25Jan 2019

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Maintaining a Good Website Security

Website Security

What is Website Security?

Website security is important for every business that has an online platform, but several companies have divers needs and compliance neccesities.

Whether you are in ecommerce or electricals holiday cottages or hedge funds, your website is one of your most important business assets.

It is your 24/7 shopfront, and you need to make sure it’s secure and working at its best. You wouldn’t leave your laptop behind when you leave a restaurant for lunch yea, so why would you take chances with internet security?

Studies and surveys have shown that an unhappy client is much more vocal than a happy one.

If your site triggers a security warning in the web browser of the visiting user or worse, it infects a client’s computer, that client is going to tell all their friends and colleagues and thanks to social media perhaps even the world as whole.

And it’s not just your reputation that you have to worry about. If you have an ecommerce site, warnings and poor internet security will mean abandoned carts and lost customers.

Because of a poor website security, your business stands to lose a lot more than you can expect.

Most clients who don’t see a visible clue proving your website is secure, won’t trust you and they won’t commit their lots into your care.

BASICS OF A GOOD WEBSITE SECURITY

Basically, there are two main features of internet security provided by SSL certificates. They are:

  • Authentication

The SSL certificate has data concerning the authenticity of certain details regarding the identity of a person, business or website, which it will display to visitors on your website when they click on the browsers padlock symbol or trust mark.

When you apply for an SSL certificate, you would have to go through a business identity check.

The more thorough the check the more visual clues of authenticity your website visitors get, such as green address bars and padlock symbols.

  • Encryption

The SSL certificate also enables encryption which means that the sensitive information exchanged via the website cannot be intercepted and read by anyone other than the intended recipient.

It also means that data isn’t modified in transit between servers and computers: so hackers can’t insert malicious code into the messages and data.

One can also say that SSL certificates are what keep data safe and help you comply with regulations, while enhancing your reputation and helping to increase your website conversions.

To ensure the safety of visitors and your business you need to ensure that there is no malware lurking on your site or the server(s) that run it. Some practices for keeping ensuring your internet security are:

  • Keeping Your Systems up to date

The servers of your website are the same as any other device connected to the internet or a company network.

Just as you need to update, manage and maintain computers and laptops to prevent malwares and bugs, you need to do same with servers too.

Keep all your software and hardware up to date to ensure you’re running the latest version and have any updates installed.

Vendors issue patches in response to either criminals or their own teams finding weak spots. If you don’t install the updates, you are potentially leaving yourself vulnerable to attack.

  • Conducting Vulnerability and Malware Scans

Despite your efforts to stay up to date, you may miss certain vulnerabilities. This is where third-party scanning comes in. Many Certificate Authorities offer vulnerability and malware scanning to ensure a good website security.

For example, Symantec includes free scanning when you buy SSL certificates from them. This type of scanning is an important aspect of a multi-layered security strategy.

  • Minimizing Access

This also helps to maintain a good internet security. Some ways to do this are:

  • Two-factor authentication

  • Limited network access

  • Restricted access

HOW THEN DO YOU MAINTAIN A GOOD WEBSITE SECURITY?
  • SWITCHING ALWAYS-ON SSL

Most website owners use SSL encryption on login pages or shopping carts where confidential data is likely to be exchanged.

This means some visitor interactions with a website are unencrypted and as a visitor switches between the two it puts both their security and the safety of the website at risk.

To maintain internet security, Always-On SSL combats this risk by encrypting everything from the moment a visitor arrives on your site to the moment they leave. Always-On SSL is a cost-effective way of making it safer for website visitors to search, share and shop online.

Customers see an SSL encryption padlock in their browser during their entire visit, proving you are serious about both their safe surfing and your business reputation.

Say, for example, someone logs into a shopping site.

The login website page is secured with an SSL certificate so that the visitors password is encrypted.

Once the visitor leaves that page, however they drop back onto an unsecured page of the site. At the same time, the website server sends over a cookie to the visitors browser.

A cookie is a little bit of code that makes sure the server can recognize the customer as they move around the site.

That cookie is sent unencrypted.

A hacker can copy that cookie and use it to impersonate the real website visitor.

Make sure that your employees watch for needful things that can put a check on your website security. Examples are social media phishing, USB lure, Email phishing,

unsecured websites, etc.

It’s important to teach your employees about unsecured websites in relation to the sites they visit at work.

They need to know to look for a green address bar or https to be sure they are not being tricked by a cloned website .

  • You should implement an Effective Damage Limitation.

How? Regular website scans

  • Utilize webmaster tools
  • Always have a disaster recovery plan

A good Internet security can invariably contribute to the success of your business by establishing credibility, keeping customer data safe, increasing business confidence and conversions, etc.

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