Terri Ramsey Beavers The Small Business Administration estimates that only 72% of small businesses have a website in America have a website. If you have a business website, you will undoubtedly be concerned about web-friendliness, navigation, content, and other elements at the expense of security. After all, there is no need to lose sleep over website security if you haven’t experienced any issues. However, it is always ideal to be proactive with website security since you never know when your site will face threats. Here are some top tips to secure your company’s website this year.
1. Backup your site
It would be a true shame to wake up one day to missing website content, files, media, and databases due to a successful hack. As such, backing up your website is one of the non-negotiable things to do for optimum security. Site backups ensure that you can recover all your content and data after a major security incident. You can invest in a quality backup service to automatically do this work for you for a fee. Also, consider backing up your site in the cloud to enjoy the additional benefits of easier data storage and information access.
2. Select a good web host
Your website’s domain name is like its street address in the online world. However, you can think of your site’s web post as the plot of land upon which your site exists online. Therefore, it is essential to research potential web hosts to pick the right one for you, the same way you would consider multiple locations when building a house. Fortunately, many good hosts allow users to try for free before deciding on them. Also, these hosts have great security features like Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and Rootkit Scanners to protect your website’s data. It is tempting to consider the cheapest solution with minimum requirements when selecting a host. However, your company’s website is one of your vital marketing assets, so never shy away from paying a monthly fee for top-of-the-line protection.
3. Use strong admin passwords
Strong passwords seem like a no-brainer when considering website security. However, you will be surprised how common weak passwords are. Indeed, Google’s findings reveal that almost one-quarter of Americans have used some variation of weak passwords like Admin, Welcome, 111111, Qwerty, 123456, abc123, and Iloveyou. Furthermore, classics like “password” and “incorrect” are more common than you think. These passwords are easy to guess and do little to protect your site. Therefore, consider using a password generator to find a distinct and strong password. Also, play around with your favorite phrases and quotes, and use passphrases instead since they are more difficult to guess.
4. Invest in an SSL certificate
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates add an extra security layer to your site, so they are undoubtedly worth considering. An SSL Certificate gives your website a safe connection when transmitting data via the internet. It securely encrypts your site’s data to prevent it from being mere plain text. Therefore, if attempts to hack your site succeed, hackers won’t be able to use the data obtained because it will be just encrypted characters. These certificates are particularly useful if your site accepts payments, but you can install them for website speed and improved SEO rankings.