Whether you’re using a CMS like WordPress or Joomla, or have a custom design, security is a huge issue that affects every site on the web. With thousands of websites hacked every day, using strong security is essential for your site, your investment, and your customers. Not only do hackers mess up the work your web designers put into the site (that you paid for) they can also redirect your clients and customers to pages where you don’t want them to go, infect their computers with viruses and malware, and steal their information. If you want to protect yourself and your reputation, you have to take steps to secure your website.

Make Site Backups

Site backups won’t protect your site, but they do allow you to cancel everything and immediately re-upload to your last working site if someone hacks it. If that happens, you will have to immediately change all of your passwords and add security, but it does allow you to get everything up and working again without losing money if your site is hacked.

Limit the Number of Failed Connections/Entries

You can limit the number of times that someone can attempt to log in before they are locked out. This is essential for blocking hacking bots, which input lets and numbers and words randomly until they gain access. Usually, 3 to 5 times is enough, after which you can require administrator assistance.

Change Your Login URLs

If you’re using ‘administrator’ or ‘login’ or ‘wp-admin’ to access your login, then you’re making a mistake. Change the database to change the URL. Your Seattle web development team can do this for you. What should you change it to? Make it unique, something you can remember, and short.

Use Stronger Passwords

If you’re using Password 123, or another similar, easy to guess password, you should try again. Don’t use anything related to your name, your business, signing in to an account, or your password. Try a password generator, or use an 8-15-digit password with lower case and upper case letters, numbers, and punctuation or special characters.

Be Careful

If you’re downloading and using free skins or site themes, they could include base64 encoding, which could allow hackers to distribute malware to your site. Only use themes from trusted sources.

Use HTTP Encryption

It is important that you use encryption on any pages where customers check out, pay for something, or input personal data. This is important to ensure that their data is not stolen, because you will be liable. If you store their personal data, you have to encrypt that as well. Put your security measures in your privacy policy document so visitors can check it. You can purchase a security certificate from a number of providers to set up HTTPS encryption.
Securing your website is important for your business and your reputation, so make sure you take the steps to protect it. Hiring a professional Seattle web developer to help you with making your site secure is a good step if you aren’t sure how to go about the technical aspects of security.

Do you want to know more about website security or features? Contact Rory Martin for more information.