Nobody wants to find their digital safety compromised. We’ve put together a list of Website Security Tips to keep you and your customers protected.
As with everything in life, prevention is always better than the fix. Following these simple website security tips will boost your online safety, encouraging confidence for users of your site.
Whether you have a basic brochure website or a large online shop that stores personal information for multitudes of customers, you need to keep on top of website security. The tips below will help you achieve that, for the wellbeing of your business and everyone who visits.
Strong Password
We all know we need to have a strong password, but in reality, many just don’t cut it. What does it mean when we say “strong” password?
Ideally, your password will be longer rather than shorter – more than 8 or 10 characters is better than the often-suggested minimum of 6. You also should include a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Lastly, it is advised not to use anything that relates to birthdays, hobbies, or names of pets or children.
SSL Certificates
Purchasing an SSL certificate for your website is vital for a number of reasons. Primarily, it really is essential for any website that collects information from visitors to the site. Whether you’re just collecting basic details through your contact form, or have an online store complete with payment portal, you need one of these for security. Nowadays it is hard to foster confidence in the public if you don’t have an SSL certificate, as any website that lacks one will have that pesky “insecure” message in the browser’s address bar.
It’s also something that Google favours, so if you are concerned about your ranking and SEO, this certificate is an absolute must. Your hosting company should help you sort this out.
For more information check out our Online Security & SSL Certificates blog.
Choose your host wisely
On the back of the SSL certificate tip, you should pick your website hosting company carefully. It’s always better to stick with a company that is local, makes sure everything is backed up on a remote server, and is reputed to be on the ball when it comes to threats to online security.
In addition, always make sure your web hosting company is always contactable and easy to communicate with, as well as ready to provide clear and effective technical support whenever necessary.
At Web Marketing Angels, we have monthly serviced hosting packages available, giving you peace of mind that your website will always be secure and fully updated.
Updated Website Software and Plugins
This is something that often goes amiss. If you manage your own website, check for updates to your software and plugins regularly. If you have outsourced the management of your site, it pays to check every so often to ensure they are stay on top of updates as they become available. Failing to follow through on these updates can affect your website in many different ways, from security to search engine ranking.
Education for your team
Don’t keep all of this to yourself, either. You should always have a second, and maybe even a third or fourth, person across this online security stuff so that it never falls between the cracks.
On the flip side, too many fingers in the pie can pose a liability or just get plain messy. Stay wise, share the responsibility, but don’t leave gaps in your protection by making sensitive knowledge widely accessible.
Backups
Hopefully your web hosting company is onto this, but it is wise to keep a backup of website elements in your company’s cloud storage and on local drives. We’re talking content, images, screenshots of each of the website’s pages… It makes it easier to recreate if the need should ever arise. After all, this is your intellectual property and very valuable to your business.
Ask the experts
Still not sure about where your own website stands in the safety stakes? It’s time to check in with the experts.
Web Marketing Angels have been providing secure web hosting services for a decade. We pride ourselves on giving Australian companies a safe platform to promote their businesses. For more information about the website security tips we’ve discussed above, or any other service we provide such as web design or digital marketing, contact us today.
