Creating a website is one thing; maintaining it is another, especially when it comes to website security. Before you launch your site, there are several aspects of website security you need to make sure to implement. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of keeping your site safe because many aspects of site security require constant maintenance.
Here are the site security necessities you shouldn’t forget about.
1. SSL certificate
Whether you purchase an SSL certificate by Namecheap or another affordable store, it doesn’t matter. You need an SSL certificate for your site, period. SSL certificates make sure anyone visiting your site does so over an encrypted link. The information transmitted over this link is then kept safe from prying eyes. This is essential if you want customers to feel safe on your site, especially if you have an e-commerce store.
2. Good password hygiene
Everyone should know by now that a bad password is ridiculously easy to crack. What does a bad password look like exactly? Well, they tend to be short and very obvious. Think 000000, password, or 123456. Unfortunately, such passwords are still quite popular, making it incredibly easy for hackers to access accounts. If you use such a password for your site, it’s like leaving a door wide open for hackers. Keep your site safe with a strong password with at least 12 mixed characters. And be sure to change it regularly!
3. Keeping everything up-to-date
This goes for anything from scripts and coding to CMS software and plugins. Out-of-date software is one of the key ways hackers break into websites. While constantly updating things can seem like a pain, it serves a purpose beyond improving the functionality of a particular plugin. They also tend to contain critical security updates. If these security fixes haven’t been implemented, hackers will know how exactly to exploit your site. So don’t take any chances and update everything sooner rather than later.
4. Backing up everything
If you own a home or something valuable, you likely have an insurance scheme should anything happen to the item. Regular backups are basically like an insurance policy for your website’s content if an attack ever takes it offline. So, while backups don’t literally protect your site, they are crucial for getting your site back up and running ASAP if anything ever happens to it. Many hosting services perform regular backups, but you may want to look into another service if it isn’t frequent enough for you.
