Most businesses nowadays rely on a thorough and well-planned online presence in order to serve their customers. In many cases, this includes some type of e-shop, a website where potential and existing customers can get in touch with your company, or a blog that keeps clients up to date on developments in your field. But as the recent wave of cybersecurity incidents shows, when you have an online presence, you are also vulnerable to attacks by individuals who are eager to get a hold of the data you are storing and processing. So, how can you improve the cybersecurity or your website?
1. Get Your Systems Updated
It is important to remember that while hackers are always finding new ways to launch attacks, cybersecurity professionals are also rushing to stop them and find new ways to prevent those attacks. As soon as a flaw in a piece of software is discovered, a team of specialists works to fix it, and patches or updated versions that address the flaw are usually released very quickly. So, by constantly updating the systems and software that your website uses, you are not only benefiting from extended tools and capabilities. You are also making sure that your site is as secure as it gets. Set up automatic updates and don’t forget to regularly also check manually for patches and updates.
2. Invest in Cybersecurity Tools
The best way to stop cybercriminals in their tracks is to build a complicated line of defenses that make them hit a wall every time they try to steal your data. You might want to look into a good combination of cybersecurity solutions like an anti-virus program and anti-spam services, as hackers could get to your data through the email or the computer you use to log into your website. When it comes to websites and blogs, installing a web application firewall to protect your log-in page and your entire site from web application attacks by filtering malicious requests out of incoming traffic is one of the most effective ways to protect your website and servers.
3. Remember Your Mobile Audience
The US government has recently revealed that 68% of Americans access the internet on a mobile device – a figure up from 38% reported in a previous survey. This means that it is likely that a big percentage of your traffic will be coming through smartphones and tablets, where operating systems are generally more prone to flaws: In fact, a 2017 survey showed that in 2016 Android, the most popular OS for mobile devices, had a staggering 523 documented vulnerabilities, while Windows 10 only had 172, Windows 8.1 154, and Mac OS X 215. Using a web hosting service that takes mobile security seriously, for example by implementing SSL encryption on mobile devices too, is key in retaining those clients.
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4. Get a Password Manager
Passwords are usually the easiest leeway for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your site – and the easier they are to crack, the more exposed you are. Since you will be usually juggling quite a few passwords across your business operations, you might be tempted to use the same password across various activities. However, this is not a good idea at all. Instead, get a password manager to help you create and safely store unique and strong passwords for your website and beyond. You will only need to remember your master password to access them. In fact, as an added security measure, make sure you activate two-factor authentication for your password manager too.
5. Train your Staff
No matter how careful you are, your business is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, it is important to train all employees who are working on your blog or website on security standards. A regular review of whether they are sticking to best practices can help you identify areas where your company might be vulnerable to hacker attacks, and plan awareness sessions accordingly.
Your website is the virtual front door to your business – so by keeping it tidy and safe you can enhance your brand reputation and build a relationship of trust with your customers.
