Cybercriminals shifted their focus to large companies after the pandemic started as these companies deployed remote systems for their work-from-home arrangements. These cybercriminals wanted to take advantage of the increased vulnerabilities due to the situation.
At this point, businesses are focusing on increasing their online presence. Aside from a user-friendly and responsive website, they should also create accounts on major social media platforms to connect with social media users. This is particularly important since around 72 percent of US adults use at least one social media platform.
And working with a digital marketing agency increases the chances of increasing the rank of the website of the search engine results page (SERP). These agencies have the knowledge and expertise to implement online marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and allow the business to increase its online presence.
But businesses should not forget to secure their websites from hackers and cybercriminals to protect their customers’ personal information. Here are the things that companies should do to ensure the security of their websites.
Install Security Plugins
Businesses should install all the necessary security plugins to protect their websites. This is particularly true for websites that feature content management systems (CMS). The plugins actively prevent hackers from gaining access to the website.
Many of these plugins are free whenever business owners update their websites. They address any security vulnerabilities that come with the CMS. But the updates secure these vulnerabilities and stop hacking attempts that threaten the website.
Business owners should also invest in paid website security tools to increase the security of their websites. These tools monitor the website daily to protect it against malware. They also identify vulnerabilities as well as scan the website for viruses.
Keep the Software Updated
Many of these platforms that business owners use for their websites used open-source software when the developers created them. So, hackers will not find it challenging to find flaws in the system. Due to this, businesses owners should make sure to update their online platforms.
Updating the software allows them to prevent hackers from targeting flaws in the software. If the developer of the platform releases patches, businesses owners should immediately download the patches and install them.
Check the Website for Vulnerabilities
Business owners should also check their websites for vulnerabilities to protect them against hackers. They should make it a habit to perform a regular scanning of the website to fend off potential hacking attempts.
Aside from free tools, business owners should invest in paid online security tools to give them more options in protecting their websites. Paid tools also have features that the free tools do not offer. So, it’s a good idea to set aside a budget for these paid tools.
Businesses owners should also consider working with cybersecurity professionals to protect their websites.
Use a Secure Host
Using a secure host is also another important thing business owners should do to protect their websites. They should work with a reputable web hosting company that updates itself with current online threats. The hosting company should also focus on keeping the websites of its clients secure.
The web hosting company should also offer technical support whenever the business owner requires assistance, especially when a cyber incident happens. The login pages of the website should also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to protect sensitive information from cybercriminals.
SSL encryption facilitates the secure transmission of sensitive information, like login credentials, credit card numbers, and social security numbers. The encryption makes the information useless to a third party that intercepts it.
SSL certificates are now used by many websites after Google released an update in 2018. In the update, users of the Chrome browser of Google will receive an alert if the site is not secure. So, using SSL certificates do not only ensures that the website is secure but also optimizes the website. This increases the online presence of the business.
Back DataUp
Business owners should also make it a habit to back up their data regularly. This allows them to recover information after a cyber incident or issues with the server. Regular backing up of information does not cost much or effort.
Business owners should schedule the backups on a daily, weekly, quarterly, and yearly basis. The information they back up for each schedule depends on their significance to the business. They should back up the data on a portable device and cloud storage.
Additionally, they should use at least two portable storage devices that they store in different locations. This ensures the protection of the information even if a fire destroys the physical store and server.
Securing a website is essential to protect the business from cybercriminals who want to steal sensitive information.
