How secure is your website?
Online security is important for everyone.
Both personally and professionally we are all at risk of someone getting access to our details.
What about small business owners and their websites?
Do you have a website? For the purpose of this blog, let us say it is a WordPress Website. Do you know how secure it is?
Here is a simple checklist:
- Passwords
- User permissions
- SSL Certificate
- Backups
- Updated plugins, CMS etc.
- Anti-malware
- While this list does not cover everything it is a starting point for you to consider.
Passwords
We now have passwords for everything and also 2factor authentication for many of our online activities.
How secure are your passwords?
Did you know that 80% of hacking is from insecure passwords?
Using a password generator that can both create and store passwords is one of the easiest ways to stay safe online. For nearly 10 years I have used LastPass and find it incredibly convenient and safe across all my devices.
User permissions
How many people have access to your website?
You should only ever have a couple of trusted people with access. There is the ability to set various permissions like Admin, Editor, Author etc which can also prevent people from having a higher level of access than they need.
It is also important to remove users that are no longer relevant or do not need ongoing access.
SSL Certificate
SSL certificate – Provides secure data transfers for shopping, personal information and more.
Currently, an SSL certificate is a standard requirement for all websites. It is the only way to ensure that your website shows a little padlock before its URL online. Websites without SSL certification will not be indexed as a priority in Google and will show as being a ‘Not Secure’ website.
The vast majority of reputable hosting platforms will offer you a free SSL certificate. This tends to be more than enough for most websites.
Backups
Regular backups of your website ensure that if something happens to your website you can generally roll it back to a previous backup.
By far the easiest way is to ensure that it is automated through your hosting.
Updated plugins, CMS etc.
As we are talking about WordPress it is vital that you complete regular maintenance on your website. This includes but is not limited to, updating your plugins, updating WordPress, updating your theme and more.
Some people are confident to do this themselves while others choose to outsource it. If you are looking for someone to complete these tasks for you, send My Sassy Business an email.
Not keeping your website up to date leaves it incredibly vulnerable to attacks and future issues. Ensure your website is protected.
Security
A security plugin for your website can usually resolve this issue. There are free and paid versions and it is a good investment in your business’s online security.
Websites are typically vulnerable to malware, DDoS attacks, XXS vulnerabilities and SQL injection attacks. All along with people/computers who are trying to log in and take over your website via password hacking.
Conclusion
Having a great website is an investment in your business. It is the storefront and often the first thing that people see when they are considering doing business with you. It is never a set and forget or leave it to its own devices piece of business equipment.
Plus you should also be:
Ensuring it is fit and healthy
Keeping the design modern and optimised for SEO
If you need help to ensure your website is secure and your marketing is integrated, contact Kelly @ My Sassy Business
