Why website security important to your business?

I’ll never forget the first time I was hacked and the sickening feeling that all that content might be lost forever. I then started to put into place actions which meant that if it ever occurred again I’d be in a much calmer place (well that’s the plan!) Website security might not be the top of your list to do but James, from Curoweb has some great tips and suggestions as to why it should.

Before becoming an expert in website security, I didn’t think too much about my website getting hacked. “It will never happen to me” I thought, after all “why would anyone want to hack my website?”

In 2010 my web development company did get attacked and before we knew it, our company website as well as many of our client’s websites were also compromised. The ordeal cost us thousands of pounds to put right and it seriously damaged our reputation as a company.

From then on we decided to make big changes. We formed a new outfit called CuroWeb and made it our mission to educate and help people with their own web security concerns. As we came to discover, good web security is about being vigilant, having the right expertise, and performing the necessary updates and maintenance routines.

CuroWeb offer a low-cost monthly support package that will keep your website secure whilst you focus on running your business.

What exactly is website security?

A website can be attacked through both manual and automated methods. Automated attacks look for weaknesses in your website’s code and use those vulnerabilities in order to gain unauthorized access to files and data.

Proper Internet security is about reducing these potential weaknesses. Achieving 100% security doesn’t exist which is why you must always be proactive with regards to monitoring and updating your website.
Thwarting hackers is an ongoing battle. The police have an everlasting fight against crime in much the same way we do against hacking scripts and malware bots.

There’s no way we can fully cleanse the Internet of these threats, but we don’t want to make it easy for them either! You wouldn’t leave the front door to your house unlocked, so why do the equivalent on your website?

Why does it matter?

If you value your business’s web presence then it’s vital to keep your website online and available so it can attract customers and generate income on a 24×7 basis.

The following outcomes are likely should your website get hacked:-

1. Your website will be taken offline or defaced.
2. Customer data will be stolen and often shared or sold.
3. Any credit card details on your computer will be stolen.
4.  Google will blacklist your website and show a large red warning sign to visitors.
5. Your emails will be hijacked and spam will be sent out via your domain.
6. Your email services will be blacklisted.
7. Your web host will suspend your account to protect their server from further harm.

What should you do?

There are many things you can do to improve your website’s security, so here are a few pointers:-

1. Keep everything up-to-date, especially if you’re using a CMS like WordPress!
2.  Consider using a third party firewall.
3.  Make sure you have a virus scanner running on a regular basis.
4.  Take regular backups of your entire website.
5.  Change your account passwords regularly.
6.  Make sure your web host is secure and read up on their security policy.

These are just a few measures that can be taken. If you’re interested in learning more about web security, we have plenty more helpful tips on our company website at: www.curoweb.co.uk

We also offer an affordable security package from £24.99 per month. We deal with all of the above and more. Give your business peace of mind today!

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