1. Stay up to date
The internet community is constantly developing and updating open-source solutions. Bugs and security gaps are found quickly and usually removed even faster. Development teams are only able to profit from these quick reactions if their system is always maintained according to the latest standards. Many CMS solutions offer automatic update plugins for installation. With the Easy Update Manager for WordPress or SP Upgrade Joomla extension for Joomla, it’s easy to keep these systems up to date, which in turn boosts website security. Given that plugins and other add-ons are separate programs themselves, these also have to be periodically checked for updates.
Even if you’ve configured your website without the help of a CMS, you should check for regular updates. PHP or MySQL should always be kept up-to-date to avoid open doors for hacker attacks.
2. Regular backups
Despite careful precautions, some hackers still manage to find a way to discover and exploit security gaps. Once this step has been reached, they’re able to do considerable damage to whomever they target. Data espionage and misuse of data aren’t the only consequences to be wary of; many hackers go to great lengths to cover their tracks, and this can sometimes even involve erasing entire databases. This is why it’s so important to regularly back up data. Doing this serves as a double precaution of sorts, as it’s possible to overwrite individually aligned system files even with standard updates. Regularly updating all data is an absolute ‘must’ for any company serious about security concerns. Helpful plugins are also available for this step. For WordPress, many different plug-ins are available and other CMSs can be extended using relevant plug-ins and extensions to make a full website backup easy. If you’re not using a CMS, you can save your server content manually on an external drive or use tools like rsync.
3. Secure login data
While the importance of selecting a secure password may seem obvious at first, the internet’s most popular password serves as a painful reminder that, for many, it isn’t. ‘password’ and ‘123456’ were revealed to be the most popular passwords for many. Making matters worse, suggested usernames like ‘Admin’ or ‘Administrator’ are also adopted by many system users. Those who adopt such thoughtless security settings are making themselves especially vulnerable to hackers. For both passwords and usernames, it’s best to follow these simple rules of thumb: no real names or simple and easy-to-remember combinations should ever be used.
A secure password requires a random arrangement of character strings.
4. Stay informed
Those striving to protect their site from hackers and other attacks should always stay informed about the latest dangers and security gaps plaguing the cyber world. The first point of contact for this is, of course, the cyber community that you’re a part of. There are countless threads on the topic of cyber security in most forums. Here, members discuss possible security risks, how to identify them, and ideally, remove them as well. For information on current news, background articles, and forums, sites like computer.org or Wired are good places to start.
5. HTTPS and SSL certificate
HTTPS secures the exchange of sensitive data on the internet. With the help of SSL (Secure Socket Layer), data exchanges occurring between servers and clients are encrypted. This makes it difficult for hackers to transfer or intercept data. These certificates are available on multiple websites (e.g. GeoTrust). Many hosting providers also include them in web hosting packages or offer them for an additional fee. Another advantage is that users are able to recognize the website security certificate as such by the ‘padlock symbol’ in the browser and the https transport protocol.