Whether you have a full-blown ecommerce site that is collecting online payment, or just simple informational resource pages, the security of your website is critically important. By having security vulnerabilities, you are opening yourself up to hacks that could cause exposure of sensitive information, defacing of your brand, and possible negative SEO consequences.
Thankfully, there are simple measures you can take to help harden the security of your website. Here are four must-haves for website security.
1. SSL Certificate – Adding an SSL certificate to your website allows the information that is being sent between your website and your users to be encrypted. This is a must for any website that requires that users submit information, but is quickly becoming a standard for all websites. Securing your website with an SSL will also earn you a Secure badge on web browsers, and likely have a small, positive SEO effect.
2. Strong Admin Passwords – You should know by now that your passwords need to be secure. Yet, weak passwords are still a very common point of entry for hackers. Ensure that any administrator accounts for your website are lengthy and hard to crack.
3. Software Updates – Your website and its hosting environment are powered by software. Just like you need to update your computer or phone software, your website software should be regularly updated as well. Staying on top of updates allows your website to have the latest security patches in place.
4. Hosting Firewall – To stop the bad guys before they even view your website, put a good firewall in place. Almost like a nightclub bouncer, a website firewall will monitor the traffic that is trying to access your website, and block anything that looks suspicious.
