What Is Website Security? (And Why It’s Important)

If you’ve just set up a new website, you might think that it’s an unlikely target for hackers. However, cyber criminals don’t discriminate when it comes to launching attacks. Any site, regardless of size, can be targeted. 

That’s why website security is of the utmost importance. You’ll want to implement several measures to keep your site and its users safe. These can include simple steps like setting up a firewall and using passwords that are hard to crack.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at website security and discuss some common threats. We’ll then share some tips for maintaining a secure website. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to Website Security (And Why It’s Important)

As a business owner with a website, security should be one of your top priorities. Around four million websites experience malware attacks at any given time, and if your site is powered by WordPress, it has a greater chance of being affected. 

This is because WordPress is used by over 40 percent of websites, which makes the software a popular target for hackers. Additionally, cyber criminals tend to exploit vulnerabilities in plugins to carry out attacks on WordPress sites.

In fact, plugins are responsible for 97 percent of all new security vulnerabilities. This means that any plugin you install on your website can open the door to hackers.  

When successful, a cyber attack can have serious consequences for your website and business. Hackers may steal user data like passwords and credit card details and use them for fraudulent purposes. As the website owner, these data breaches could land you in legal hot water and damage your reputation.

Even if there’s no data theft involved, hackers may break your site and render it unavailable. This can result in lost conversions, as customers will be unable to view your pages. 

You might not even be able to recover your content, especially if you don’t have a backup to restore.

Fortunately, these problems can be prevented if you take the necessary precautions. But before we discuss some effective web security measures, it’s important to have an understanding of common cyber threats and how they work. 

Common Threats to Websites

Most websites face similar threats, whether they’re hosted on WordPress or any other platform. Let’s look at the most common cyber attacks so you know how to prevent them. 

Brute-Force Attacks

A brute-force attack is when a hacker tries multiple username and password combinations to get into your website. They typically use a program that can generate thousands of possible login credentials in a short amount of time. 

Malicious users may carry out brute-force attacks to steal data, infect your site with malware, or just to disrupt your business. 

Credential Theft

Credential theft refers to the stealing of credentials like usernames and passwords. When hackers get access to this data, they may use it to gain entry into other accounts. 

For example, some customers use the same credentials to log into your website and other online marketplaces. This is good news for hackers, as it enables them to get into multiple accounts and conduct fraudulent transactions on different platforms. 

Malware Infections

Malware can be injected into your site through vulnerabilities in plugins and themes. However, malicious actors can also plant malware in your content through successful brute-force attacks.

There are several motives behind malware infections. Some hackers try to place spammy content on your site. Others redirect your website visitors to malicious sites, where they may try to trick them into forfeiting personal and sensitive information.

They can also inject malicious code into advertisements on your site, or prompt users to click on a link or ad that will automatically download the malware onto their computers.

Infected websites can be difficult to spot and therefore pose a huge security risk. Anyone who inadvertently interacts with malicious code (including website owners and site visitors) can contribute to a major security incident.

DDoS attacks

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is an attempt by malicious actors to disrupt your operations. It involves simulating large volumes of traffic to your website so that it’s unable to handle the demand and therefore goes offline. 

When this happens, genuine site visitors will be unable to access and interact with your site. This is usually done out of contempt, to harm ecommerce websites and their customers. 

How to Boost Website Security (4 Effective Measures)

All of the cyber threats discussed above may seem scary. Of course, you can’t stop anyone from attempting a brute-force or DDoS attack, but there are things you can do to prevent them from succeeding.

So, here are some measures that can help you boost and maintain security on your website.

Enforce Strong Passwords and 2FA

Thirty percent of internet users have experienced a data breach due to weak credentials, with the most common password being 123456. If your website allows user registration (for instance, if you have an online shop or offer online courses), it’s important to enforce strong passwords to protect your content. 

Passwords should contain a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. If you have a WordPress site, you can use the built-in password generator:

It’s also a good idea to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your website. This creates an additional layer of site security, requiring users to enter a code sent to their mobile phones or inboxes (in addition to their usernames and passwords).

So, even if a hacker guesses the credentials, they won’t be able to break into your website thanks to 2FA.

If you use WordPress, you can install a security plugin like WP 2FA to enable this feature on your website:

With this plugin, users will also be able to generate codes from Google Authenticator, Authy, and other similar apps.

Keep Software Up to Date

As mentioned earlier, plugins may contain vulnerabilities that put your website at risk. However, even a content management system (like WordPress) can contain security loopholes. 

Typically, when critical vulnerabilities become known, the developers of the affected software will instantly release an update to patch the issue. These updates may also contain other security enhancements.

Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you update any software you use on your website as soon as new versions are released. In WordPress, this includes the core software, themes, and plugins:

Using outdated software will make it easier for hackers to get into your website. Before you install a new tool, you’ll want to do some research. If the plugin or tool hasn’t been updated in a long time, it’s likely that it’s not well-maintained by its developers and may contain security risks.

Use a Web Application Firewall

You may already be familiar with firewalls. These prevent malware infections on your computers.

Web application firewalls (WAFs) are specifically designed for websites. They filter and monitor traffic to your site, and block any suspicious requests.

Many all-in-one security solutions like Jetpack (for WordPress sites) include a firewall and DDoS protection. Depending on the software you use, you may even be able to configure the firewall to block certain IP addresses. 

Choose a Reliable Web Host

Your hosting provider plays a key role in website security. If the web server they use is not secured, hackers can gain access to any websites that are hosted on it. 

A reliable web host will offer a suite of security features. At NameHero, our Security Shield tool uses artificial intelligence to detect and stop potential security threats. It scans your website for malware and conducts automated malware removal (when needed).

You’ll also get weekly backups, so if something does go wrong, you can easily restore your content. 

Additionally, all of our web hosting plans come with free and unlimited Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates. These will encrypt the connection between your website and the user’s browser, preventing malicious actors from intercepting it and stealing sensitive data.

Conclusion

Cyber attacks can target any website, although WordPress sites may be more vulnerable than others due to the popularity of the CMS and plugins. Common website security threats include brute-force attacks, credential theft, malware infections, and DDoS attacks.

To recap, here are some things you can do to boost your site’s security and protect sensitive data:

1. Enforce strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
2. Keep software (like plugins and themes) up to date.
3. Use a web application firewall.
4. Choose a reliable web host like NameHero.

Do you have any questions about website security? Let us know in the comments section below!