Website security is now a major concern for businesses as cyber threats are increasing.
Did you know that, on average, a website faces 94 attacks every day?
Security is even more important for websites that handle online transactions, like online stores.
Hackers are constantly looking for vulnerabilities to exploit and access sites without permission, stealing valuable data in the process.
To protect your website from hackers, you should have security measures in place.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to secure a website by sharing 10 expert tips.
What is Website Security?
Website security means protecting your website from harmful attacks. While the internet allows us to promote our businesses and connect with customers easily, it can also be risky.
The US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns that cyber-attacks are increasing in both frequency and severity.
With more than 2,200 cyber-attacks occurring daily, it’s important to prevent unauthorized access to your websites and safeguard sensitive information.
Here are some common website security threats,
- Denial of service (DoS)
- Stolen passwords
- Data breach
- Loss of website availability
- Cross-site scripting (XSS)
- Ransomware
- SQL and code injections
Why Should You Secure Your Website?
Having an online presence is important for your business to be seen. But it’s equally important to make sure your website is safe. This helps customers feel confident when shopping with you.
While having a website can help people learn about your brand and make it easier for them to connect with you, it’s essential to focus on security when you’re building it. If you don’t, customers might be put off from using your website.
Remember that cyber-attacks can be devastating. A single security breach has the power to completely shut down your business. For small and medium-sized businesses, the costs of cybersecurity incidents can reach millions of dollars.
When your website is hacked, the consequences extend beyond monetary losses. Your brand’s reputation and credibility suffer immensely. A compromised website can be defaced to display damaging information. It may also become a platform for conducting harmful watering hole attacks. So, it is important to learn how to secure a website.
How to Secure a Website – 10 Best Tips
If you are wondering how to make your website secure, follow these 10 practical tips.
Choose a reliable hosting provider
A trustworthy hosting provider not only keeps your website safe but also ensures fast loading times, good uptime, and easy setup. However, first-time website owners might feel overwhelmed by the many options available.
When selecting a hosting provider, consider if they offer,
- SSL certificate
- Malware scanning
- Automated backups
- Server firewalls
- Domain Privacy
It’s important to note that some website owners may think secure web hosting is expensive and meant only for high-traffic sites and large companies. However, this isn’t true because everyone needs to protect their users.
Some well-known web hosts also allow you to tailor the level of security for your site. Teaming up with a reliable hosting provider can ensure your site remains operational and secure.
You can also host your website with Hocoos. It is an AI website builder that not only helps you create fully functioning sites in minutes but also takes care of hosting. You can build any type of website with 100% security with Hocoos.
Install an SSL certificate
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) creates a secure, encrypted connection between a website’s server and the web browser of its visitors. This is important for websites, especially those with e-commerce features, as they handle sensitive payment information.
If your website deals with sensitive user or financial information, having an SSL certificate is essential. You’ll notice this as the “https://” at the beginning of most website URLs. It indicates a secure connection.
Additionally, when you hover over the lock icon in your browser’s address bar, you’ll see the message “Connection is secure.” Many users check this to determine whether a website is trustworthy. This is the minimum level of security you’d want to offer your users.
Obtaining an SSL certificate is straightforward. You can get one from,
- Hosting provider
- Domain registrar
- Certificate authority (CA)
Many hosting providers include SSL certificates in their hosting packages.
Create strong and unique passwords
If you are wondering how to secure a website for free, simply use strong passwords. One of the most common mistakes people make regarding their website security is choosing easily guessable passwords.
Avoid using easy-to-guess passwords like,
- Common words
- Number patterns
- Personal information
It will leave your website vulnerable to hackers. Opt instead for strong passwords, which typically include,
- A mix of letters and numbers
- Special symbols
- Uppercase and lowercase characters
If you struggle to generate a strong password, consider using the password suggestion feature provided by your web browser.
Continue to update your website
It’s critical to update your website frequently to maintain its security. Your website is vulnerable to viruses, cyberattacks, and other security risks due to outdated software. It’s crucial to allow auto-updates or regularly check for updates in order to reduce these risks.
Many hosting companies offer managed hosting services for WordPress users, which take care of updates automatically. WordPress also comes with built-in options for turning on auto-updates.
Common threats to WordPress websites include,
- Brute-force login attempts
- Phishing
- Database injections
- Cross-site scripting
- Hotlinking
- Denial-of-service attacks
WordPress is easy to update. You can access the updates screen on the dashboard by clicking the link in the banner of the latest version. You can then initiate the procedure by clicking the “Update Now” option.
Make use of two-factor verification (2FA)
Adding two-factor authentication (2FA) to your website gives it an additional security layer. Before being able to access their accounts, users must present two distinct forms of identification via 2FA. Examples of these include:
- Text message verification codes
- Mobile device fingerprint scanning
- Retinal or facial recognition
Double-checking your password along with an additional verification mechanism (or 2FA) improves website security considerably.
Adding 2FA to your website is a proactive way to fortify its security against unwanted access.
Make a regular backup of your website
Maintaining a regular backup of your website is essential to guard against hardware malfunctions and hacker attempts. It’s simple to restore your website from a backup. It’s crucial to back up not just the essential files on your website but also any media and non-media material, databases, and other content.
Online tools or manual creation are two ways to build backups. You can schedule and automate backups with the backup services that hosting providers frequently offer.
It’s wise to get cloud storage for larger websites that require a lot of data storage. This guarantees the safe storage and easy accessibility of your backup data when you need it.
Establish different access levels
Individuals within your company might offer their expertise to your website, but you can monitor their activities and safeguard it by granting varying degrees of access. You can avoid mistakes and possible crashes by restricting permissions to particular places or operations.
Employees can publish information and make changes with controlled access when they have different logins, which lowers the possibility of errors. Owners of businesses and senior employees can keep all privileges, guaranteeing they are in charge of website updates.
This tactic lessens the possibility of serious setbacks and aids in maintaining your company’s internet presence.
Set aside time for assessments
It’s crucial to periodically scan and verify your website because sometimes possible vulnerabilities could go undetected. You can find sections on your website that need improvement by methodically testing each part.
You can find issues like unexpected error messages by traveling through the pages and procedures that users come across. Then, you can quickly fix everything, including unsafe HTTP redirection.
By establishing a regular testing schedule, you can find and fix problems early on and make sure your website is safe to use. It could be tempting to hasten the launch, but in the last phases, security must come first. This guarantees your visitors a dependable and stable platform.
Apply a firewall to web applications
Securing your web application with a web application firewall serves as a filter to stop malicious HTTP traffic. Implementing security policies and evaluating the safety of incoming communication prevents unauthorized data from entering or exiting the app. As a result, it’s critical to select a firewall and plugin that best meets your unique needs.
Upgrade your memberships for security
Renewals for security software offered by your host or CMS are frequently necessary. In order to keep your protection active, you must promptly renew paid subscriptions. Should these subscriptions expire, malware assaults could potentially target your platform.
You can keep track of your subscriptions and their relevance to your website by tracking them. Enabling auto-renewal for certain services or setting up notifications contributes to ongoing protection.
Conclusion
It is imperative that you secure your business website. This will increase the credibility of your website and assist you in preventing security breaches.
Therefore, to avoid any security difficulties, make sure you adhere to the ten suggestions we have highlighted in this blog, regardless of the type of website you have.
Select a trustworthy hosting company if you don’t know how to make a website secure. In addition to numerous additional security features, they provide integrated or built-in plugins for automated backups and website security management.
