Check Security of my Website
Hacking threats are real, even though most people think hackers have no interest in their websites. Websites are compromised all the time, but the idea is not always to steal data, which is a common misconception.
Instead, the hackers use your site as a server as an email transmitter for spam or for setting up a short-term web server for serving illegal files. Automated scripts carry out most of the common hacking cases. Hackers write these scripts for scouring the internet, trying to exploit the standard website software issues. Check my website for some tips to keep your site secure:
Check Your Website Fully Optimized?
1. Keep Your Software Updated
This tip may sound cliché to most, but you cannot overstate or underestimate its significance. Keeping software updated is essential for keeping the site secure, and this applies to any software running on the website and the server operating system. Hackers are quick to exploit any security holes they can find in your website software.
If you are using a hosting solution, you do not have to worry about applying these updates since the host will update on your behalf. If you are using third-party software, it is crucial that you quickly apply security patches as they are rolled out.
Many vendors have an RSS feed or mailing list that details any security issues. Most vendors alert you of any problems the minute you log in.
2. File Uploads
Permitting users to upload files to your website is a huge security risk. Uploaded files might potentially contain a script that makes your website vulnerable when executed. If you allow file uploading, you must treat all files as potential threats, with mime type or file extensions, not a reliable means of identification as hackers can fake them.
Image formats usually have a comment section space, which could quickly contact malicious PHP code. To prevent this, restrict your website users from executing any uploaded files. By default, Web servers do not try to run files with image extensions, but checking these extensions is not entirely reliable. Check my website for more details on file uploads and the potential dangers.
3. SQL injection Prevention
SQL injection attacks are attacks that allow hackers to execute malicious SQL (Structured Query Language) statements. These SQL statements steer a database server while hidden behind a web application.
An attacker can use an SQL injection to bypass authorization and authentication of web pages. They can use an SQL injection to modify, add or delete records in a database. Use parameterized queries to prevent hackers from planting malicious code into your query. Most web languages are equipped with the parameter query feature, which you can quickly implement.
4. XSS
Cross scripting or XSS is when a hacker attempts to pass scripting code such as JavaScript into a web form. These attempts are usually to try and run malicious code for the people who visit your site. During form creation, you must double-check the submitted data and encode or strip out any HTML.
5. Error Messages
It would help if you were careful about the information you reveal form an error message, like the language you use during a failed login display. A message needs to stay generic and not give any details on which part of the query is wrong.
If an attacker uses brute force to get your username and password, and the error message shows that part of the question with a mistake, the attacker finds it easy to determine which part of the query is incorrect.
6. Passwords
Complex passwords are another crucial factor that most people take for granted. Using strong passwords is essential for your website administration and server, but it is also important to ask users to follow best password practices for their account security.
A strong password should be alphanumerical, have a minimum of eight characters, and include special symbols. A password needs to be stored as an encrypted value, and using a one-way hashing algorithm is preferable. The one-way hashing algorithm means a user is authenticated by comparing encrypted values, which are impossible to decrypt. Salting passwords is another excellent way to add security to passwords by slowing the hacking process and making it too costly to execute
Conclusion
Securing your website is critical for the security of your data and that of your users. Hackers keep using more sophisticated website hacking methods, and you have to keep your protection up to date to keep them at bay. Simple things like updating software and strong passwords may seem like basic knowledge, but they can mean the world for your website security.
