1 . Keep your website and software updated

Hackers are quick to exploit software security flaws in a website. This can affect the server operating system and the software on your website, such as the CMS or forums. Therefore, to keep your site secure, it is important to ensure that all your software is up-to-date.

To protect your website from hacking, keep your installed scripts, plugins, and content management systems up-to-date.

If you manage a website built with WordPress, you can easily check if all of this is updated in your WordPress dashboard.

2 . Strong passwords and two-factor authentication

Implementing strong access controls helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive areas of your website, reducing the likelihood of website security mistakes.

Key access control measures include:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Requires users to provide multiple forms of identification before accessing privileged accounts.
• Role-based access control (RBAC): Assign users specific roles with predefined access privileges based on their responsibilities.
• Limit login attempts: Implement measures to thwart brute force attacks by limiting the number of login attempts.
• Automatic logout/session expiration: Enforce session timeouts to reduce the risk of session hijacking.
• Secure file uploads: Restrict file uploads to trusted users and validate uploaded files to prevent execution of malicious scripts or unauthorized access to the server.

3 . Install SSL Certificate

Adding an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate to your website is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your website and your users.

To enhance security on your website or blog, consider installing an SSL certificate. When you use SSL, the data exchanged between your site and the server is encrypted, making it more difficult for hackers to decipher.

Google also prefers sites with SSL and ranks them higher. Installing an SSL certificate is usually quite simple, and there are many options to choose from so you can pick the right one for your business needs.

4 . Check your admin permissions

Regularly checking website administrator permissions is easy and goes a long way in keeping your website secure. This ensures that only authorized people can access sensitive areas and functionality, reducing the risk of unauthorized changes, data breaches, and malicious activity. By maintaining tight control over administrator permissions, website owners can protect their site’s integrity and user data.

5 . To minimize information in error messages

Detailed error messages can be useful to help internal users figure out what’s wrong so they can fix it. However, when such error messages are shown to external users, they may contain confidential data that could reveal security flaws on your website to a potential hacker.

Therefore, keep your error messages brief to avoid inadvertently revealing too much information.

6 . Take regular backups

Regularly scheduled backups enable you to quickly restore your website to its previous state in the event of an attack or system failure, minimizing downtime and data loss. Automated backups also eliminate the risk of human error and ensure that critical data is backed up regularly, without the need for any manual intervention.

By implementing automated website backups, you can proactively protect your website’s data and functionality, reduce the risk of cyber attacks, and increase your overall site security.

7 . Use a reliable hosting Provider

Using a reliable hosting company is an important best practice for any website owner. Trustworthy website hosting ensures that your servers are secure, backed up, and regularly maintained, reducing the risk of a data breach. However, using a cheap web hosting service that can be more easily compromised can expose your site to critical vulnerabilities, putting your sensitive data and reputation at risk.

Their hosting plans typically offer additional security features, such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems, which can further enhance your overall security and provide peace of mind.