After developing an appealing and mobile-responsive website successfully for your business, you may not think there is something worth being hacked on your site. But in this digital world full of cybersecurity concerns, websites are compromised all the time. Most of the websites are not hacked to steal customer data or to harm the online presence of an organization but compromised to use the server to host files of an illegal nature or for spamming.
That’s why you shouldn’t leave your website’s front door open and easily accessible to hackers. Website security should be one of your major concerns, whether you are using it for business or personal purposes.
Website Security Tips
Below are some of the best website security tips you can consider to protect your website from hackers, bugs, and many other cybersecurity threats.
1- Be Sure to Install Software Updates
Keeping all your software up to date is one of the vital elements for utmost website security. It is important to install the latest updates for both the server operating system and software or app you may be running on your websites like a content management system (e.g. WordPress) or forum. Outdated software and operating system are open wholes for hackers that they can use to abuse for malicious purposes. If your website uses a managed hosting solution, then there is no need to worry about things, as the hosting provider is responsible for taking care of this. If you are using third-party software or systems for your website, such as WordPress, be sure to check and install the latest security patches to prevent website security issues.
2- Use HTTPS (SSL certification installation)
You may already be aware of looking for HTTPS and a green lock image in the URL bar of your browser when it comes to submitting sensitive information to a website. These 5 letters HTTPS are also important to strengthen website security when you are running your own website. SSL certificate installation on your site shows that it is safe to transfer and submit information like credit cards and other sensitive information to the particular web page. It discourages hackers and cybercriminals to take your site as their next target. Moreover, SSL certificate is also important for websites as Google will never rank a website in SERPs if there is no HTTPS in the URL as they want to provide their users with a safe and secure browsing experience.
3- Choose Strong and Hard to Guess Passwords
This website security tip seems simple, but it is important. Most of us usually choose passwords that are easy to remember; even the majority of people use default passwords for easy access to their accounts and log-ins. You should always choose strong passwords for your website to prevent login attempts from hackers and other malicious persons. Make a password long and a mix of numbers, special characters, and symbols. If you often forget passwords, you should use a reliable digital password log to keep passwords secure and protected from unauthorized individuals. You should also read our article What is a Credential Stuffing Attack? to learn more about website security concerns.
4- Check for SQL Injection
SQL injection is one of the common tricks used by hackers to gain access to your website. They use a web form field or URL parameter in order to gain access or to use your database for malicious purposes. It is easier for hackers to insert rough codes into your queries when you are using a standard Transact SQL. In this way, they can change your website layout/structure, obtain information, or delete important website files or data. You can avoid it by using parameterized queries. You can also use a web language that offers parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection from outsiders.
5- Invest in Automatic Backups
If you forget to back your website data up, losing everything could be the worst-case scenario if your website is hacked. Regular backups are the best way to protect your website data and for a quick come-back after an unexpected incident. Recovering process is much easier and more effective when you have a current data backup. It allows you to get your website live back with everything more easily. Investing in an automatic backup solution is a superb idea to back up your website data and files without forgetting a single time after updating your site.
6- Use Web Security Tools and Apps
After putting all the basic website security measures in place, you should test it for security and use web security tools or apps to add an extra security layer to keep hackers away. There are a lot of security plugins and add-ons that are free to use and can boost the security of your website to protect it from hackers. If your website is built on WordPress, you can use WordFence Security plugin to stay safe from malicious activities and malware on your website.
7- Educate Your Team
Website security is a team effort. Educate your employees and website administrators about cybersecurity best practices, including password policy and phishing scams. Building a culture of security awareness in your company is essential for comprehensive website protection. You can also set access limitations to prevent unnecessary access to website dashboard or administration panel to stay safe.
Final Words
Remember, website security is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. By implementing these website security tips, you can create a strong shield for your website and protect your valuable data, reputation, and visitors. You should also stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats so you can create a solid security plan accordingly to stay safe.
