Website Security

Is your website as secure as it can be?

When I normally ask this question, I’m met with a long pause or a blank stare eventually culminating in ‘I don’t know’. Website security is of the utmost importance. Your website is the online front end for your business. If your website gets hacked, it will lead to Google blacklisting it and can cause irreparable damage.

Is your website at risk?

Well, every website is at risk really. You may not be a huge financial or government organisation but there are many hackers out there who just want to cause chaos, disruption and add inconspicuous links to your site and with the increase in recent years of cyber attacks, website security is a growing concern.

What can you do to secure your site?

No solution is 100% guaranteed, however, prevention is best to ensure your site is as secure as it can be and I have outlined 5 top tips to help you with this:

1. Take regular backups – If your site is ever hacked, a regular backup will ensure any data loss is kept to a minimum.

2. Secure passwords and user ids – The most common administrator id is ‘admin’ and all too often a simple password will make things really easy for hackers. a secure password is a must and create an id which is not so obvious. It should also go without saying that any ids and passwords should be on a need to know basis. If someone requires access to your site, create a new id for them where you can control exactly what they can do.

3. Update plugins and themes – outdated files can be another way for hackers to access your site. Updates to theme files and plugins should be applied regularly.

4. Install a security plugin – We use ‘Wordfence’ which is an excellent security tool and will help defend your site.

5. Run regular scans on your laptop/phone/tablet – any device you use to access your website should have up to date anti virus and malware software. If your device has been hacked, your personal information can be accessed, including your passwords. If you need any help or advice regarding the above, then click the button below.

If you need any help or advice regarding the above, please get in touch via the contact form below.