In today's constantly evolving technological climate, cyber security is a huge concern for every business owner. With the surge of data breaches and the continuous rise of new malware attacks, keeping your website protected is no longer a matter of preference but an absolute necessity.
Whether you are a big corporation with thousands of employees or an individual operating a small business online, you need to take the necessary precautionary measures to ensure that your site's security remains up to par. Here are five steps you can take to safeguard your website from potential threats.
Have you ever heard the phrase: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" The value of this phrase cannot be over-emphasized in the case of website security.
The thing is, no one is immune to a security breach. Even large companies like Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook have suffered breaches in website security at one point or another.
The only way to ensure 100% safety is not to have a website. But if you must have one, and your livelihood depends upon it, then take the time and effort to back up your site. Ideally, you should do a backup every day, but it is better to do it less often than not at all.
Many website hosting providers now offer the ability to backup your site for free, so there is no excuse not to do so. The thinking behind this tip is simple - if something tedious and complex does go wrong with your site, at least you can use the backups and restore everything to normal rather than having to start from scratch.
The truth is, even if you don't think that you are vulnerable to a cyber attack - you never know. There is no guarantee that you won't experience a data loss at some point, which is why you must take preventive measures immediately.
Anyway, it can't hurt to take action to protect your site sooner rather than later.
The topic of passwords has become something of a cliche in recent years. Still, it is true that no matter how many times you tell people how important it is to create passwords that are difficult to hack, they continue to use weak or the same passwords for every system they log into online.
Passwords are your first line of defense when it comes to website safety, so it goes without saying that their strength and uniqueness should be maximum points on any digital security checklist - and there is no point in allowing even one weak point in an organization's computer security policy.
Since hackers can use automated processes to test password strength, make sure your passwords are at least long and hard to guess.
There is no doubt that malware and viruses are a huge problem in the digital age - and one of the most effective ways to reduce this risk is to make sure your software and plugins are updated.
Whether you are using WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or some other content management system, installing security updates for your software and plugins is an absolute must. Not only can these patches help to eliminate known security exploits, but they also make your system more stable and secure in general.
Updating your site on a strict regimen is just good practice in general - but it can also serve as an additional layer for website protection.
Also, keep in mind that many WordPress plugins pose serious security risks, so check carefully before installing anything new on your site.
Just like your online banking transactions, you want to make sure that the information you submit on your website is secure; otherwise, it will be easy for hackers to intercept your login credentials.
Even though you want to prevent intruders from accessing your data, you also want to ensure that the information between the server and other computers entering your site is safe so that no one can intercept it without your knowledge. This is where a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate comes in handy.
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that a web hosting provider gives to websites to encrypt the information they send from the server to any browser accessing them. In a way, it is a seal of approval that says that the system on the other end is safe.
An SSL certificate is primarily used for e-commerce websites, but you can also use it to encrypt contact forms, login pages, and other parts of your website's design that would put users at risk. By encrypting the data between the two parties, an SSL certificate provides your visitors with a secure connection, which in turn provides them with a higher level of confidence in your site.
Many website owners are quick to jump on the bandwagon of the latest hosting company, only to be let down by poor service or security breaches.
It is a fact of business that some hosts aren't as good as others. Also, the hosting market is constantly growing and evolving - many new host providers are hitting the market each week, and not all of them will be up to par with what you need.
If you want to stay safe from a security point of view, you need to consider the reputation and reliability of the host that you choose, as well as the security features it can offer for your website. Just as you would with any other type of service provider, do your research and find the best-suited host for your needs.
Remember, you get what you pay for, so don't be afraid to spend a little extra for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are protected.
The digital age has brought about an immense number of benefits to us all, but there are just as many security risks that you need to be aware of.
If you don't want your website to fall victim to a cyber-attack, you must take the proper steps to protect your site.
A little bit of extra effort goes a long way in the website security arena - so spend a little time each week monitoring your site and making sure everything is running smoothly from a security standpoint. In the end, it could help save your business from utter ruin.