Recent press buzz about computer hacking have many website owners wondering: “How vulnerable is my website?”
Today’s websites are not designed the same way 10 years ago. We demand more functionality out of our websites to interact with the outside world. Thus, websites have evolved into complex computer applications. With this complexity, the increased opportunity of vulnerabilities that might be exploited by hackers.
Most of us use a Content Management System(CMS) to develop and manage our websites. One the most widely used CMS is WordPress.
WordPress for example can be broken into 3 major parts that manage and control your website:
WordPress Core. This is the central part of the CMS that not only manages, pages, blog posts, user logins, content database etc., but also coordinates the other two major parts below.
Plugins. These are individual 3rd party programs that are added to the WordPress Core to give it more functionality
Website Theme. This is a program that controls the layout and look of your website. Everything from mobile & desktop layouts, menus, colors, graphics, are located here.
Under the radar.
Many small to medium size businesses believe that they are too small or not in the public eye so they are not visible to hacking attempts. Our experience has proven whenever we launch a new website from a startup within week our reports show on average more than 600 hack attempts to gain control or maliciously disrupt the website.
Don’t be lazy.
One of the main causes of websites to be hacked is the lack of updating the website’s software. Timely updates of the WordPress Core, plugins, and themes can help substantially reduce your website’s exposure to hacking vulnerabilities.
Just click the update and you are good to go.
Right?
Maybe.
Something to think about whenever you update anything on your site: “Is this update compatible with everything else on my website?” If not will it fail to work or even worse crash my website. What is my recourse if it doesn’t work? In most cases updates go smoothly without any problems. However, having an update and backup strategy in place if it doesn’t work is worth it.
Extra eyes looking out for you.
Using a 3rd party security package to scan your website and report on unusual activity can help you protect your website from unwanted intrusions. A good security package will include firewall protection for your site. Firewalls monitor outside activity and block actions that look suspicious.
Having a backup plan.
One of the most basic type of protection for your website is to have regular backup copies made and store them to an alternative secure location. Having a reversion list of backups can help in case of a website crash or malicious attack that is too difficult to repair.
Putting it all together.
- Selecting the appropriate security package, setup and configuration.
- Keeping up with the updates that now appear on a weekly basis.
- Knowing when updates are compatible with everything else on your website.
- Having and maintaining a backup and recovery plan in place just in case.
These and other website security tasks can seem daunting and time consuming.
Success Media Services can help by providing a customized web hosting solution to your website hosting that includes security, backup and recovery. We can take the work load of maintaining a website so you can focus on your business. We inform our clients on the best approach for their needs and answer all their questions straightforward. Let us know how we can help you with your website and digital marketing needs.