Even though you may not realize it, your business website is threatened by hackers. These hackers are everywhere, and they dont always attack a business because they know its hiding a large amount of sensitive data. Some target websites because they know the security there is weak. These hackers can get it and get out with information very easily, and even if they dont get much, they get something. Others just want to see if they can break through a websites security. They do it for the thrill and, sometimes, just to cause trouble. If you want to keep your website protected from these threats, here are ten essential security secrets you need to employ.
1. Stay updated
Hackers are always coming up with new ways to break into a businesss website and cause havoc. Generally, they abandon older methods as soon as software companies discover what theyre doing and create a patch that blocks their entry route. As soon as a patch for a security vulnerability is announced, hackers move on to something new.
However, that doesnt mean they abandon these older methods. Sometimes they use tried and trusted attack routes first just to see if theyre still open. If you havent updated programs such as your operating system, your content management system, or other software connected to your website, you may be leaving some of these security vulnerabilities open. Hackers may be able to walk right into your e-commerce site and start picking out customer credit cards without even a fight. Always keep your software updated.
2. Use Stronger Access Control
If you have multiple employees accessing your website, do you have them assigned to various roles? If not, every employee may have full access to your website, and that means any hacked account could do a huge amount of damage. By assigning roles, you can make certain that employees can only access certain parts of the system. Those assigned to create content cannot edit other parts of the website, for example, while those who are editing content cant change the site layout.
3. Tighten Network Security
In addition to making sure your employee accounts are secure, you also need to make certain your network is secure. One way of doing this is to use an intrusion prevention system. This type of system can identify and stop threats to your network as they are happening. If it detects a virus or any type of malware trying to access files or folders that should not be accessed, it will stop the programs.
This type of software can also detect and block anyone who is attacking your system. Hackers will find their access revoked if they try to get into protected files or delete certain files. Even employee accounts that continually try to access information that is restricted may be locked out. You will certainly want to install IPS software as soon as you can to keep your network secure from attacks.
4. Install a Web Application Firewall
Like firewalls for your network, a web application firewall protects a HTTP website by adding rules that protect against attacks such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting. A web application firewall may be a plugin for your server, a stand-alone application, or a filter. You can customize how this firewall protects your system by using specific rules.
5. Install Security Applications
There are a number of different security apps that you should install on your website to protect it from hackers. These apps include firewalls, updated antivirus programs, encryption programs, and more. Anything that helps protect your website should not be overlooked, even if you have several other programs already. Different security applications protect against different things, and you can never have enough of them.
6. Limit File Uploads
Hackers who are able to upload files to your website can send many different viruses, pieces of malware, and other programs directly into your online folders. From there, these programs can damage your website, make changes to it, delete information, make their way to your servers, and even end up being downloaded to the computers of people who are visiting your website. If that occurs, you may infect thousands of computers before the virus is caught. By limiting the users who have the ability to upload files to your server, youre adding a strong layer of protection against this type of attack. Anyone who has no need to be able to upload files should not be able to do so.
7. Use SSL
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer, and it is an important web protocol that encrypts the connection between your website and any computer that is transmitting information to your website. It is part of what drives HTTPS, the secured form of HTTP that is preferred for website creation. However, SSL is being replaced itself; however, despite this, it is still a strong form of encryption that can protect you and your customers data.
8. Back-up Often
It should go without saying, but you need to backup your website and any databases associated with it as often as you can. Doing so will give you a clean image of your website you can use to restore it from if hackers break into your site and vandalize it. You dont want to have to completely rebuild your website just because a hacker decided to delete all of your images and replace your content with something else.
9. Remove Form Auto-fill
The auto-fill function web browsers have can be very convenient for users, but its also convenient for hackers because that information is stored somewhere. By removing the option, you may be making the user retype their username, password, and other personal information, but youre also protecting them from potential hackers and identity theft.
10. You can’t Hide your Code
Remember that theres no way to completely hide your source code from the outside world because browsers have to be able to read it in order to display your website on someones computer. While you can do a few things to make it harder to access the code, it still has to be readable in some way. This means that hackers will be able to get to it in some way, so you want to make sure you leave nothing in the source code that will help the hackers any more than seeing the code already does.
