How To Secure A Website In 2025

As AI technology continues to evolve, cyber attacks are becoming even more sophisticated. Therefore, you’ll want to take the necessary precautions to secure your website against these attacks. 

Fortunately, you don’t need a lot of money to protect your site. Some of the most effective strategies include simple things like choosing a reliable web host and keeping software up-to-date. 

In this post, we’ll look at the common cyber threats for website owners. We’ll then show you steps you can take to boost your site’s security. Let’s dive right in!

Common Threats to Websites

Before you can take measures to protect your website, you’ll need to know what threats you’re up against. 

Here are the most common attacks that website owners face:

1. Phishing attacks. This is when cybercriminals use fake websites and email campaigns to trick users into divulging sensitive information. This has become more advanced with the use of AI-generated content and deepfake technology. 
2. Ransomware. These attacks encrypt your website data, making it inaccessible. The attackers can then demand payment for the decryption key.
3. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. This happens when malicious actors overwhelm your site’s server with simulated traffic, rendering it inaccessible to real visitors.
4. SQL injection. Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in your website’s code to inject malicious SQL queries. This will compromise your database and expose sensitive information.
5. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): This type of attack involves injecting malicious scripts into your website. This will then execute in the browsers of your visitors, leading to data theft or malware distribution.
6. Brute-force attacks. Some hackers use software that generates thousands of username and password combinations and try accessing your site with these credentials. 

Foregoing basic security measures can make it easier for cyber criminals to carry out the above attacks on your website.

How to Secure Your Website

Now that we’ve covered the primary threats, let’s dive into practical steps you can take to secure a website.

1. Choose a Reliable Web Host

Your web host plays a key role in your website’s security. If their server environments are not secure, it could lead cyber criminals to your site. 

A trustworthy hosting provider like NameHero will provide essential security features, including:

• Built-in firewalls
• Malware scanning and removal
• Regular software updates
• DDoS protection

At NameHero, we also provide 24/7 customer support. This means you’ll get prompt assistance in case of an attack.

2. Use SSL Certificates

A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate encrypts the data transferred between your website and a visitor’s browser. This makes it nearly impossible for cyber criminals to intercept the connection and steal sensitive data like login credentials and credit card details.

Serving your website through HTTPS (rather than HTTP) is non-negotiable. Browsers flag any website that doesn’t have an SSL certificate, warning visitors of the unsecured connection. 

So, without an SSL certificate, you’ll also struggle to attract visitors and build trust. 

Fortunately, many reliable hosting providers offer SSL certificates. With NameHero plans, this certificate is automatically installed for you.

3. Implement Strong Password Policies

Weak passwords provide an easy way for attackers to gain unauthorized access to your website. So, you’ll want to enforce strong password policies for all users on your website, including customers.

A secure password should contain at least 12 characters. Ideally, you’ll include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Consider implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) for an added layer of security. Users will need to provide a code that’s sent to their email account or phone in order to log into your website. This makes it super difficult for hackers to gain access to your site, even if they have the username and password.

If you use WordPress, you can install a plugin like Solid Security:

This tool supports multiple 2FA methods. For instance, users will also be able to generate codes from Google Authenticator and Authy.

4. Keep Software Updated

Outdated software is a magnet for cyberattacks. So, it’s important to regularly update your content management system.

If you’re using WordPress, you’ll also want to update your themes and plugins as soon as new versions are released. This is because updates typically contain fixes for known vulnerabilities in the software. 

With WordPress, you can even enable auto-updates from the dashboard, so you won’t have to worry about missing an important update for your WordPress plugins:

When installing a new theme or plugin, make sure that it has been updated within the last three months or so. If the last update was over six months ago, it suggests that the software is not properly maintained by the developers.

5. Perform Regular Backups

Even if you implement solid security measures, your website might still experience an attack. This is why it’s essential to make regular backups of your site.

If something does go wrong, you’ll be able to recover your content. Backups are also handy in the event that you make a change that breaks your site, like switching to another theme. 

At NameHero, we offer free daily backups with all of our WordPress hosting plans to prevent data loss.

6. Install a Security Plugin

A reliable hosting service will have security measures in place to protect the web server and all the websites hosted on it. However, it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious and install your own security plugin. 

If you have a WordPress site, you can install an all-in-one security solution like Jetpack:

This plugin offers real-time malware scanning, a web application firewall, and spam protection. It also comes with a 30-day activity log, so you’ll be able to determine which action or user on your site triggered a security problem. 

7. Limit User Permissions

If there are people in your company with access to the website, you’ll want to make sure that they don’t have more user permissions than they need. 

Ideally, you should follow the principle of least privilege. This means that users only have access to the features they need to perform their tasks.

WordPress provides several user roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. Use the Administrator role sparingly, as this grants the user full control over the website:

Meanwhile, you’ll want to assign the Editor role to those who manage content but don’t need access to site settings. The Contributor role should be given to users who create content but don’t need publishing rights.

It’s also important to regularly review user accounts and remove unused or inactive ones to minimize security risks.

8. Educate Your Team

Human error can easily make your site vulnerable. If your co-workers have access to your website, you’ll want to ensure that they are aware of common security issues, and what they can do to prevent them.  

For instance, you can show them how to recognize phishing attempts, set up strong passwords, and avoid suspicious downloads. 

• Recognizing phishing attempts
• Avoiding suspicious downloads
• Following secure login procedures

It’s a good idea to have a look at some cybersecurity courses that are available on platforms like Udemy and Coursera. 

Conclusion

Website security should be a priority for any business. With the help of AI and advanced technology, cybercriminals keep finding new ways to carry out attacks on websites. So, you’ll want to do everything in your power to stop them.

You can start by choosing a reliable web host like NameHero and securing your site with an SSL certificate. It’s also important to implement a strong password policy, keep software up-to-date, and perform regular backups. You might also want to install a security plugin like Jetpack for additional peace of mind. 

With a NameHero plan, you’ll have access to several security features, including a firewall, SSL certificates, daily backups, and more. Check out our plans today!