Is your business’s website susceptible to hacking? Research shows over 30,000 websites are hacked each year. As a business owner, having your website hacked isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a liability. Maybe a hacker steals your customers’ personal information, or perhaps a hacker uses your website to send malware to visitors. Regardless, there are several steps you can take to protect your business’s website from hacking.
#1) Host on a Secure Server
The first step to protect your business’s website from hacking is to host it on a secure server. If the server has vulnerabilities, such as an outdated operating system (OS), it could be hacked. Therefore, you need to host your business’s website on a secure and well-maintained server.
#2) Use HTTPS
Using the HTTPS protocol — the latest and most secure iteration — can protect your business’s website from hacking as well. HTTPS works by using a cryptography certificate to scramble data in transit. Any data sent from visitors to your business’s website or received by visitors from your business’s website will be encrypted, thereby preventing hackers from conducting man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
#3) Create a Strong Password
If your business’s website uses WordPress or a similar back-end building platform, you should create a strong password to protect it from hacking. WordPress and other building platforms operate through a web browser. You’ll log in to your site in a web browser, after which you can create and manage content. When setting up your business’s website, though, it’s important to use a strong password. Otherwise, a hacker could breach it using a brute force attack.
#4) Restrict or Limit File Uploads
Consider restricting or limiting file uploads on your business’s website. If visitors are allowed to upload files, a hacker could exploit this feature to deploy malware. Rather than uploading a legitimate file to your business’s website, the hacker could upload malware.
#5) Hide Admin Login Page
Another way to protect your business’s website from hacking is to hide the admin login page. If the admin page is public — meaning anyone can see it — a hacker may attempt to log in. Of course, he or she will still need the password, but it’s best to hide the admin login page to lower the risk of a breach.
#6) Install a Firewall
You can install a firewall to protect your business’s website from hacking. There are both software- and hardware-based firewalls. Software-based firewalls consist of software, whereas hardware-based firewalls consist of hardware. Nonetheless, both types work by passing traffic through a filter where potentially malicious files are removed.
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