In today’s world, in which cyber-criminals have become increasingly savvy, website security is more important than ever. By following these six tips, you can improve the security of your website.
Why it matters
On top of the technical concerns of your business’s website being hacked, there can be a number of other serious consequences. If hackers access customer information, your business will suffer serious reputational damage. Additionally, you will be likely to lose business during your website’s downtime and will face costs for the cleanup. At its most serious, you could even face legal penalties if it is found that you have not complied with data protection regulations.
It is advisable to carry out regular website security checks to see how safe your website is. If you are unsure as to how to do this, seek advice from professionals such as //www.etempa.co.uk/website-security-checks/.
Six tips
- Use secure hosting for your website with a renowned host that includes security features such as regular malware scans, secure server infrastructure, and automated backup.
- Use a password that is complex and hard to guess to protect your website. Avoid predictable patterns and change this password regularly.
- Monitor website traffic, blocking suspicious-looking IP addresses and checking for unusual activity.
- Set a regular time to back up your website. In the event of a security breach or simple errors, this means you can minimise the website’s downtime.
- Schedule regular scans to check for vulnerabilities and malware in your system.
- Have an SSL certificate. This encryption technology safeguards information exchanged between your site and visitors.
What to expect from a secure web host
Website security starts with where the site is hosted. If customers make payments or enter personal details, your hosting service needs strict measures in place, including secure servers, SSL certificate options and support for SFTP, the secure file transfer protocol.
A good host should also scan for malware and viruses as part of the package and help you remove anything it finds. Many let you view scan reports whenever you like. Hosts that offer a content distribution network, or CDN, add protection against DDoS attacks, where a site is flooded with traffic to knock it offline, and they also speed up loading.
Check how the host backs up and restores files. Backups should be frequent and automated, and the host should be able to restore your site quickly after a technical fault or security incident, so you do not lose customers while it is down.