In this article, you will not only understand the security threats faced by enterprise websites, but also learn how to defend against these threats. Some of them? Most projects do not require developers! Read on to start improving the security of your website!
1. Ensure password security (and update regularly)
Action items: Use a password generator, such as LastPass, to create an ultra secure password for your website. Better yet, use LastPass to securely save and store these passwords. You can also set calendar reminders to update your password regularly, such as every month or quarter.
About 80% of hacker related violations are caused by passwords. Your company can quickly improve the security of its website by creating stronger and unique login credentials and updating them more frequently.
Although you can certainly create your own password, the password generator can simplify the process.
For example, LastPass provides a password generator that allows you to specify the length of the password and the use of uppercase and lowercase letters. You can also decide whether passwords should contain numbers and symbols.
Use such a password generator to protect your website. For best results, be sure to change these passwords regularly. For example, each month or quarter, you can update these credentials to ensure the security of your site.
If you want to make your life easier, you can use LastPass to securely store all your passwords.
2. Install SSL certificate
Action item: Buy a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate and use it on your website to send sensitive data, such as credit card information, safely. After installing the SSL certificate, you can use HTTPS to make your website more secure.
The security list of each site includes obtaining SSL certificates.
SSL certificates help protect your website by ensuring secure data transmission. For example, if someone places an order online on your website, you want to protect their personal information, whether it is their credit card number, address or phone number.
For many online shoppers and commercial buyers, SSL certificates can also serve as a signal of trust.
This is because installing an SSL certificate will upgrade your appearance in your web browser. Normally, a web browser (such as Google Chrome) will display a padlock next to the URL of a website with an SSL certificate.
It is not difficult to check this item from your website security list, just follow the steps below:
Purchase SSL certificates from reputable suppliers, such as GoDaddy, AliCloud or Symantec Follow the steps of the SSL certificate provider to install the SSL certificate Implement correct redirection for your page, from HTTP to HTTPS Verifying SSL certificates and redirects in Google Search Console
Based on your experience in web development and search engine optimization (SEO), you can complete this list item by yourself without the help of the company's developers.
3. Automated website backup
Action item: Develop a schedule for creating website backups, or automatically execute the process through your website hosting server provider (such as Alibaba Cloud). In terms of website security, backup is your best friend.
By backing up your website, you can quickly solve a series of problems, whether the page is damaged or the website is hacked. However, the problem is that many enterprises fail to regularly back up their websites. However, it is easy to solve this problem. For example, you can operate under an AliCloud account
4. Restrict user permissions
Action items: Limit the number of people who can access and modify websites with user rights. Use the user permission settings in the content management system (CMS) such as WordPress to provide on-demand access to your website, such as publishing content and modifying navigation menus.
Enabling everyone to access and update your website will create security vulnerabilities, especially if they fail to follow other items in this website security checklist, such as updating passwords regularly. This is why, for best site security, you should restrict user permissions.
For example, if you use a CMS such as WordPress, your enterprise should use different levels of available user permissions, such as administrator, editor, and author. These roles allow you to set user permissions immediately, such as the ability to install plug-ins, publish posts, and so on.
5. Secure online checkout
Action items: Upgrade online checkout security with Address Verification System (AVS) and Credit Card Verification Value (CVV) form fields for all credit card checkout. Reliable AVS providers include Melissa and Loqate. Using a platform such as Shopify can also help you automate the implementation of CVV fields.
Does your enterprise accept online payment? Then you need an AVS.
With AVS, your company can provide a higher level of security for your online checkout process. The working principle of these systems is to prevent fraudulent payments, which will not only bring trouble to your enterprise, but also cause loss of income.
In addition to using AVS, your company should also add CVV form fields in the checkout process.
Using the CVV form fields, you need shoppers to enter their credit card security code, which usually appears on the back of the credit card. Having CVV form fields can provide another layer of protection against credit card fraud.
Depending on how your business sells online, your website may already use CVV form fields. Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows companies to establish customized online stores. It contains CVV form fields, which can easily improve the security of the website.
6. Investing in anti malware
Action items: Obtain anti malware or malware detection software to protect your website from malware infection, which may lead to customer data theft, capital loss, etc. Some trusted malware providers (free and paid) include Quttera, SUCURI and Astra Security.
Malware is a serious website security problem. More than 350000 malicious programs are found every day, which is why anti malware is crucial for enterprises operating online, even if they do not accept online payment.
Although you will find some free anti malware, you may need a paid program to fully cover your website. Think of this cost as an investment because it will protect your business, brand, and customers.
7. Get DDoS mitigation services
Action items: Invest in distributed denial of service (DDoS) mitigation services and web hosts with built-in protection against DDoS attacks. DDoS mitigation service providers include Akamai, Cloudflare and Nexusguard.
Depending on your network hosting service provider, you may already have DDoS protection.
With DDoS protection, your enterprise can defend against DDoS attacks, which involve hackers overloading the bandwidth of your website to make your website inaccessible. Such attacks have occurred in small and well-known brands, so don't underestimate the demand for DDoS protection.
Some trusted companies offering DDoS protection or mitigation services include:
Alibaba Cloud Tencent Cloud Baidu Cloud
Cooperate with one of the companies to keep your website not only dynamic, but also secure.
8. Minimize XSS vulnerabilities
Action item: Use tools such as HTML purifier to "clean" your HTML code and reduce security vulnerabilities in your website code, also known as cross site scripting (XXS) vulnerabilities. If your website does not use HTML, your website developers can add a string of code to reduce the vulnerability.
Each website security list should contain an item on reducing XSS vulnerabilities.
This task may require the help of developers to help prevent hackers from inserting malicious code directly into the code of your website. If hackers do add malicious code to your website, it will not only hurt website visitors, but also be difficult to delete.
Fortunately, developers can use tools such as the HTML purifier to "clean" and "clean" your website's HTML code, thereby removing any malicious code. For non HTML websites, developers can also add a piece of code on each page of your website to reduce XSS vulnerabilities.
9. Defend against SQL injection attacks
Action item: Prevent SQL injection attacks that allow hackers to steal user data by taking some active measures, including limiting user permissions, implementing data storage procedures, using white list input verification, etc. These steps may require the help of developers.
Although not as common as other security vulnerabilities, SQL injection attacks can cause the same damage by taking over the database server and stealing sensitive customer data (from address to credit card number).
This is why it is worth implementing some protection measures against SQL injection attacks, including:
Use whitelist input verification so that your database can detect unauthorized input Restrict user permissions on the server database Create stored procedures for user reference Establish parametric queries so that your database can distinguish between code and data
Your developers can help you view these options and choose the best options for your website.
How secure is your website? Check it right away!
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