7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Website Security!

After the growing number of cyber attacks, it's no wonder why website security has become critical. If you are reading this blog, it means you are interested in learning how to improve website security.

No doubt you have come to the right place, but it will only benefit you if you read it thoroughly till the end. 

7 Security Features Every Website Must Have

Here are some of the most significant features that can help improve the security level of a website. Get a brief introduction to each one of them and know why they are a necessity: 

1. Auto-Update for Plugins and Software

Auto-update is one of the most simple and adequate security measures every website owner can take. Especially if it is a WordPress site, ensuring that all the plugins and software are up to date is necessary. Why? Because of the outdated ones, the website is more prone to attacks from unethical hackers. Keeping everything up to date brings down the risk of being exploited.

Enabling auto-updates is an effortless way to keep up with consistent updates. The auto-update option is available for most plugins and software and can be turned on from within their setting's menus. 

2. Keep Strong Password

Though it might sound basic, it often goes unnoticed when it comes to website security.

A strong password policy is the first step toward protecting a website from malicious hackers. Keeping a strong password helps defend attackers who try guessing methods to gain unauthorized access to a website. But what exactly constitutes a strong password ?

Here's what a strong password looks like -

• Eight or more characters long (including uppercase, lowercase, numeric and unique characters)
• It does not include personal information like real name, user name, or company name
• Different from previously used password
• Hard to guess
• It has no complete word

A Few Tips related To Password for Website Security:

• Ensure that a website's backend is protected and that only authorized people can access it.
• Employ a password manager to create a strong password for a website.
• Avoid using the same password for multiple sites

3. A Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a protective layer or wall between a website and the internet. Installing it filters traffic coming to a site and blocks any malicious requests. They are proven effective in halting attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. 

4. Two-factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a significant security measure that is good to implement in a website. It adds an additional layer of security which enhances the protection measures to a large extent.

With 2 FA enabled, anyone who wants to access the website will have to provide two pieces of information which may include a password and a one-time code or OTP. The OTP is sent and generated by an app on the phone with an authorized phone number.

Overall, it's a robust security measure that requires attackers to pass through two levels of security to crack website access. Therefore, it delays or prevents attacks on a website.

5. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate

To protect users' information, websites may use SSL certificates. SSL is widely preferred to encrypt the communications between a website and users' web browsers. Encryption protects the data in case of an attack. If the attacker can intercept the communication, they will fail to read it because it's hard to decode the encrypted terms.

The best part about SSL is that it provides authentication, which assures users that they are communicating with the right or intended website and not a fake site operated by a malicious attacker. 

6. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS)

The purpose behind employing Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) is to detect and prevent attacks on a website. Two IDPS systems are available; they can either be host-based or network-based.

• Host-based IDPSs - These are installed on the servers that host a website and benefit in monitoring traffic to and from the server.

• Network-based IDPSs - These are installed on a network and benefit in monitoring traffic to and from a website.

Both IDPS types hold the potential to stop attacks, but they vary in terms of strengths and weaknesses.    

7. Consistent Security Scans

Regular security scans are compulsory for website security. Scans uncover any vulnerabilities on a site which, by resolving on time, can prevent unethical attacks and exploitation.

Scans can be of many different types, and a few of them are mentioned below:

• Web Application Scans
• Network Scans
• Malware Scans

Wrapping Up

The list of security measures is still left to explore. However, you don't need to know them all. Instead, you can hire professionals for website security services. Reach out to SLK Websites, where experienced teams work on protecting your website from unknown attacks. You can keep your data safe and maintain efficiency with robust security measures imposed by experts in this service.