Is My Website Secure?

In 2021, the number of cyberattacks increased by 50% compared to the previous year (source: Check Point). We are all aware of this scourge, but would you have thought of such a high statistic? However, this seems logical, given the rise of digitalization in recent years. Companies had to follow the movement and modernize their IT equipment to maintain competitiveness.

The same is true for their mode of communication. Today, setting up a website to make yourself known and sell your services is essential. However, it is necessary to protect it effectively because it can be an open door for the authors of cyberattacks, particularly for DDoS attacks (by denial of service).

This widespread cyberattack consists of causing a website to malfunction and blocking access to it by sending multiple requests (bots). With its website, a business can retain sales and customers, impacting its financial health. It is, therefore, essential to put in place all the necessary security to protect it.

What Is A Secure Website?

The Internet is now at the heart of our daily lives. Regardless of how it is used: leisure, personal use, or professional activity, safety remains an important issue. A site is secure when it can ensure a fast connection to its visitors. It, therefore, uses authentication and data encryption to safeguard interactions, transactions, or other personal information. Protected sites are recognizable by:

The padlock icon visible in the search bar
The URL automatically starts with “https.”

We also discuss a secure website when we put the tools and measures necessary to protect “administrator access.” A hacker can break into the site and wreck its construction by deleting elements or blocking access to certain pages. But that’s not all, and it can steal the information it contains (email addresses of Newsletter subscribers, contact details of visitors, etc.).

Securing your website is mandatory, regardless of your business’s size or activity area. Indeed, a site with little or no security risks being attacked and out of service very quickly. As previously written, you may be the victim of a malicious DDoS attack or a virus. But that’s not the only reason why it’s essential to secure your website.

Why Secure Your Site?

Limit The Risks Of Cyber Attacks

Unsurprisingly, the first reason is to protect your website from cyber threats. Hackers spare no one: corporate sites of all sizes and from all areas of activity can be targeted. Locking the security of your website avoids being an easy target and limits the risk of intrusion or malicious acts.

Ensuring Customer Confidence

Today, Internet users are more aware of cybersecurity, particularly in managing personal information. It is, therefore, essential to be able to reassure your visitors about the protection of their transmitted information. A person will be more confident if the website guarantees privacy and security. The best thing to do is to be transparent and communicate the measures put in place by your company to secure your site.

Increase The Number Of Subscribers.

To increase its notoriety, nothing better than to offer to subscribe, for example, through the newsletter. To gain the trust of its readers, the first point to validate is respect for their privacy. By providing a privacy policy on the use of personal data, your future subscribers will no longer hesitate to join you.

Improve SEO

Google, a 60% market share search engine, encourages websites to use only the HTTPS protocol for safe browsing. If you do not follow this directive, you will see your natural referencing (SEO) drop immediately: it will be considered an “unsecured site.”

By default, all websites on Google are secure. However, in the event of a problem on a website, the Internet user will be alerted before accessing it. Therefore, a secure site will allow you more visibility on the net.

How To Secure Your Website Effectively?

Below, you will find our main advice to be appropriately protected and calm on the subject:

Choose A Recognized Web Host

This is the starting point: choose a web hosting provider with the best security. Indeed, it is recommended to pay attention to actors of public notoriety to rule out any possible problem.

Opt For An SSL Electronic Certificate

The SSL certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) is the digital identity card of your website. It can authenticate your company and encrypt data exchanges or online transactions.

Keep Your Site Up To Date

Hackers look for a minor security flaw to break into your website. It is, therefore, essential to equip yourself with security software that provides automatic and regular updates. This aspect is necessary to ensure the security of your website is maintained.

Regularly Analyze The Security Of Your Site

It is essential to carry out tests to identify any vulnerabilities in the organization. Using appropriate tools does not leave any chance for malicious people who want to seize your site.

Pay Attention To Your Scripts And Plugins

Adding functionality to your site by installing plugins or scripts is an ingenious idea for more attractiveness. However, be careful; they may have security flaws and bugs. We advise you to install plugins and scripts from a reliable source.

Protect Your Equipment

Remember to protect the hardware on which you administer your website with an antivirus or a VPN. Hackers will not be able to infect your computer and will not have access to login information. The firewall is also a key element for your company’s data. It will also be beneficial for securing your website.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is a trusted security process by which the user provides two modes of identification: for example, with a second authentication by email or by sms. Your administration area will be 100% secure. If you do not opt for this solution, the minimum will be to provide a strong password:

Use A CDN

A CDN (content delivery network) makes it possible to reduce the loading time of Web pages by reducing the server/user distance thanks to its equipment networked via the Internet located in several places worldwide.

Backup Your Site Regularly

We must consider all possible scenarios and plan for the worst. In the event of an attack, a regular backup remains the safest way to thwart the hacker. It will restore your data in total.

Educate Your Employees

Evaluating the behavior of your employees in the face of an attack and offering training in the security of your data are the best choices to make. They will be able to become aware of their ignorance of the subject (e.g., the password is too simple).

Who Can Secure Your Website?

If you wish to avoid taking charge of all the steps indicated upstream, BA Info will assist you in setting up the security of your website. We will take care of the backup of your site. As an IT and telecom service provider, we pay all our attention to the security of your systems and your data. Our expert technicians are at your disposal for any information and provide you with professional and personalized support throughout our partnership.