Why is Website Security so Important?

Your website is your brand, your store, and often your first contact with customers. If it’s not safe and secure, those critical business relationships can be compromised. The threats can come in many forms – infecting a site with malware in order to spread that malware to site visitors, stealing customer information, like names, credit card and other transaction information

There are a few things you can do to ensure that your website is as secure as possible, which will keep your business safe online.

Use Strong Passwords

It used to be that 3 or 4 character passwords would keep your information safe. However, as technology has advanced, so have the abilities and ways to crack passwords and try to avoid using the same password for all of your accounts—once someone has control of one of your accounts, it won’t be long before they’re taking control of them all. And while everyone knows that more complex passwords are better, not everyone will choose one.

Switch to an Encrypted Website

One of the best ways to keep your website secure is switching from a standard HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to HTTPS (HTTP Secured), which adds an additional layer of security and encryption. It works by using an SSL Certificate (Secure Socket Layer) which protects the data and any sensitive information that is passed between server and browser.

Set Your Domain to Auto-Renew Annually

If you forget to renew your domain, your site will go offline. This will inflict disaster for your business, and leave it vulnerable to hackers. When you first purchase your domain name, you will be able to decide how long you want to buy it for. In most cases, this is for a year, but this can be customised depending on your business plan. You will also be presented with the option to automatically renew the domain once it expires, which is very highly recommended, as you won’t need to remember to repurchase it.

Two Factors Authorization

Comes in handy when a site recognizes a different IP address is used to login to a website like your Google account. You are immediately sent a text message with a phone number you registered with to confirm if it is you. If you didn’t log in, you should immediately change the password to secure your account.

Make Sure You Are Registered As The Owner of Your Domain Name

Before you can even begin to build your secure site, you’ll need to choose a domain name, which is a vital step in building your brand. Once you’ve chosen the perfect domain, you’ll need to think about the security of your website, and the best way to keep it protected against hackers.

5 Reasons Why Website Security is Important

1. Hackers Do Not “Choose” Which Websites To Attack

Website hackers don’t sit down at their computer In fact; their process is much more random than that. Hackers choose their target by broadly searching for common vulnerabilities. “Over the past three years, more than 3/4 of websites scanned contained unpatched vulnerabilities,” according to a Symantec study, This is bad news for a small business owner. One may think a hacker wouldn’t waste their time cracking into a small operation. Businesses need someone watching over their site, making sure components are up to date and continually updating firewall software.

2. It’s Very Difficult to Recover From a Search Engine’s “Blacklist”

Reputation among your customers is important. It’s equally important, though, among your potential new customers. Folks who find your business through a search engine, such as Google, oftentimes turn into valuable and loyal customers.

3. Fixing is More Expensive Than Preventing

The process of cleaning up and removing malware is no simple one; therefore many website owners seek professional to help. Seeking a professionals help will inevitably be expensive and not to mention the loss of revenue and business during this downtime period. It's often much cheaper to keep your website secure, backed up and protected.

4. It’s More Common Than You Think

Hackers have been attacking websites since the dawn of the internet. Over the years, as security has become more advanced, so have their tactics. In addition, the sheer number of website attacks continues to grow. In 2016, Google reported that the amount of website hacks were up 32% from the year before. A successful attack could result in your website being blacklisted form search engines.

5. Your Reputation is at Stake

Smart business owners understand there are few chances to make a good impression. That’s especially true in the digital world, where attention spans seem to be shrinking by the day. If a potential customer visits your site, then, and catches a virus or some form of malware in the process, they likely will not be returning anytime soon. In fact, the damage could be done before they even reach your website. Web browsers oftentimes warn a customer before they enter an infected site. This warning is enough to scare most (sane) people away. Having up-to-date website security eliminates the potential for this problem. If you have a professional covering your tracks at all times, you ensure a degree of professionalism to any website user who stumbles onto your website.