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How hackable is your site? 5 security essentials for businesses

By 14th December 2020January 24th, 2023No Comments
website security

Internet security is obviously really important but lots of small businesses neglect it. Your business website could be very open to hacking and you might not know until the worst has already happened. Some of the most common are data thefts, malware, and DDoS attacks.

 

Wherever your website is currently hosted it’s likely to have some rudimentary security in place but it might not be enough. If you’re the victim of a serious hack you could lose valuable data or access to your website as a whole. Hackers can even corrupt and clone sites which will ruin any decent search engine rankings you’ve already achieved.

 

Want to avoid all this? Obviously! These website security essentials can keep you protected at a low cost.

 

A reliable host

There are lots of potential website hosting providers available. You’ve probably already heard of GoDaddy but there are loads more to choose from. They basically house your website and ensure it’s always live. They also provide cloud space to host all your website’s content and information. The better your hosting company’s security credentials the more protected your site will be.

Where to get it:

You can compare them based on price, reliability, and – most importantly – security. Choose the best protection for your budget. Some will offer extra security measures for an extra charge.

 

Encryption

If sensitive data is encrypted it’s basically unreadable. This makes it much harder for data stealers to use it for anything useful. Your website needs a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate, which is basically like an extra lock on the door protecting login details, transaction data, and anything personally identifiable.

Where to get it:

Wix and Shopify websites come with free SSL encryption and many others give you the option to switch easily.

 

Password manager

This is the simplest and most reliable way to protect your business and personal credentials. A good password manager means you’ll have very difficult-to-crack (almost impossible, actually) passwords stored securely. Everywhere you log in will have a complex and unique password so you just need to remember the one master password.

Where to get it:

Most password managers have a free version so you don’t need to pay anything. PCMag has compiled a list of the best.

 

Recommended updates

Wherever your website content is managed – WordPress, Wix, Squarespace – make sure you either turn on automatic updates or update them yourself as soon as they become available. These updates are created to respond to vulnerabilities and issues. By not updating you leave yourself open to easily preventable hacks.

Where to get it:

Your website content management system (CMS) will have recommended updates as standard. You don’t need to do anything except approve them or switch them on.

 

Install security plug-ins and add-ons

Adding extra features to your website is easier than it’s ever been. Some of these are security features that can help you stay more protected, like Sucuri, Jetpack Security, and WordFence.  These plug-ins and add-ons have their own specific security features which add a reassuring extra layer to your site.

Where to get it:

Look at your CMS’s plug-in options. You can even rank in order of popularity and best reviews.

We build beautiful websites with the latest technology and innovations

As well as designing beautiful websites we can help you find the most secure website protection there is. Talk to us about your website today.

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We are a specialist website design and digital marketing agency with two locations in Bolton and Chorley. We offer a complete package of services to become your in-house marketing support function to help drive sales growth and improve your online presence today.

Our services range from website design, graphic design, branding to digital marketing and analytics, PPC, SEO and much more. We identify the areas for improvement in your marketing strategy and offer the appropriate solutions to strengthen your proposition and drive your business forward.