- PHP version change: If you're using an unsupported version, switch to a supported one from the panel.
- Ticket support: If you have questions or need help, you can contact support for assistance.
Quick summary
- The traffic of hosted websites has dropped by 12.7% this week.
- Backups have remained more stable.
- Spain and the United States remain the countries with the most traffic, although they have declined.
- A drop in traffic isn't always negative, but the trend should be monitored.
Sources
Traffic and backup data are measured directly by SWPanel on the hosting platform and Cloud servers.
