Security is something that every person and company should place as a priority. Many hackers target websites intending to spam them with unnecessary links or even make people pay a ransom. According to research done in 2019, over 150,000 websites for small businesses in the US may be infected with malware. Such malware can devastate your brand, so below are some of the ways that you can secure your website.
Content List
Do not run multiple sites on a single server.
Running multiple sites on a single server can open up your website to hackers. Every database should have a separate sheet rather than using prefixes. This will isolate the sites and save you some cash in case one got hacked.
Update your software and website platform frequently.
If your content management system’s extensible tools are vulnerable, your website will get infected. Most hackers can access the code for these components because they are created as open-source software programs. A hacker will do anything to find a security vulnerability in your site so that they can gain control of your website and exploit it.
To secure your website from such vulnerabilities, always ensure that you have updated your software and website platform. You can also consult https://qawerk.com/, who are experts and will help you with protecting your website.
Always back up your data.
Your data is essential, and hackers can use it to manipulate you. Most hosting providers help their clients back up data, but you can always do more to ensure security.
To back up your data, get an off-site backup where you can always back up your website at all times, and in case hackers manage to hack your website, you will still have your data with you in the off-site backup system.
Disable the dormant features.
If you are not using a feature, you should disable it as it will increase the chances of hackers getting access to your website.
Every plugin and theme that is not important for the functionality of the website should not be enabled.
Double-check your passwords
Passwords must always be complex to make it hard for hackers to access your site. The website users should also be encouraged to use strong passwords also to protect their accounts. Strong passwords, for instance, those with an upper case, lower case, and a number play a significant role in protecting website information in the long run. Also, ensure that you store the password as an encrypted value so that you can authenticate users by only comparing the encrypted values.
When a hacker steals your password, if you use hashed passwords, it could help keep your account secure as they won’t decrypt them. The only thing that the hacker will do is guess all the combinations to get a match. If your passwords are salted, the hacker will also spend a lot of time cracking your passwords. The process is also expensive because the hacker has to hash each guess separately for each salt and password.
Do not allow users to upload files.
If users upload files to your website, they may put it at risk. Sometimes the uploaded files may contain scripts that will open up your website once they get to your server. You need to be very careful with files, including images, as they may be faked and may contain a PHP code that your servers will execute, making your website vulnerable.
To ensure that any file uploaded will not put your website at risk, rename it to ensure that the file has the correct extension. You can also change its permissions to prevent a double extension attack. Although these methods will help keep your website secure, the best way is to prevent users from directly uploading files.
Secure your website in layers.
Your website needs layers around it for security. It is vital to have a security system for the website to act as its first defense line against hackers. Plugins create very many vulnerabilities to websites; therefore, a security system will help solve this. You can stay safe from plugin threats using a web application firewall to allow automatic updates if there are any plugin vulnerabilities.
If you need ,help to keep your website safe, you must invest in security. These seven tips will help you to stay ahead of hackers. Now that you have the tips to protect your website, what would you do if the hackers still manage to access your website?