How to Secure Your Company Website

Website security cannot be ignored—whether by individuals or companies. People often don’t realize that their websites can become targets for hackers, but it can happen at any time.

A report stated that there is an attack on average every 39 seconds on the web, and around 30,000 new websites are hacked every day. Statistically, small business websites are attacked around 50 times a day. That’s quite a lot, which is why you need to invest your time in ensuring your company’s website is protected.

This doesn’t only apply to small (personal) websites, but also to large (corporate) company websites. One example is a case in 2012, where a popular domain and hosting provider in the U.S., GoDaddy, was successfully hacked and damaged. And there are still many other cases that cannot be mentioned one by one.

These website security tips can make a big difference if you take just one day to work on them. Here are some ways to secure your company website:

Password Management Tools

Make sure you use different passwords for every account, so that if one is compromised, a malicious attacker can’t access everything. Let your password manager generate strong passwords for you so they’re very hard to crack. One more thing—use two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Choose a Good Hosting Server

Sometimes your website might be secure, but if your host is the target and has weak security, your website can still be compromised. Try using a managed hosting provider if you don’t feel confident building a technically sound environment for your site.

Avoid Running Multiple Sites on One Server

This is also a key tip to protect yourself from hackers. Also, create separate databases for each site instead of using different prefixes. This helps keep sites isolated and could save you a lot of money if one of them gets hacked.

Always Back Up Your Data and Files

Back up your website’s data and files regularly. Keeping an offsite backup is perhaps the best antidote no matter what happens.

Use Strong Passwords

Some of us might think that strong passwords are defined by certain characters, rather than how long the password is. In fact, the longer the password, the stronger it is. A password with 8 characters is better than one with 6.

Separate Your Database from the Server

Experts recommend maintaining separate servers for your web server and your database server for better website security.

Always Use a Secure Network Connection

Avoid connecting to the internet on unsecured or poorly configured networks—like in public places/cafes/restaurants, etc.

Disable Features You’re Not Using

For example, turn off registrations and comments on your website if you’re not benefiting from them.

Make Sure You Know What’s Happening on Your Website

Maybe you don’t visit your own site every day. However, use uptime monitoring and set up alerts when there are unexpected content changes on your site.

Build Layers of Protection Around Your Site

Just like you lock the door before leaving the house, website security can also be implemented by installing antivirus software on your computer before browsing the web. This acts as the first line of defense against hacking attacks.

Limit the Distribution of Sensitive Information

Sometimes we can’t avoid sharing sensitive information, like usernames and passwords for logging into cPanel, etc. When it comes to your company’s website, make sure each staff member has their own username and password (avoid sharing a single login).

If a staff member no longer works at your company, immediately change their password or deactivate their account so you can still ensure the security of your company website.

Always Stay Up to Date

Software/website developers may not always be aware of every security hole in the software they develop. That’s why, from time to time, they release patches for any vulnerabilities they discover through updates. If you receive a notification about this, update your software/website immediately.

The internet may be full of potential dangers, but your website doesn’t have to be one of the victims of digital crimes that are always lurking. Although website security might seem like a serious and technical topic, the real barrier isn’t how complex it is—it’s how serious we are in educating ourselves.

Just by implementing a few of the tips shared in this article, you’ll already be miles ahead in terms of website safety compared to many others out there. Prevention is always better than a cure.

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