Working with some high profile clients, I have realized that one thing that takes precedence over design for a website is security. The pace at which technology is advancing today is not just creating more opportunities for businesses to grow, it has also made it easier for hackers to gain access to information available online.
In my experience, I have found it is possible to stay one step ahead by predicting possible malware threats. My research has led me to these developments for the year 2109 that are guaranteed to keep your website secure.
Be it the operating system of your phone or your PC, you must have noticed constant reminders for software updates. This is a very important step taken by the developers of the software to ensure that not only the functionality but also the security features are constantly improved.
Similarly, all website hosting services provide plugins, web applications and other related software updates to help you stay protected. It is my advice that you connect with your website developer and understand these upgrades and ensure that they are done.
Many CMS such as WordPress, Joomla, and Umbraco notify admins whenever an update is available. Its best to update at the earliest followed by the use of a firewall immediately after an update to prevent any security lapses in the website after an update.
All information in a website is stored at different levels. The highest one is the admin level, which is reserved for any confidential data. The idea behind this is simple. Only the owners can modify this data.
Use passwords and usernames that are harder to crack to secure this data as the first step. That said, too many attempts to log in and out within a short span of time can compromise security. Here is what you can do –
Above all, I cannot stress more upon the importance of never sharing your login details via SMS, email, or even the phone.
If there is one thing that I have learnt in all my years of experience, it is that no data that comes from the Internet must be trusted. Several malware attacks and viruses can misuse the data available.
So how do you scan the data to know what is genuine? Get a Firewall. This software is able to detect any issues with incoming data. It can monitor the traffic generated on the website and even the IP address from which the data is coming in.
All the data that is received is compared with the parameters of your website. If it does not match, it is blocked immediately to prevent any chance of damage. The best way to stay 100% protected, in my experience, is to use both hardware and software firewall. For businesses, McAfee, WatchGuard XTM, Palo Alto and Cisco ASA 5505 are options that I would recommend for any business.
Hardware software is an absolute must if you have heavy traffic directed to your website. I would like to think of it as a gatekeeper for the network and the web that actually keeps all suspicious data from even entering your device. The best hardware firewall that work efficiently, in my experience are SonicWALL, BullGuard Dojo and Cujo AI Smart Internet Security.
As surprising as it may be to most of you, there is such a thing as too much website traffic. Remember how certain e-commerce websites crashed after announcing a huge sale? This is because they had more traffic than the website was designed to handle.
A DDos Attack works in a similar way. Hackers use botnets that come with unique IP addresses to cause a DDoS attack. These attacks work by driving too much traffic into a website, causing it to crash instantly.
Since there are multiple, unique IP addresses, having Firewall alone does not suffice, as some of these IP addresses may even seem legitimate to this software. Using DDos Mitigation or Protection, which helps block a sudden increase in traffic in specific situations such as post product launches etc. is the best option available. Consult your hosting provider or Content Delivery Network (CDN) service provider for the best solutions. Some of the best solutions are offered by – Imperva, CISCO Systems, etc.
I, personally, am completely against free domain hosting. If you want better functionality and security features, then you have to understand that it comes with a price tag.
These private domains come with added security features that tweak the contact information provided to WHOIS. Every time a domain is registered, contact details must be listed on WHOIS. This data provided, as per guidelines, will not be used for any activities such as marketing or advertising of other services. However, with the technical genius of a hacker, accessing this information might be easier than you think.
With free domain hosting, the actual details of your website will be shared, making you more vulnerable to attacks. Paid hosting services, on the other hand, provide their own contact information and keep the users safe. There are a lot more advantages that I suggest you think about before you choose free hosting:
If you want to share any confidential information, encrypt it to prevent it from getting into the hands of hackers. I suggest getting an SSL certificate and TSL for your website because it ensures that there is no unencrypted data transfer at all.
If any personal data such as payment details are being shared on your website, an SSL certificate is a must. Take a look at any E-commerce portal today and you will find this feature. SSL or Secure Sockets Layer makes it impossible for any hacker to read sensitive data when it is being sent from one system to the other. This is done with complex algorithms and by encrypting every piece of information that is shared.
TSL, also called Transport Layer Security is a better and more improved version of the SSL. But, I would suggest that you begin with the SSL certificate because it is better understood. In any case when you purchase your SSL from vendors like Symantec, you get the updated TLS certificates along with it.
Once your website is secured with SSL, a HTTPS or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure will be seen in the URL. If your website has it, Google will rank you higher in the search results.
You may have received messages and e-mails from your bank or other payment gateways stating that their customer service will never ask for your CVV number or PIN details. This has become very common these days thanks to a phenomenon called Phishing.
Phishing is where cyber criminals pose to be from your bank or any other institution and try to get your information via email or telephone.
Be very wary of the kind of information that you are giving out. Make sure that you are able to spot any fake on your phone or even email. Any unexpected communication must be treated with caution. Never open any message that seems suspicious without verifying it first. There are some red flags to look for such as:
In any case, makes sure you call the company if you have any doubts. Since you are most likely using a social media handle and use the internet for emails and other things, I urge you to check your privacy settings. Here are some things that every individual must do:
No matter how strong your passwords are, a hacker with the intention of getting through to your information will crack it. Stay ahead and change the password before he figures it out.
I have always told my clients that the platform that your website is on does not matter. You have to change passwords frequently. It is also a good idea to avoid using the same login details for your web host and the platform that you are using to create the website. Avoid passwords that are too common. For instance, a study published by SplashData, a password security company showed that the most common passwords are ‘123456’, ‘password’ ‘ilove you’ and ‘666666’. Quite obviously, this is an invitation to the hackers.
If you are not able to do this by yourself each time, use tools called password managers that help create unique passwords for every link in the login in chain. You can also set a two factor authentication option such as providing an OTP sent to the registered phone number, a security question or even biometrics like fingerprints in addition to your password.
I would also suggest using a web hosting service that gives the option of two-factor authentication. This not only verifies the password but also the device that has been used to log in.
This is a great way to fight fire with fire. Approach an ethical hacker or a firm that provides these services. These companies will understand the weak zones of your website and actually fix it for you. They can help by:
Improving the defense strategy by understanding what a hacker is most likely to do.
Dealing with any sophisticated attack that has already taken place.
Reducing losses in case of an attack.
Top companies like IBM make use of ethical hackers to keep their systems secure.
Hackathons are events that last for many days. The agenda of these events is to bring developers and hackers together to work towards software projects. You can find a hackathon near you online quite easily. Entering your website into one of these events is a great way to find the different bugs in it and fix it effectively. New tools can be developed to protect your website from attacks.
You can find a Hackathon near you using websites like www.hackathonsnearme.com or www.devpost.com
When you login to a website, you may have entered a captcha code or even identified grids with certain instructions or simply clicked on the option “I’m not a robot”. This may seem redundant to you. However, it is the best way to prevent any bug or software from hacking into your website. Using a captcha feature helps you distinguish between a machine and a human. Different captcha options available are:
Give the responsibility of collecting sensitive information to another company with experience. This is called offloading and can save you the trouble of constantly monitoring your security features. For instance, if you are collecting any payments from the users, choose a secure payment processor or a payment gateway. A payment gateway such as Billdesk is a standalone option that specializes in managing all the transactions and security features. This reduces any risk to private information provided to you by your customers.
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