How to increase your website security
Large corporations and small websites alike have been attacked and sometimes seriously damaged by professional hackers, and anyone who owns a website cannot help but be concerned about the security of their own website when they hear about such incidents. According to the Google #NoHacks campaign, the number of hacked sites grew by 32% in 2016 compared to 2015.
Small businesses often think that professional hackers would not be interested in attacking their websites, but the truth is that attacking small businesses is frequently the way such hackers are able get to the bigger targets in the first place. All a hacker has to do is to upload a code to a website that is frequently used by one of your company’s employees, and tremendous damage can ensue. Happily there are ways to increase your website security, and make sure you are protected from such attacks.
Regularly update your software
To keep your website secure it is crucial to ensure your software is regularly updated. Hackers scan endless websites looking for methods of entry, so updates should never be delayed; new vulnerabilities are regularly uncovered, and software needs to be patched to make certain it remains secure. This is of particular importance to those who make use of third party software, given that there are regular releases of new updates that you need to keep track of. Plug-ins that are no longer used or updated should be discarded, as they provide easy access for hackers.
Have a policy of strong passwords
The necessity of a strong password in order to defend your website against hacker attacks should go without saying, and in order to optimise security that password should also be changed on a regular basis. Strong passwords are crucial not just for emails and financial transactions but also for your database and website server.
Passwords should be a combination of symbols and alphanumeric characters. In addition, they should be a minimum of twelve characters in length and should use a mixture of lower and upper case characters. Such preventative measures not only provide protection from dictionary and brute force attacks but also from almost all other kinds of attacks.
Make use of SSL Certificate
Additional security for websites can also be provided by SSL. This is a protocol that is used in order to safeguard any information passing between your server or database and the website. SSL is able to keep any personal information passing between them safe, and hackers have no chance of gaining access to login information or personal data.
