The days of using simple security measures to keep your website safe are long behind us. Cybercriminals are continuously evolving their hacking methods, yet still relying on older methods that still work. No website owner can sit back and say it won’t happen to them. The truth is, cyberthreats are a daily issue for all types and sizes of websites. It’s not only the large corporate websites that are suffering breaches. Small business and personal sites are also being hit. This is why it’s necessary to do everything you can to keep your website safe.
The Most Common Security Threats
Some of the most common security threats are the old standbys, which have been used for years. However, cybercrooks still use these methods because they’re effective. Plus, some of these methods are also easy to update.
Spam: you may be thinking of email spam. Yes, that’s still a problem. But when it comes to websites, there’s another type of spam issue that’s a huge problem. That is when bots send try to use the comments section on your website to create backlinks to other sites. Not only do these links harm your search engine ranking, but they can also contain phishing links that install malware when clicked.
Viruses & malware: these threats come in many forms—too many to list here. Viruses and malware can be used to gain access to servers, data, and more. Hackers may use these methods to gain access to your ads or even place affiliate links on your site.
DDoS attacks: keep users from accessing a specific website. Hackers use fake IP addresses to overload the servers with fake traffic, which takes the website down.
Search engine blacklists: websites that are attacked may be blacklisted by search engines such as Google. This has a dramatic affect on search engine rankings, which means lower traffic.
These threats are only a few of the methods cybercriminals try to attack websites. And you can see what can happen if your site is attacked. Search engines like Google may notice and lower your site’s ranking. This is because the site is not seen as “trusted.” Your business can suffer from lower traffic and conversions, which is very bad for business.
How to Keep Your Website Safe
Improving the security of your website doesn’t have to be difficult or even expensive. Here are some ways you can update your site’s security.
Use HTTPS
Many savvy website users have been taught to look for the green lock in their browser bar. This is HTTPS, which lets everyone know that the site is safe and secure. Site users are able to safely provide financial details on that webpage.
The green lock signifies the site has an SSL certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. SSL works to encrypt data on the site, such as login credentials, payment details, and more. This form of protection has been used by ecommerce sites for a few years; however, all websites are now urged to use SSL. In fact, search engines may rank your site lower if it doesn’t have SSL protection.
Keep Your Site Updated
Did you know that websites that aren’t regularly updated face a higher probability of being hacked? It’s true. It’s very similar to keeping your computer software updated. Updates keep your device running well and also improve its security. The same applies to website software updates.
No matter what software you use (WordPress or others) make sure to keep it updated on a regular basis. You can check to make sure the latest version is installed, as well as ensuring plugins and everything are also updated.
Change Your Password Regularly
Passwords are still a huge vulnerability for websites and more. Most people use the same password for all of their logins. And the password may be several years old, or more. This is a huge problem.
If hackers learn your password, then it’s quite easy for them to use this data on everything. This means they may be able to access your bank accounts, social media accounts, your website, and more. Using the same password on everything gives hackers access the key to your digital data.
Another issue with passwords is that many people use a password that’s too easy. If the password is too short, uses words, and more, hackers can easily figure out what the password is.
Experts recommend that your password be changed on a regular basis, with many saying that every 6 months is best. What’s more, they also recommend using a unique password for each account you have. And each password needs to be very strong and long. For this reason, it’s very helpful to use a password manager, such as LastPass.
A password manager not only stores all your passwords securely, but it can also generate unique, strong passwords very quickly. In addition, some password managers will even remind you when it’s time to change a password. Adding a password manager to your arsenal of digital security can be very beneficial for all your accounts, including your website login.
Manually Approve On-site Comments
Another way to keep your website more secure is to approve all comments manually. Yes, we understand that this may take more time. However, what’s worse? Having your website hacked or keeping it safe with manual approval of comments?
Remember that bots and hackers can place fake comments on your site that may include malware and links to nasty places on the web. Not only is this dangerous for you, but it’s also very dangerous for site visitors. The links may look attractive, which leads some users to click on them. When this happens, they could be faced with malware installation on their device or worse.
Keep your site and your site visitors safe by taking the time to manually approve all comments. You and your site visitors will be more secure for it.
These are only a few of the methods you can use to protect your website from hackers. Learn more about how to keep your site secure and safe. And don’t put off taking steps to increase your site’s security. Hackers don’t take a rest, and neither should you when it comes to keeping your website secure.
