How to Monitor Unusual Activities on Your Website

February 3, 2025

Every day, countless potential threats increase your website’s risk for vulnerabilities. Unusual traffic patterns emerge without warning, and suspicious activities lurk in server logs waiting to be discovered.

What if you could spot these dangers before they become disasters?

That’s where website activity monitoring comes in. It’s your digital security system, constantly watching for anomalies that could signal everything from cyber attacks to performance issues that could cost you customers and revenue.

In this guide, I’ll explain the critical signs of unusual website activity, show you how to set up effective monitoring systems, and provide solutions for detecting suspicious activity.

Whether you’re dealing with sudden traffic spikes, unauthorized access attempts, or mysterious server behavior, you’ll learn exactly what to look for and how to respond.

Establishing a Baseline for ‘Normal’ Website Activity

Websites have their own unique rhythm. Some buzz with activity during business hours but go quiet at night. Others see steady traffic around the clock. Many experience predictable spikes during sales or seasonal events.

But how do you know what’s normal for your site? That’s where behavioral baselines come in.

These are your website’s vital signs, letting you know when something is off and helping you protect your site from threats.

Let’s explore these baselines and how to establish them for your website.

What is a Behavioral Baseline?

Your website’s behavioral baseline is its digital fingerprint—the typical patterns of how users interact with your site, when they visit, what they do, and how your systems normally perform.

Here’s why it matters:

Your baseline serves as an early warning system, helping you identify potential security issues before they become major problems
It helps reduce false alarms by teaching you which variations are normal for your site
It provides context for investigating incidents, helping you quickly determine if something is truly suspicious

How to Build a Behavioral Baseline

Setting up a baseline might seem overwhelming at first. There’s so much data to track—traffic patterns, user behaviors, server loads, and countless other metrics that could matter.

Where should you even start? The key is to focus on the most important indicators, such as:

Traffic volume patterns: Document your typical daily and weekly traffic flows. Note regular patterns like rush hours, quiet periods, and predictable spikes.
User behavior metrics: Track how long users typically stay on your site, the web pages they visit the most,, and what actions they commonly take.
Login activity: Monitor when users log in, the location they access your website from, and the number of failed attempts considered normal.
API usage: If you have application programming interfaces (APIs), document their normal request patterns, response times, and error rates.

To track these metrics effectively, you’ll need robust network security tools and behavioral analysis systems that can identify deviations from typical activity:

Google Analytics for traffic patterns and user behavior
Server monitoring tools for backend activities
Security information and event management (SIEM) systems for comprehensive logging
Custom dashboards to bring all these metrics together in one view

The goal isn’t to track everything—it’s to build a clear picture of what “normal” looks like for your site. Once you have that baseline, you’ll be amazed at how easily identifying potential problems becomes.

Implementing Real-Time Monitoring Systems

Many website owners rely on daily or weekly metrics checks, only to discover problems long after they’ve occurred. By then, the damage has already been done – Data might be compromised, customers might be frustrated, or revenue might be lost.

What if you could catch issues the moment they occur? That’s the power of real-time monitoring. It’s like having a security guard watching your site 24/7, ready to alert you at the first sign of trouble.

Modern machine-learning algorithms can process data in real-time, helping detect suspicious behavior before it escalates into a security incident. However, implementing these solutions can also highlight the challenges of digital transformation, as organizations must adapt their processes and mindsets to fully leverage new technologies.

Let’s explore how to set up effective real-time monitoring and choose the right tools for your needs.

Real-Time vs. Periodic Monitoring

Real-time monitoring is like having a live security feed, showing you exactly what’s happening on your site as it happens. Here’s why it matters:

Immediate threat detection lets you respond before damage spreads
You can spot and fix performance issues prior to others noticing
You can investigate unusual patterns while the evidence is still fresh

But periodic monitoring still has its place:

Long-term trend analysis and reporting
Resource-intensive deep scans that might affect performance
Scheduled maintenance checks and system audits

Essential Real-Time Monitoring Tools

With countless metrics to track and potential issues to watch for, you need reliable tools to do the heavy lifting. When choosing your monitoring toolkit, look for these critical features:

Customizable alerting systems that can notify you through multiple channels
Intuitive dashboards that make it easy to spot problems at a glance
Machine learning capabilities that can detect subtle anomalies
Integration options with your existing tools and workflows
Scalability to grow with your website’s needs

Remember, the best monitoring system is the one you’ll use. Start with the basics and expand as you become more comfortable with real-time monitoring.

The market offers several powerful options, each with its own strengths, from New Relic’s detailed transaction tracing to Datadog’s comprehensive infrastructure monitoring.

Website security is important, and vulnerability scanners efficiently detect risks like outdated software, unpatched plugins, or misconfigurations that could expose your site. While tools like firewalls and regular updates help, adding another layer of protection can make a big difference.

Bright Data lets you monitor online activity in real time, helping you spot potential risks before they affect your website. By staying one step ahead, you ensure that your site is safe giving users peace of mind.

Differentiating Between Threats and False Positives

Your monitoring systems might flag dozens of “suspicious” activities daily, such as sudden traffic spikes, unusual login patterns, or unexpected server behavior. Investigating each one could take your entire workday.

But how do you know which alerts deserve immediate attention? This is where threat analysis comes in. It’s the art of separating genuine security concerns from normal variations in website behavior.

Mastering it will save you countless hours and ensure you never miss real threats. Let’s discuss how to make these critical distinctions.

Common Types of Anomalies

Your website’s monitoring tools are like an oversensitive smoke detector—they’ll alert you to burnt toast and actual fires. The key is understanding the different types of anomalies you’ll encounter:

Traffic surges: They could be a viral post bringing welcome visitors or a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack trying to crash your site. Know the difference by examining traffic patterns, user behavior, and source diversity.
Geographic login anomalies: Is it a customer on vacation logging in from a new country or a potential account hijacking attempt? Look for additional risk factors, such as multiple failed attempts or unusual activity patterns.
Repeated failed login attempts: This might be a user who forgot their password or a brute-force attack trying to break into accounts. The attempts’ timing, pattern, and scale tell the real story.

How to Investigate Anomalies

It is important to have a plan. Otherwise, it would be like you’re trying to solve a puzzle without having a copy of the final picture.

Your first step is always assessing the scope:

How many users are affected?
Is this coinciding with any known events?
How unusual is this?

Identifying potential weak points helps you protect your website from cybersecurity threats

Vulnerability scanners make this process efficient by automatically detecting risks like outdated software, unpatched plugins, or misconfigurations that could expose your site.

Regular scans help prevent breaches and ensure your security measures stay up to date as new threats emerge.

Conclusion

Website monitoring isn’t just about having the right tools – it’s about using them wisely. Throughout this guide, we’ve explored the complex landscape of website monitoring, from establishing baselines to responding to threats.

We’ve seen how proper monitoring can mean the difference between a minor incident and a major breach. What’s your next step? Start with these key actions:

Establish your baseline metrics today
Implement real-time monitoring for critical systems
Create and document your incident response plan
Regular review and update your monitoring strategy

Remember: Effective monitoring is not a destination but a journey. Stay vigilant and stay updated to protect your website as new threats emerge.

About the author: Shadrack Wanjohi

Shadrack Wanjohi is a content writer specializing in creating long-form, data-driven content for growth-stage B2B SaaS companies.