HOW TO INCREASE THE CYBERSECURITY OF YOUR WEBSITE
Website security can be tricky for small businesses and creatives who aren’t computer savvy or web coders. As the owner of a company that had my website hacked not once, but twice, I’ve learned a few things about website hacking the hard way. It’s time to talk about a few best practices that all creatives can easily do to increase the cybersecurity of websites.
Choosing a Secure Website Company
Choosing a website platform or hosting service is an important decision and can impact your overall site security. Websites built from scratch or made on the cheap may not provide a full range of security. While sites like WordPress are great for customization and blogging, they are easily hacked if the proper security measures are not put in place and maintained. Never trade the cost of a site for the potential for a hack. A hacked site will cost time, money, and potential customers & clients. It can take weeks or months to get back up and running if you don’t have backups or know how to quickly recover from a cyberattack.
If managing and developing a website is a challenge, consider using a website builder and hosting service that is known for strong security measures. Researching the overall security of a company is just as important as the website's bells and whistles, themes, and overall function. Owning and operating a more secure site may cost more money, but the trade-off is security features already built. These types of websites tend to be housed in closed systems that prevent overall breaches and hacks. Companies offering closed system websites also tend to use other methods like two-step authentication to verify that logins which further inhibits system issues.
Https VS. Http
The difference is just an “s,” but it offers a whole line of security defense for your website. The “s” on the https means the website is secure. You can check to see if your site has the “s” or not simply by checking the URL at the your web browser. Some website building sites will offer this when designing your own artist website and many hosting providers will offer an SSL certificate to install. If the URL is simply http, get help from a web developer who can set up further security measures.
App & System Updates
Keep all software, apps, and plugins related to or linked to the website up to date. Updates are meant to close known loopholes and fix problems that currently exist in the software. Delaying an update is like keeping a digital door unlocked to the inside of the website. The more features, add-ons, and apps you use, the more potential unlocked doors you have to your site. It is also a best practice to remove apps and plug-ins that you no longer use.
Backup Your Site
Hacks happen, so make sure to save copies of content and photos, or use a service to back up your website. There are a number of ways to back up websites. Which method or methods you use will sometimes depend on the overall web service or tools you use. Here are three easy ways to back up website content:
Create a copy or a duplicate of your site. This may or may not cost money as it will likely be treated as a second website.
All content created for the website can be drafted in a Word Document or Google Doc. The content is then copied and pasted into the website page or blog. This method gives you a saved copy of the content saved elsewhere in case the site is compromised.
Backup services can happen from an app or plugin that automatically schedules backup copies. These tend to be monthly or annual fee-based services and will link directly to your website.
Further methods of back ups are avaliable, but you will likely need further training on the back end of websites, or pay a web developer to assist you with various file downloads.
Use a Secure Password
Use a difficult and unique password for your website, and save and manage your passwords in a password manager. This is safer than writing them down or saving them in a Word Doc on your computer. A good recommended password manager is Last Pass, but there are many password managers options online to choose from. Use a password or password manager that’s easy to use and access rather than adding another layer of difficulty that locks you out of your own website.
