Nearly 60 percent of the cyber-attacks that occur annually target small businesses. One of the main things hackers choose to attack is a company’s website. If a website is not properly secured, cyber-criminals can take it over and wreak havoc.
Allowing your website to be compromised can lead to lots of problems. If any sensitive information is being stored on the servers running your website, hackers can get this information. The last thing you want is for your customer’s sensitive information to be stolen, which is why learning how to make your website secure is vital.
Read below to find out more about how to secure your website quickly and correctly.
Never Allow Your Software to Get Outdated
Most website platforms, like WordPress, allow business owners to use a series of software programs to optimize the look and functionality of their site. While these programs can be helpful, they can also cause problems if they are not updated on a regular basis. Often times, the developers of this software will release updates to bugs and security issues.
Ignoring these updates will create large holes in your website’s security. A knowledgeable hacker will be able to use these holes to gain access to your domain. Rather than waiting for this problem to occur before taking action, you need to focus on performing software updates regularly.
WordPress websites have a feature on their dashboards that inform users about software updates that need to be performed. If these updates involve the program used to build your website, consulting with a knowledgeable developer may be a good idea. They can help you backup files before performing these updates.
Create Complex Passwords
If you are singlehandedly managing your company’s website, then having a unique username/password combo is crucial.
Many web hosting and building platforms like WordPress require users to set up these credentials before building their site. Instead of using an easy to figure out password and regretting it later, try to make the password difficult.
Ignoring the need for a complex password can lead to your website being taken over by hackers. If you are unsure about how to create a good password, consult with professionals in the cyber-security industry.
By doing a bit of online research, you should have no problem finding a company to help you with all of your WordPress cyber-security needs. Be sure to visit this website to find out more about the WordPress security services they offer.
Avoid Hosting Multiple Websites on a Single Server
Finding an economical way to launch and maintain a website is something most business owners are passionate about.
Some business owners think that investing in an unlimited web hosting plan and using one server to host many different websites is a good idea. While this may save you a few dollars, the decision to host all of your websites on a single server can come back to haunt you in the future.
The more websites you have hosted on a single server, the higher the attack surface area will be when hackers infiltrate this server. This is why you need to work hard to avoid cross-contamination as it relates to your websites.
The best way to avoid problems with cross-contamination with your websites is by hosting each one on a different server. The extra money you pay to host your domains on different servers will be worth it. By doing this, you can shut a hacked website down until you figure out how to regain control of it without losing all of your domains.
Avoid Letting Too Many People Have Access to Your Website
Taking a business from the startup phase to a success story can be very challenging. As your business starts to grow, you will have to hire more employees to lighten your workload. If you are having a hard time updating the content on your business website, you may want to enlist the help of a trusted employee.
While assigning a few employees their own login credentials is a good idea, you need to do this sparingly. The more people you allow to have these credentials, the higher the risk of your website being compromised becomes.
Before you allow an employee to gain access to your website, you need to assess whether they really need this access. If you can’t think of a reason why they need to be given a specialized login and password, then don’t give it to them. Being selective can help you avoid problems with website security down the road.
Backing Up Website Data is Crucial
One of the most popular hacking methods used by modern cyber-criminals is referred to as a ransomware attack.
These attacks involve hackers gaining access to a business website and the data on it and then demanding a ransom to release it. Some business owners think that paying the ransom is the best way to resolve this issue, but this will only make matters worse.
Taking preventative measures is the only way to adequately prepare for one of these attacks. Continuously backing up the data from your website on a cloud-based server is crucial. If you have a copy of this data, you can just wipe the website clean and use the backup to restore it.
The best part about using a cloud-based backup is that it will make a copy of the files automatically. Trying to remember to do this important task manually can be difficult, which is why opting for this automatic method is advisable.
Learning How to Make Your Website Secure is Challenging
Some business owners fail to realize that figuring out how to make your website secure is difficult. Instead of trying to take on this challenging task alone, be sure to consult with seasoned professionals.
Are you looking for more cyber-security related content? If so, be sure to check out the rest of the blogs on our website.