In today's world, it could be said that if you are not on the Internet, you don't exist. Every business, no matter how small, has a website.
Many web pages can contain valuable and sensitive information about the business and its customers or users.
Cyber threats have become more sophisticated, and hackers are always looking for vulnerabilities in websites to exploit them.
It is the responsibility of website owners and administrators to provide a safe and secure space for everyone who interacts with the website.
It is also important to decrease the vulnerabilities to protect webpages and applications against malicious persons.
In addition, a secure and reliable website will be visited more easily by customers or users, who, feeling comfortable, will proceed to create accounts, make purchases or interact in different ways with the website and its creators.
In this blog post, we'll discuss some of the critical security checks that every website owner should perform.
1. Keep software up-to-date.
The first step for the security check for the website is keeping the software up-to-date.
This includes your content management system (CMS), plugins, dependencies, and any other software used on your site.
Regular updates contain bug fixes, security patches, and new features, which can help keep your site secure.
Failure to keep your software updated can leave your site vulnerable to attacks.
2. Enforce the use of strong passwords.
Using strong passwords is a critical aspect for securing user and administrator accounts.
When you have weak passwords that can be easily guessed or cracked, you are allowing hackers to gain access to your site.
It's recommended that you use a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters in your passwords. Additionally, you should avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
3. Turn on the Multi-Factor authentication
Implement multi-factor authentication on your accounts and make it significantly less likely you’ll get hacked.
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource such as an application, online account, or a VPN.
MFA is a core component of a strong identity and access management (IAM) policy.
Rather than just asking for a username and password, MFA requires one or more additional verification factors, which decreases the likelihood of a successful cyber attack.
Things you know
Such as a password, PIN, and answers to personal security questions.
Things you have
Such as a badge or smartphone, OTPs generated by smartphone apps, OTPs sent via text or email, access badges, USB devices, Smart Cards or fobs or security keys, Software tokens, and certificates.
OTP: One-time password (OTP) systems provide a mechanism for logging on to a network or service using a unique password that can only be used once, as the name suggests.
Things you are
Such as a biometrics like fingerprints or voice recognition, facial recognition, retina or iris scanning, and Behavioral analysis, among others.
4. Use HTTPS
HTTPS stands for “hypertext transfer protocol secure.” Essentially, it’s a set of rules that enable two entities (e.g., users and websites.) to exchange sensitive data online securely.
This protocol enables your client (i.e., your browser) and the server it’s connecting to, to forge a secure, encrypted connection using the secure transport layer security (TLS) protocol.
This is why it’s also sometimes called HTTP over TLS or HTTPS secure.
HTTPS is the secure version of the traditional HTTP protocol.
Without it, information would transmit in plaintext format, enabling cybercriminals to read, steal, and alter the data in transit.
It’s all about using authenticated digital identity and encryption to establish secure connections.
HTTPS also helps to boost your website's ranking in search engines, which can lead to increased traffic and sales.
5. Regular backups
A crucial component of security check for a website is regularly creating backups of your website.
In the event that your website is hacked or you unintentionally destroy critical files, backups enable you to restore it.
It's advised that you make a backup of your website at least once per week and preserve it safely. But stronger measurements are advised depending on the longevity of your data.
6. Install security plugins
A software component that is installed to a web browser or other software applications to increase security is referred to as a security plugin or security extension.
Security plugins for web browsers often provide defense against a variety of online threats, including malware, phishing attacks, and hacking attempts.
To protect user privacy and stop unlawful data collecting, they can also include features like ad-blocking, content filtering, and anti-tracking protection.
Popular security plugins include HTTPS Everywhere, Ghostery, NoScript, and Adblock Plus.
These plugins may be set up on most current web browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, and they can be tailored to meet specific tastes and security requirements.
7. Regular vulnerability scans
According to eSecurity Planet, Vulnerability scanning is the process of scanning IT networks and systems to identify security vulnerabilities in hardware and software.
Regular vulnerability scans are critical to identifying and fixing any security issues on your website.
Vulnerability scanners can identify weaknesses in your site's security, such as outdated software, weak passwords, and unsecured data.
Once identified, you can take appropriate measures to fix these issues and make your site more secure.
7. Hire a Security Hacking Team.
It is an excellent choice to hire a company that provides you with a Security hacking team, like CodeBranch.
They can provide you with a process to implement security development best practices and in-house security assessments that collaborate with your development team to lower risks and vulnerabilities so you can fight the most common threats.
Security teams will help you to:
1. Write better and safer code from the beginning by doing early risk mitigation since the product design phase.
2. Enforce security coding practices with Secure Code Review.
3. Apply Dynamic Security Testing to production and testing environments.
4. The team will ensure that the software components used are free from vulnerabilities, licensing issues, or other potential risks by making Software Composition Analysis (SCA) and Selection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintaining a website secure requires careful consideration of its components, the way it is designed, developed and deployed.
The above-mentioned procedures can help you ensure your website is safe from online dangers and malicious people.
Every website owner should take crucial measures to keep their site secure, this include the steps mentioned or hiring a company to take care of security.