You are on the web, and you know how insecure it can be.
Just like you are concerned about yourself, you should also be concerned about your website too.
Many owners take it lightly and then find themselves stuck in fixing the mess.
Don’t be that business owner.
Protect your website like you protect your identity online.
That’s why we are here to discuss the 10+ tips to secure your site. These tips will help you stay at the top of the changing world, and ensure that you can sleep at night with peace of mind.
So, without any delay, let’s get started.
10+ Tips To Secure Your Site
1. Keeping your software up-to-date
The software is a pretty mess!
Yes, you read it right. It is perfect in doing what it does, but it is never 100% secure.
That’s why you will see regular software updates that fix the loopholes and also introduces new features. That’s why you should always keep your website and software up-to-date.
If you are using popular CMS such as WordPress, you will find it easy to update as it is user-friendly. Other CMS and software are also updatable depending on what CMS you are using.
2. Powerful Passwords
123456!
Sounds familiar? If it does, it is high time to change your password.
It is common for hackers to try automated tools to guess your website password. This common or weak password means that you are not protected against these tools. The type of attack employed by hackers is known as a dictionary attack that tries every possible combination.
A strong password will have the following attributes.
- At least 12 characters long
- Uses small and capital letters
- Use numbers. — Have an alphanumeric password
If you are not sure what a strong password should be, you can use any of the available random password generators.
3. Proper site accessibility
As a site admin, you should know who has access to what.
Giving everyone unnecessary permissions can mean a compromised website which in turn can lead to leaks or even hacks.
Many a time, a normal user can lead to a hacked website. For example, there are hacks which can be activated by through media library. To ensure that it doesn’t happen to you, only give access to those whom you trust.
Also, monitor the site user’s activity and quickly block access to anyone who shows susceptible activity.
4. Use SSL certificate
SSL certificate can help you further secure your website. It is common for hackers to sniff data during transmission.
SSL certificate will not only protect your site’s user data but also ensure that the login pages data is not sniffed including credit card numbers, login credentials, social security numbers and so on.
5. Secure host
A secure host can go a long way. There is always a chance to get your site infected or hacked through a bad host.
If you choose a good and secure host, you will have peace of mind as the host will surely take proper backups. In the case of a hack, the most recent healthy backup will be used to restore the website.
6. Keep website clean
You need to ensure that every aspect of your site is clean. It includes application, plugin, theme, database and so on.
This means getting rid of plugins, themes, and applications that you no longer need. Also, do not forget to clean your website once in a while to improve its performance.
For example, you can do database cleaning and ensure that the database can work with optimal performance.
7. Data backup
A good hosting does provide regular backup, but as a business owner, you should not rely on them for backing up your website.
As an owner, you need to have your own backups that will help you keep your site safe at any cost. For that, you can use both free and paid backup solution depending on your budget.
8. Scan regularly
Even though you have taken all the precaution, you should regularly scan your website for vulnerabilities and infections.
There are plenty of free website and server vulnerabilities checker that you can use.
These tools will help you get the best results. However, if you are not sure if your website is infected or not, it is advised that take help of professional security professional.
9. Get help from the security expert
Website hacking is a serious business. If you are website is hacked, do not forget to take help from a security expert.
They can help you get your website clean and also help you create a security plan and audit. If you do it right, you will have the best security possible.
10. Check our error messages
Error messages that are thrown out on your website are for your help. However, if they are made public, hackers can take advantage of it and use it to hack your website.
The key here is to make error message private and also truncate the error messages whenever possible. Never show detailed error logs or server logs. If you do, hackers can use the information to hack your website.
11. Changing login page URL
It doesn’t matter what CMS or platform you are using, you can always change your login page URL. Login page URL can help you protect against bots and third-party malicious login attempts. It will also secure your login info as well.
12. Polish server configuration files
As a business owner, you must polish your server configuration file such as .htaccess, nginx.confg, and web.config. All these can be used against you if you do not configure it correctly. For example, you might want to turn off directory browsing, image hotlinking and also protect sensitive files using config files.
13. Install a web application firewall
Another way to protect your website is to install a web application firewall(WAF). It can be both hardware or software based. It helps you to protect your website as it checks every bit of data that is passed through it.
Conclusion
This leads to the end of our 10+ tips on how to secure your site. If you have anything else to add, do not forget to comment below and let us know.
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