You’ve come up with a plan, integrated SEO strategies, and generated great content for your customers to read. In addition to launching some helpful services, you’ve begun marketing efforts to a new demographic and are preparing for some website development changes. The only problem is that you’re not so confident about your website’s security. Fear not, as here are some quick tips to make sure attackers can’t hack into your website.
Why is website security so important?
Your website needs to run efficiently and smoothly so your clients can use it to their satisfaction. Quality content can boost a blog’s traffic by 2,000%. But if you’re running a business, the last thing you want is to get to the marketing stage and learn that some of your user’s financial information has been accessed thanks to a security hack. That’s why you have to remember that website security isn’t all about you. It’s about protecting the financial and personal information of users contributing to and interacting with your site. Even with an updated Terms of Conditions statement, failing to secure your website from a security breach could leave you liable for damages associated with users having their personal information now available to the public.
Tips for Protecting Your Website from Hackers
Unfortunately, hackers aren’t a rare breed and come from all over the world. A typical hacker may have a variety of programming and software skills while also being knowledgeable enough to remain anonymous. In most cases, your website is mostly at risk from easily exploited vulnerabilities and situations where you simply let your guard down. Research from the Cisco Annual Internet Report suggests 5G devices and connections will comprise over 10% of global mobile devices and connections by 2023. That means there are more possibilities than ever to fall prey to hackers. So, going forward, keep these tips in mind for protecting your website.
Don’t Let Users Upload Files
Consider avoiding letting users upload files to your site. File uploads are an important part of forums and online communities where images, large documents, and information are transferred from one user to another, or posted for download to the public. Many files can contain viruses and scripts that are then executed on your server, leaving you vulnerable to ongoing security threats. Just imagine a worst-case scenario where an attacker is able to gain access to your users’ personal information to target them for money. Ransomware occurs when a hacker takes control of a computer by encrypting files on a device and requiring payment from the user before the files are unlocked. Because ransomware claims a new victim every 10 seconds, you’ll want to avoid this risk by restricting users’ ability to upload files.
Beware the Dangers of XSS Cross-Scripting
Malicious code injected into your site can shut your business down indefinitely, crippling your marketing efforts at the worst time. The danger behind XXS Cross-Script is the malicious JavaScript that hackers embed in web pages and run in your users’ browsers. The code can change the kind of page context you would find in web applications. The worst kind of XSS Cross-Script, Stored, or Persistent XSS, can remain within affected applications, particularly if the hacker enters the malicious code in a user input field. Website security software, your hosting provider, and the strength of your internet security alone may not be sufficient.
Strengthen Your Passwords
Strong passwords rely on a variety of letters, numbers, and special characters that you can remember, but no one else can guess. Some people may not take the password generation process seriously, which, for a website owner, means vulnerabilities and hacks. Avoid easy passwords, which might contain personal information, remarkable phrases, or names of celebrities, actors, or favorite locations. Additionally, you’ll find that auto-generated password functions pose security threats if someone has physical access to your computer, or if they can hack through with brute force attacks. For better marketing, protect your website’s security by choosing different passwords for your web server login, email, and online bank login credentials.
Don’t be the website owner whose business is hurt by a security attack. There are plenty of ways hackers can get your personal and financial information, and even interfere with the lives of your users at the same time. Your website deserves a great reputation. You can take great strides forward by strengthening your passwords and watching out for malicious scripts. Your security software can do some of the work, but much of staying safe is up to you.
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