Whether you are a large corporation, a small business, or even a freelancer offering your services mainly on your website, cybercrime can still find its way to you. And when it does, just think about all the damage it will cause—from stolen money and loss of productivity to theft of personal and financial data and reputational harm.

Sometimes, the way to go about threats as huge as a cyberattack is to go down to the roots. More often than not, it’s the simplest methods that we forget even if they are the solutions to our problems. Read on to know the 6 essential cybersecurity measures and techniques you can do to own an effective website.

Keep Your Software Up-To-Date

When you own a website, one thing you should never forget is to update your software regularly. Your website becomes vulnerable the moment your platforms or scripts are outdated. It’s easy for hackers to target security flaws like these, especially if what you’re using is popular web software.

Routinely update your programs in order to patch any security holes that may be running amok. If you’re using web software like WordPress, you wouldn’t have to worry as much as they typically update all the time, saving you from all the hassle of doing it manually.

It’s All In The Password

Strong passwords are the key to stronger security from hackers. You’ve heard it time and time again, but there are times when we still find ourselves using the passwords we’ve had since forever. These often contain personal information such as names, birthdays, addresses that can easily be dug up on search engines and other platforms.

Hackers love brute-forcing their way to crack passwords. Save yourself the hassle and the headache by using complex passwords that contain a combination of numerals, upper and lowercase letters, as well as special characters. Keep them at least 10 characters long. Don’t forget to update them every once in a while. Lastly, if you’re a small or medium-sized business owner, make sure to maintain a password policy throughout your organization.

Manage User Access To Sensitive Files

If your website contains the educational or health records of your clients, it must comply with FERPA and HIPAA. When it comes to keeping a website that holds very sensitive information such as credit card numbers and personal information, make sure that you’re actively managing the various users that handle whatever is on your website.

Not everyone has to be an admin. As much as possible, apply different levels of access to your users based on their role in the company. If you may need to escalate the permissions of an individual, just remember to reduce those once they’ve completed their task.

Use SSL Encryption

SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer” and just from that alone, it’s easy to see why having an SSL is crucial. You have probably already seen this without even knowing it. Some websites begin with “HTTP” while others with “HTTPS.” That “S” means that the website you are visiting uses SSL encryptions.

SSL allows sensitive information such as social security numbers, login credentials, and credit card numbers to be transmitted in a much more secure way as compared to a site without SSL. Encryption is what stops any third party from intercepting a user inputting information into a page on your website.

Simply put, SSL prevents hackers from accessing private data and login credentials.

Back It Up

Just in case anything goes wrong, you will be saving the day if you regularly backup your site and the data that comes with it. Web host providers usually provide daily backups of their own servers, but it’s still important to save your own files manually and consistently.

There are also a multitude of plugins and extensions available to automate this process if you’d much prefer not to do this manually.

Monitor and Test Regularly

If your business can afford it, hiring a security expert is an investment that won’t go to waste. They can scan your website for vulnerabilities, perform website security checks and audits, and monitor any malicious activity. They can also be there whenever a repair on your website’s security is needed.

If you are a smaller business and hiring a security expert isn’t financially feasible as of the moment, it’s very important for you to take steps to implement ongoing monitoring of your website and all the activity that happens within it.

You can either purchase software that will help you with this or install a plugin or application that will implement a consistent monitoring and testing program of your files and website activity. This will help you keep constantly updated with potential changes or abnormalities.

If you’re thinking of going with this route instead of employing someone else, make sure to get a plugin or software that scans for daily malware detection, PAN scanning, file change detection, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing.

We do everything we can to make sure nobody breaks into our homes. From locks and chains to burglar alarms and motion detectors, we ensure that everything is up and running so that our home is safe and secure.

The same thing goes with our websites that contain everything we’ve worked so hard on. With just how vulnerable to hackers and opportunists our cyberspace truly is, web attacks will not slow down in the coming years. It’s up to us to take control of our website’s security and ensure the safety of our data and the information of our clients and customers.

Keep your website in tip-top condition to maintain its health, safety, and security. If you need any help in this department, we’ve got just the solution! As part of our maintenance services, the monitoring and backup of your site are included for free.