In 2020 there were more than 37 billion records compromised due to security breaches. In 2019 there were about 4 billion records exposed in the first half of the year. While these numbers were considered record-breaking, 2020 ended with a 141 percent increase over 2019.
The more technological the world becomes, the greatest the risk of security breaches. These breaches can compromise data, lose company’s money, and place customers at risk for identity theft or fraud. So how can you keep your website secure and protect it from hackers?
While there’s always some risk associated with running a website, there are some things you can do to increase security significantly. Continue reading to find out some of the most significant things you can do to protect your website from potential hackers.
Keep Software up to Date
One of the most important things you should do to protect your website from hackers is to keep all your software up to date. When software developers identify security holes, they update them to protect users. By keeping everything up to date, you ensure the software your company uses is as secure as it can be.
Validate Requests on Both Sides
You should be validating requests both from the browser and server sides. Validating browser requests help simple failures be caught. For example, if a form wasn’t filled out correctly or is missing mandatory fields.
Validating requests on the server side helps catch more severe threats. This validation can prevent malicious code from being entered into the system. Malicious code entered via forms could open access to your website if there are vulnerabilities.
Encrypt All Sent or Received Information
You should be encrypting all information sent or received by your website. This protects your website user’s personal data from hackers. It can also help prevent information like passwords from being stolen.
If hackers can steal user’s passwords, they may gain access to things like credit card numbers. This is a serious security breach that could lead to a lot of money lost.
Use HTTPS
Most websites use HTTP, but it’s highly recommended you authenticate your website to use HTTPS. This provides user’s with verification that they’re using an actual website and the information they provide is safe. It’s also significantly less likely to allow hackers access to the website when compared to HTTP.
Get Professional Help
Using a professional IT support company is highly recommended. They can recognize security threats and IT problems that you’d likely miss. IT professionals can also help ensure your website is as secure and protected as it can be.
More Questions About How To Secure a Website?
There are numerous security breaches every year. The best way to secure your website and protect it from hackers is to use the valuable tips above. Although this list isn’t all-inclusive, it represents the best ways to enhance website security.
Do you have more questions about how to secure a website?
Check out our other blogs. You’ll find posts on cybersecurity, websites, and similar topics.