Businesses are facing the threat of more cyberattacks than ever before.
Around 73% of US business leaders in a recent survey said their company has experienced a denial of service (DDoS) attack in the last 12 months.
With more employees working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are more opportunities for hackers to gain access to company networks. Businesses must put in place more stringent security policies protecting business data and ensuring their websites are free of malware.
What can you do to improve web security for your small business? Read on for some top tips.
Conduct Regular Software Updates
Cyber threats are always changing, making outdated software and plugins more vulnerable to attack. So, it is critical that you keep all your software up to date. Software developers often issue updates to fix security flaws, which hackers are continually looking to exploit.
Train Staff to Identify Common Cyber Threats
Most malicious software, known as malware, spreads as a result of human error. Hackers usually gain access to corporate networks because employees click on phishing links or download malicious attachments in emails.
Conducting regular staff training on cybersecurity and how to identify common cyber threats is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of attack.
Install an advanced firewall The main ways that hackers gain access to online businesses to steal their data are:
- Exploiting vulnerable applications
- Executing malware
- SQL database attack
Installing an advanced web application firewall will protect your company’s website from these methods. It will block access and patch vulnerabilities.
Use Web Security Tools to Monitor Your Website
Empower your digital security team to resolve issues before a security breach can happen. Using web security tools like an attack surface management tool can help your team to find and eliminate web security risks before attackers can exploit them.
Limit Access to Administrative Tools
You should only provide access to the backend of your company website to employees that work on it directly. And you should only assign them to the sections that they need. Do not allow employees to share their login details with anyone. This reduces the damage that an unauthorized individual can cause if they do gain access to the system.
Practice Good Password Hygiene
Ensure that any employees that have access to your website interface use unique, complex passwords. Passwords should use a combination of letters, numbers, and characters to make them harder to break. Users should change their passwords on a regular basis.
It is also good practice to use multi-factor authentication. That way, even if a password is compromised, an unauthorized user will still not be able to gain access to the system.
Follow These Steps to Improve Web Security for Your Small Business
A solid cybersecurity policy and the use of website monitoring tools are important ways to improve web security and prevent malicious attacks.
Check out the security section of our blog for more helpful tips to protect your business.