You may not feel like your business is at risk for cyber-attacks, but you should still be diligent about cybersecurity. A recent study found that hacker attacks on computers with internet access happen on average once every 39 seconds and affect one in three Americans each year. You may feel that your business may not be at risk for a cyber-attack, but the truth of the matter is that a whopping 64% of companies have experienced attacks as such and 95% of breaches are due to human error.
Cyber-attacks are on the rise, and it's no secret that the most common way for hackers to get into a computer is through an internet connection. That means that if you don't take steps now to secure your website and protect your employees' digital assets, you could be putting your business at risk. But there are things you can do right now that can help protect your site from cyber threats and keep your employees safe.
Here at Allendevaux, we offer website security with all of our professional security, privacy and compliance services to help provide you with peace of mind that your company, its clients and website are secure. However, it's still important to remain diligent when it comes to protecting yourself against threats.
Ways to secure your website
Updated plugin and software
Software vendors regularly re-guard their software with patches. The patches are quick fixes for potential malware. When a new type of malware emerges, software vendors release new patches. It is the responsibility of the laptop, PDA or desktop user to update these security patches. If not updated, then outdated software poses risks. Malware can gain entry through the loopholes in the software which can leave you vulnerable to attack from hackers who wish to steal data or even cause
Customize your admin path
According to recent data from IBM, the average cost of a data breach is a whopping $3.9 million. No company can afford this level of distress to their finances or corporate reputation. Fortunately, something as simple as customizing your admin path can help provide you with an added barrier of protection against harmful attacks. This is because many attacks are implemented using automated techniques which look for standard configurations on sites. Brute force attacks are often implemented on username and password combinations and something as simple as changing your path from “website.com/admin” to “website.com/abcde” (something randomized) can make it a lot more difficult for these individuals to find your admin page and initiate an attack.
Use strong passwords and update them routinely
You’ve heard it repeatedly. How often do you update your passwords? According to TechRepublic, 93% of companies do in fact have password rules, but less than 25% of these companies require something as simple and effective as mandatory password changes. Hackers use highly sophisticated software which uses brute force to crack through passwords. In order to protect against attacks such as, passwords
SSL encryption
When it comes to website security, you want to make sure that any sensitive information you share with your visitors stays safe. That's where SSL comes in.
SSL stands for “secure sockets layer”. You have noticed that some sites start with "http" and others start with "https". The "s" is an indicator that the site you are visiting uses SSL encryption. Whenever you visit a site and fill out a form, click "submit", the information you enter is subject to being intercepted by an attacker—but with SSL encryption, your information is rendered useless to any person who might be attempting to intercept it. By using SSL encryption, we can ensure that there is an encrypted link between your server and the web browser of each person visiting your site—thus providing valuable protection for critical information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Even though cheap hosting seems ideal at first glance, low-priced servers often mean shared hosting with a million other websites so as soon as one website gets hacked, so does yours! You should choose a highly secure server that's right for your needs and your website security needs.
Want to protect your website and company beyond these ways? We are here to help you.
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