Website
security is crucial for every business or organisation. The risk of
cyber-attack isn’t limited to ecommerce sites or big corporate
websites. Even a small business website can fall victim to malware or
hackers and lose its good reputation anytime in the running phase.
In
2017, a total
of 516,380 small businesses faced cyber-attacks. For mid-size
companies, the average
cost
of recovering from a security breach was $1.9 million. These numbers
are only going to increase in the upcoming years if businesses don’t
take serious measures to enhance their website security.
Cybersecurity
involves a whole lot of complex technical concepts. Still, there are
some simple best practices which should be taken and should be enough
to protect your website in most cases.
Website
security best practices
1.
Use strong passwords
Strong
passwords are the first line of defence against hackers or security
breaches. Every password connected to your website must have the
following properties –
-
A password must be at least 10 characters in length
-
It shouldn’t contain any complete words or names of any person, place, thing
-
Your password should have a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols
-
It must be different from the other passwords you are already using
You
may consider using a password manager to create and store your
business passwords. Hackers usually use brute force techniques to
generate billions of passwords per second. So, the more complex
password you use it will be better.
Enable
two-factor authentication for all your accounts, if it is possible.
Two-Factor authentication means there will be two checks before you
can log in. For example, after you enter the password, a pin will be
sent to your mobile phone. You need to enter the pin or code next in
order to log in.
2.
Update your software regularly
You
must regularly keep all your software up to date. Software updates
are not just about adding new features, the updates patch security
vulnerabilities. If you don’t update your software regularly or use
unsupported versions, you’ll be an easy target for hackers.
Check
that you’re using the latest versions of your plugins. Don’t use
old or obscure plugins, even if you find them useful.
3.
Regularly back up your data
No
matter how secure your website is, there will always be some
possibility of losing important data or site access. Because of this,
you should always maintain a backup copy of your website’s data.
Most
of the hosting service providers automatically backup sites on remote
servers. Still, the best practice is to keep an additional local
backup. There are tools and plugins to create a backup of your site
content and database and, if you seriously need any help
regarding site backup, you should contact www.75way.com.
4.
Implement SSL
When
your website has an SSL certificate, all the information that a user
enters in your website directly goes to the server through a secured
channel. This means that an intruder or hacker can’t get in the
middle and intercept the information. In other words, SSL protects
your website by the users against ‘man in the middle’ attacks.
SSL
has truly become standard for all types of website. Even if you are
not selling something online, or you don’t have any log in option
on your website, you should seriously consider installing SSL to make
your website more trustworthy for users.
But
you need a bit of technical know-how to do so. It’s also worth
noting that the free SSL certificates have some limitations.
5.
Choose a secure host
Choosing
a reputable hosting company for your website is very important. Your
host must be aware of cyber threats and be dedicated in protecting
your website from their side.
In
the case of a website security breach, it becomes really essential to
communicate with the host to quickly restore your website and resolve
all technical issues. Before picking your host for your website, make
sure they’ll provide you with ongoing support. They must have
excellent customer service and quick response time over any issues.
How
to respond to a website security incident
If
your website security is compromised, you have two responsibilities
over your website;
1.
Minimising your financial loss and protecting your business’
reputation
2.
Making sure your customer’s information is safe
(A)
Preparation
Develop
a website security policy that all your employees must follow.
Identify the sensitive information that your business uses or stores.
Then, set roles and responsibilities regarding what to do if an
incident occurs.
(B)
Detection
Here
are some of the common signs which indicate a security incident;
1.
You can’t access your website anyhow
2.
Passwords related to your website don’t work and are not letting
you log in
3.
Critical data is missing from the site or is altered in the database
4.
Your computer keeps crashing while working and runs out of memory
5.
Spam emails are being sent from your account
(C)
Assessment
This
is where you should find the cause of the incident and investigate or
at least determine how it has affected your website, data and
business.
(D)
Response
You
should now isolate the affected systems. Disconnect the affected part
from your network if possible. Repair and restore your website’s
data or seek the help of professional security experts if necessary.
(E)
Review
Evaluate
what the reason for the security issue was that was it a targeted
attack or a general incident? Identify the parts of your system or
process that needs to be improved or changed to prevent similar
events in the future.
Remember
that it’s always better to prevent a security breach than to have
to respond to one. A clear website security policy will help your
business prevent and respond effectively to cyber threats.
Creating
a website security policy
A
website security policy should cover the following;
(A)
Password requirements
Specify
the minimum length of passwords a pattern to be used in your
business-related accounts. Set a particular timeframe after which any
password must be updated.
(B)
Email policy
State
always under which cases your employees can share their work email.
Set criteria for spam and scam emails. Make it mandatory to scan
attachments before opening.
(C)
Removable device policy
Define
in which all cases one can connect to a removable device to an office
computer and copy files in or out. Make it mandatory to scan a
removable device before attaching it to a computer, especially if it
has access to your website’s backend.
(D)
Handling sensitive data
Determine
which specific people will have access to your website’s backend
and database. You should also be careful with any customer data that
you store and who can access it.
(E)
Handling devices
Specify
how to report a lost device. Set up a daily routine which will be
followed to update devices.
Conclusion
Sadly,
despite following security best practices, your website may fall
victim to cyber-attacks at any point of time if you do not take care
of it. Hackers and malware creators aggressively target security
flaws in existing web platforms and applications to find new ways of
attacking sites and computers. It’s almost impossible to prevent
all the types of cyber threats with 100% success.
No comments:
Post a Comment