Protecting Your Alarm Website From Hacks
Part 2 Of 3: Website Security
Last week, we talked about the importance of regularly backing up your website so that you don’t lose it in the case of a hack, or server failure. In this second article of a 3 part series, we explore what makes small business websites – even security websites – so vulnerable to attack, and what you can do about it.
The Problem With Website Security…
Small business websites (particularly WordPress) have increasingly become a target for hackers and bots because vulnerabilities can be easily exploited. There is nothing inherently wrong with WordPress. Like the Windows OS, it is the most widely used CMS (content management system) in the world.
Windows OS releases hundreds of security of updates every month and if you don’t apply them automatically or at least often manually, your PC will end up getting infected. It works the same way with your website.
Common types of attacks include:
▪ Brute Force Attacks (hackers or programs rapidly hitting your login screen with random passwords and usernames in an attempt to login)
▪ SQL Injection (SQLi)
▪ Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
▪ Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF)
▪ File Inclusion Vulnerabilities (LFI and FRI)
▪ Directory Traversal
If all of that is gibberish to you, don’t worry. Your website’s vulnerability can be minimized, but you must implement security best practices.
You Can Drastically Improve Your Website Security With These Tips:
▪ Choose a quality web hosting company. Pro tip: big brand names don’t necessarily mean better. As an alarm company – we know you get this! Do some research, ask for recommendations or partner with a reputable security marketing companywho can provide this service.
▪ Set proper permissions for each user.
▪ Use only quality and trusted software plugins that are updated regularly.
▪ Remove weak logins and enforce strong passwords.
▪ Enable two-factor authentication when practical.
▪ Keep the core software, plugins and themes updated to latest versions at all times.
Website Security Also Depends On Your Website Backup Strategy.
A crucial part of website security is having a solid backup strategy. If your website gets hacked or infected with malware, you need to be able to restore your site to a version before it was compromised.
Website Security Depends On Regular Maintenance.
Keeping the website core software updated, as well as your plugins and themes, is an important part of keeping your site safe. Why? The website core software team and authors of plugins and themes often push fixes to security vulnerabilities in new version releases, so running the latest version of anything installed on your site is extremely important.
At Ignite RMR, we take the security of our client websites extremely seriously. Our development team provides daily and weekly backups, software updates, and employs the best security software to keep your website running smooth, day in and day out. If you need help developing a new website, or just need some friendly advice, contact us today. We’re dedicated to the security industry and are here to help!
