When it comes to hackers, 2017 made headlines as a year of hackers. There were many reports of hackings all over. One great example is the CIA who fell victim to cyber-attacks. Many confidential documents were released on WikiLeaks. Deloitte was also not left out. All these examples show that it’s important to take preventive measures before the hackers strike.
Hackers may sometimes not want money, but instead, they want to scare away your clients or merely tarnish your reputation. There’s very little you can do when the damage happens, but here’s what you can do to make sure it does not occur.
- Stay Up-to-date
This seems like an almost simple thing to do. Staying updated on hacking threats is crucial as it helps you safeguard your site even more. There are sites such as Hacker News that keep people updated on any hacker reports. Use this information to put precautions if necessary.
- Using Secure Passwords
What’s your password? Is it a name of your favorite pet? Is it your mother’s name? Insecure passwords have a high vulnerability. Have long complex passwords with special characters in them.
In the case that you have more than one site, ensure that you have different passwords for every site. Ensure that the password you settle on is not anything personal.
- Using a Vulnerability Scanner
There are numerous professional tools hackers use. One is a vulnerability scanner. How about scanning your own site with vulnerability scanners before they get to you?
Note: Don’t use tools that are from hacker sites as they are full of malware. Get those from reputable providers. There will be a complete list of loopholes that will be listed. However, not all are red flags. Fix what can give access to hackers to your site.
- Update Software
Most companies want to avoid updating their software because it means money. Some will only do so when it’s indispensable. Update software often as this will help your site be secure. If your site is new, you may have invested a lot of money on it. You may have even secured a loan to service it going live. Most times, before applying for a loan, it’s good to know that lenders will always look at your credit score which needs to be good. You can find out more information on this page to understand how that works.
Hackers will often scan thousands of websites in an hour looking for vulnerabilities that will help them ‘break-in.’ Hackers network seriously so if one finds a vulnerability, hundreds of them will also know.
- Network Security
What measures have you put across in the office? Make sure that logins expire after a few seconds. Ensure that employees change their passwords frequently. Avoid writing down passwords. For every gadget that’s plugged in the network, it should be scanned for any malware.
- The Channel of Error Reporting
It’s only normal to have error messages on your site. However, it’s more beneficial to disable error reporting on your live site. In cases of errors, set them in a way that you receive them to your server logs. This way, you will keep hackers at bay, and at the same time you will see the errors and fix them.
- Removing Insecure Software
There are many web extensions available but how secure are they? When you add software to your site, it only makes staying up to date more complicated. Plugins and extensions make the site have loopholes that hackers can take advantage of.
Always install plugins that are necessary and are secure.
- Web Application Firewall
A web application firewall (WAF) is one that has control over the input and output by an application. It monitors the system and blocks potentially harmful service calls that are not in line with the configured policy of the WAF.
Web applications that are unprotected are an easy entry point for hackers.
- Reputable Hosting
Who is your web hosting provider? Get a reputable one. When starting out, don’t just go for the cheapest one as this will cost you dearly. Some of the features to look at are:
-Regular backups (daily)
-Updated software
-Daily backups
-A policy for strong passwords
-Scanning services
-Protection against malware
- Benefits of Using HTTPS
When providing sensitive information, people know that they need to check if the https in the browser is green. This is a great preventive measure against hackers as it shows that it’s safe to provide their information.
As a site owner who runs their Etsy shop or just any other online store, people will occasionally need to submit information such as their credit card for payment purposes. It’s quite important to get an SSL certificate as it offers encryption which makes your clients’ data is safe.
The above are just some simple steps to take to reduce the chances of falling victim to hackers. Always be on the lookout for any red flags and act accordingly.