Do Not Leave The Money Out
You do not leave money out on the table, do you? So why would you leave your items that need to be secure in a location they could be hacked. What I am saying is that anything that would be useful for hackers, needs to be backed up often and if possible stored separately from your main website offline. This thought came to me when I was reading an article just now about a surveillance camera by Wyze. It seems that they had a vulnerability that hackers could access stored data. That raises another question in my mind. If people are worried about what a security camera is storing, what are they monitoring? I would never use a security camera myself in a way that the data stored there would be useful to anyone. Why would you have a security camera watching your private goings-on anyway? In many cases to prevent hackers from getting anything it just takes plain old common sense. Don’t leave the money on the table to be taken in the first place.
Practical website security needs
With over a billion websites on the Internet today, as the owner of one of these websites, you may think that there is not much of a chance that a cybercriminal might target you. Before we get into that, however, let’s step back for a moment and think about what your site means to you. You as an individual may just own a private website or even a small online business that you consider to be negligible. Everything has value, and even a small page contains some data. Perhaps the username and password are used in all online accounts? If you own a small business, your website represents your brand and reputation as well as tons of more valuable information that not only belongs to you but also to your customers.
If you’ve come across articles from Forbes, The Economist, or any number of internet security companies out there today, chances are you are familiar with the term “Data is the new Oil.” It has become one of the most valuable resources available online today (and hence we see VPNs on the rise ) and like anything, it can be stolen and replaced or replaced. Cybercriminals won’t care if your website is small, they use tools that run free testing of every website they come across by simply gathering information. If they can’t use this information, they can always sell it to someone else who can.
Since most of us do not physically own and host our websites, we will look at the non-physical aspects of website security. This concerns two main areas; 1) securing the website itself and 2) securing the data that these clients provide. Remember that anyone who visits your site can be considered a customer, not just those who shop from you.
- Keep your scripts and tools up to date
Make sure your site and all other scripts are up to date. Every piece of software known to mankind is released with bugs and possible security vulnerabilities. Even those that are updated will have these vulnerabilities. One vulnerability is enough for cybercriminals to gain access. By ensuring regular updates, you reduce the risk of a vulnerability being exploited.
This is especially true for those who use open-source online tools. By their very nature, open-source tools endanger those looking for exploits. To remedy this, there are lots of tools you can check out. I recommend JetPack for WordPress security.
- Come up with secure passwords
Choose your passwords wisely, not just to remember them. I don’t even remember how many times this problem has already appeared, but for some reason, so many users have come up with passwords that cybercriminals can even guess if they so choose. Hacking tools today are so sophisticated that 6 digital PIN passwords are now a joke. Come up with a password that combines uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers.
If you REALLY forget your passwords, try using a password manager to help you track them. Google Crome has this built-in and is very secure. However, keep in mind that these are again applications and as such can be hacked as well.
- Use HTTPS and SSL
Lots of people still don’t know about HTTP and SSL, but as a website owner, it is important.
For those who run online stores or do any kind of transaction for their online customers, SSL is NOT optional. SSL Certificates can be obtained from many sources but it is best to get one of the reputable providers such as SSL.com. There is also a group effort open source to provide SSL for free. Alternatively, many web hosting providers such as A2Hosting with GreenGeeks also act as third-party resellers and can sell them. Incidentally, even if you aren’t going to run an eCommerce site, internet businesses are looking for security as well.
For example, Google now uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. In doing so, they help ensure that people who use the search engine are directed to authentic and secure websites.
- Back up your files
No matter how we do, there is always the possibility of Murphy’s Law popping up, and while it just sucks, it helps prepare. Keeping at least two backup sets is ideal, one on-site and one off-site. It is important that the data is kept constant to ensure business continuity in the event of any attack or even file corruption. Please note that this also applies to information in the database and not just to your website files.
Again, many hosting service providers offer this service today. Some do basic backups for free, but if your company’s reputation depends on the site, it might be a good idea to consider more comprehensive plans.
- Take care of the safety of your clients
The digital century is one that is made up of great technological advances, but it means that the digitization of people is bringing more and more personal information to the web. As a company, it is your responsibility to ensure that you help them keep the information that you have shared confidential and secure. This applies not only to payment information such as credit card numbers, but also to personal information including names, ID numbers, and so on.
This is what we’ve partially covered about SSL previously. SSL, or Secure Socket Layer, is what ensures the security of your information as it is transmitted from one point to another. Unfortunately, the SSL protocol ensures transmission security. You still need to make sure it is secured when it arrives on your website! If possible, do not keep confidential data if it is not necessary.
Since it’s virtually impossible, that’s where encryption comes in. Some platforms, such as WordPress, come with password encryption for user accounts and other information. It is basic, but not perfect. If you are running your own website on your own server, there are many ways to set up encryption yourself. For those who are renting space for a hosting server, this is where you need to go back to your hosting provider.
- Secure data transmission with a VPN
While there are many options where encryption or other security occurs, there is no other option that secures your data transmission better than a VPN service. These great service providers are dedicated to ensuring that your data is routed through secure channels and highly encrypted.
With a single subscription, you can make sure that any sensitive information you send or receive, such as passwords, business emails, offers, and more, is kept safe. This is very important for website owners who are very mobile as Wi-Fi connections are so notoriously unsafe.
Conclusions
Protect your website from hackers with simple do-it-yourself solutions to dedicated network security companies, there are so many options available to website owners that, frankly, ignoring the problem is criminal negligence. The issue of high prices is also a thing of the past, and almost all businesses today should be able to afford at least some basic security solutions.
First of all, start with your web host, which is the primary platform for your website. Make sure you choose a host that is able to offer you the right tools and not just pursue the cheapest option.
Practical website security needs
With over a billion websites on the Internet today, as the owner of one of these websites, you may think that there is not much of a chance that a cybercriminal might target you. Before we get into that, however, let’s step back for a moment and think about what your site means to you. You as an individual may just own a private website or even a small online business that you consider to be negligible. Everything has value, and even a small page contains some data. Perhaps the username and password are used in all online accounts? If you own a small business, your website represents your brand and reputation as well as tons of more valuable information that not only belongs to you but also to your customers.
If you’ve come across articles from Forbes, The Economist, or any number of internet security companies out there today, chances are you are familiar with the term “Data is the new Oil.” It has become one of the most valuable resources available online today (and hence we see VPNs on the rise ) and like anything, it can be stolen and replaced or replaced. Cybercriminals won’t care if your website is small, they use tools that run free testing of every website they come across by simply gathering information. If they can’t use this information, they can always sell it to someone else who can.
Since most of us do not physically own and host our websites, we will look at the non-physical aspects of website security. This concerns two main areas; 1) securing the website itself and 2) securing the data that these clients provide. Remember that anyone who visits your site can be considered a customer, not just those who shop from you.
- Keep your scripts and tools up to date
Make sure your site and all other scripts are up to date. Every piece of software known to mankind is released with bugs and possible security vulnerabilities. Even those that are updated will have these vulnerabilities. One vulnerability is enough for cybercriminals to gain access. By ensuring regular updates, you reduce the risk of a vulnerability being exploited.
This is especially true for those who use open-source online tools. By their very nature, open-source tools endanger those looking for exploits. To remedy this, there are lots of tools you can check out. I recommend JetPack for WordPress security.
- Come up with secure passwords
Choose your passwords wisely, not just to remember them. I don’t even remember how many times this problem has already appeared, but for some reason, so many users have come up with passwords that cybercriminals can even guess if they so choose. Hacking tools today are so sophisticated that 6 digital PIN passwords are now a joke. Come up with a password that combines uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers.
If you REALLY forget your passwords, try using a password manager to help you track them. Google Crome has this built-in and is very secure. However, keep in mind that these are again applications and as such can be hacked as well.
- Use HTTPS and SSL
Lots of people still don’t know about HTTP and SSL, but as a website owner, it is important.
For those who run online stores or do any kind of transaction for their online customers, SSL is NOT optional. SSL Certificates can be obtained from many sources but it is best to get one of the reputable providers such as SSL.com. There is also a group effort open source to provide SSL for free. Alternatively, many web hosting providers such as A2Hosting with GreenGeeks also act as third-party resellers and can sell them. Incidentally, even if you aren’t going to run an eCommerce site, internet businesses are looking for security as well.
For example, Google now uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. In doing so, they help ensure that people who use the search engine are directed to authentic and secure websites.
- Back up your files
No matter how we do, there is always the possibility of Murphy’s Law popping up, and while it just sucks, it helps prepare. Keeping at least two backup sets is ideal, one on-site and one off-site. It is important that the data is kept constant to ensure business continuity in the event of any attack or even file corruption. Please note that this also applies to information in the database and not just to your website files.
Again, many hosting service providers offer this service today. Some do basic backups for free, but if your company’s reputation depends on the site, it might be a good idea to consider more comprehensive plans.
- Take care of the safety of your clients
The digital century is one that is made up of great technological advances, but it means that the digitization of people is bringing more and more personal information to the web. As a company, it is your responsibility to ensure that you help them keep the information that you have shared confidential and secure. This applies not only to payment information such as credit card numbers, but also to personal information including names, ID numbers, and so on.
This is what we’ve partially covered about SSL previously. SSL, or Secure Socket Layer, is what ensures the security of your information as it is transmitted from one point to another. Unfortunately, the SSL protocol ensures transmission security. You still need to make sure it is secured when it arrives on your website! If possible, do not keep confidential data if it is not necessary.
Since it’s virtually impossible, that’s where encryption comes in. Some platforms, such as WordPress, come with password encryption for user accounts and other information. It is basic, but not perfect. If you are running your own website on your own server, there are many ways to set up encryption yourself. For those who are renting space for a hosting server, this is where you need to go back to your hosting provider.
- Secure data transmission with a VPN
While there are many options where encryption or other security occurs, there is no other option that secures your data transmission better than a VPN service. These great service providers are dedicated to ensuring that your data is routed through secure channels and highly encrypted.
With a single subscription, you can make sure that any sensitive information you send or receive, such as passwords, business emails, offers, and more, is kept safe. This is very important for website owners who are very mobile as Wi-Fi connections are so notoriously unsafe.
Conclusions
Protect your website from hackers with simple do-it-yourself solutions to dedicated network security companies, there are so many options available to website owners that, frankly, ignoring the problem is criminal negligence. The issue of high prices is also a thing of the past, and almost all businesses today should be able to afford at least some basic security solutions.
First of all, start with your web host, which is the primary platform for your website. Make sure you choose a host that is able to offer you the right tools and not just pursue the cheapest option.