After the dot com bubble and information technology explosion, data and information are available and accessible around the globe. Making your website live is like unlocking the door to your premises with your office and safe open.

Things are just the same, except that you will never see anyone come to your website unless you have protection systems in place. Data thieves are invisible and fast, searching for your website for details of your customers’ account data, especially for their e-payment information. You have a legal obligation to protect this data from theft and to report if security breaches occur, particularly when dealing with cloud security and compliance requirements

Stealing your data or information is not the only thing on the mind of a hacker: compromising security is a major motivator. Hackers may want to destroy all your records, put a sick message on your customers’ screens or just destroy your reputation. This is why maintaining server hosting compliance is critical

You can never undo the damage done by a hacker, you can take steps to prevent it. Even the most basic protection will discourage many hackers enough to make them go looking for easier pickings elsewhere. Thieves are likelier to steal from people who leave their doors unlocked.

1. Stay updated

You need to stay up to date with hacking threats. If you have at least a basic knowledge of what is possible then you can protect your website against it. Follow updates at a tech site such as The Hacker News. Use the information you gain to put fresh precautions in place when necessary.

2. Toughen up access control

The admin level of your website is an easy way into everything you do not want a hacker to see. Enforce usernames and passwords that cannot be guessed like AvasQ9r_6eDx2, a combination of lower and upper cases of alphabets, numerics, and symbols. Limit the number of login attempts within a certain time, even with password resets, because email accounts can be hacked as well. Never send login details by email, in case an unauthorised user has gained access to the account.

3. Update everything

Many people who use software do not install updates immediately. If the reason behind the update is a security vulnerability, delaying an update exposes your websites to attack in the interim period. Hackers can scan thousands of websites an hour looking for vulnerabilities that will allow them to break in. Their internal network is crazy, so if one hacker gets into the website then hundreds of hackers will know as well.
Choosing the right operating system for your web hosting security needs also matters

4. Tighten network

Check List:

a) Expire logins after a short period of inactivity
b) Change passwords frequently
c) Choose strong passwords and NEVER write them down
d) Scan all devices for malware before they are plugged into the network
e) Program for one minute-by-one minute security run for your websites

Managing these controls efficiently helps overcome common cloud management challenges

5. Install a web application firewall

A Web Application Firewall (WAF), software or hardware that sits between your website server and the data connection, can help by reading every bit of data passing through it. Cloud-based WAF is the best available for data processing and data security when choosing the right cloud platform

6. Install security applications

There are some free plugins such as Acunetix WP Security that can provide an additional level of protection by hiding the identity of your website’s CMS. This tool makes your websites more resilient against automated hacking tools.

7. Hide admin pages

Don’t let your admin pages be indexed by search engines. You should use the robots.txt file to discourage search engines from listing them. If they are not indexed, then they are harder for hackers to find. Tutorials from trusted SEO resources can help you configure this correctly.

8. Limit file uploads

File uploads are a major concern for electronic theft. No matter how thoroughly the system checks them, bugs can still get through and allow a hacker access to your website’s data. The best approach is to prevent direct access to uploaded files, store them outside the root directory, and use a script to access them when necessary. SupportPRO will help you set this up.

9. Use SSL

Use an encrypted SSL protocol to transfer users’ personal information between the website and your database. This prevents the information from being read in transit and accessed without proper authority.

10. Remove auto fill form

When you leave auto-fill enabled for forms on your website, you leave it vulnerable to attack from any user’s computer or phone that has been stolen. You should never expose your website to attacks that utilise the laziness of a legitimate user.

11. Back-up frequently

Just in case the worst happens anyway, keep everything backed up. Backup on-site, backup off-site, backup everything multiple times a day. Every time a user saves a file it should automatically back up in multiple locations. Backing up once a day means that you lose that day’s data when your hard drive fails. Remember every hard drive will also fail.

12. You can’t hide your code

You can buy software that claims it will hide the code on your web pages. It doesn’t work. Browsers need access to your code in order to render your website pages, so there are simple ways to get around web-page “encryption.”

Need expert help?

If you require help, contact SupportPRO Server Admin and get assistance from a reliable dedicated support team

You can also explore how to grow your hosting business online while maintaining strong security

If you require help, contact SupportPRO Server Admin