Computer screens turning to black, operations and appointments being cancelled, and criminals demanding money for employees to retrieve access to medical records; hackers can be incredibly powerful and dangerous.
So, we have put together some top tips on how to keep your website safe and secure…
All these pointers are tips to make your website developer aware of before starting on your project. It will save you a lot of stress when an attack is launched against your business.
1. Strong Password
It is important to use strong passwords. Hackers frequently utilize sophisticated software that use brute force to crack passwords.
To protect against brute force, passwords should be complex, containing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numerals, and special characters.
Your passwords should be at least 10 characters long. This password policy should be maintained throughout your organization.
2. Limited Login Attempts
If there are more than three attempts from the same IP address to login to your website, then you can restrict access for an amount of time, making them go somewhere else.
Hackers may use different IP addresses, but this limitation wastes their time, making it more difficult to break in, therefore improving your website security.
3. User Management
Take into consideration how many users you need for your website – surely, they don’t all have to be admins?
Apply different levels of access to your users to confine how many accounts would be useful to a hacker, and make sure you don’t use obvious usernames such as ‘admin’ as it isn’t exactly hard to guess!
4. Back-ups
As much as you want to avoid disasters and losing all your hard work, it can happen, so back-ups are a fail-safe way for you to restore your website after an incident.
They are a safety net, and if performed regularly and stored on a secure server, your problems can be resolved in a matter of seconds.
5. Secure servers
Even though cheap hosting seems ideal, low price servers often mean shared hosting with a million other websites so as soon as one website is hacked, it is inevitable that yours will be too.
You should choose a highly secure, up-to-spec server that is right for you and your website security, At Ducehost, this is one of our strength.
We can advise and provide protected hosting options for you here at Ducehost.
6. SSL certificates
A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypts the connection between a web server to a browser which means that it is much harder to be hacked. It is definitely worthwhile investing in a SSL
certificate because it will protect your login details and sensitive data, such as bank information, from hackers and viruses.
7. Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Currently, there are clever applications that can be installed to help protect your server and your website security.
These are called Web Application Firewalls (WAF) which oversee data transmission and analyze whether it is secure or not.
If it is dangerous traffic, the firewall can screen it and remove it so it doesn’t harm any of your work. Genius!
8. Hiring a Security Expert
Developing a relationship with a firm that provides security services can be a lifesaver when it comes to protecting your website.
While the small things can be taken care of on your own, there are many security measures that should be handled by an expert.
Companies providing security services can regularly scan your website for vulnerabilities, perform full website security audits, monitor for malicious activity, and be on hand whenever repair is needed.
You and your team must always be vigilant in protecting your website, and these practical tips represent only the most basic methods.
Never stop seeking security protections for your website. Don’t let the bad guys win.