Cyber attacks over the years have caused billions of dollars in losses for small and large online businesses. Hackers have devised clever ways to identify and expose network vulnerabilities. This increased risk has made it critical for business owners to prioritize website security checks.
Before diving into the intricacies of checking your network, there are some statistics that you should know.
- Companies spend an average of $2.4 million annually defending against malware attacks.
- Up to 18 million websites are infected with malware each week.
- 34% of businesses hacked into losing access to their websites for a week or more.
- The cost of losses incurred by ransomware attacks hit the $75 billion mark in 2021.
- Ransomware attacks cost businesses an average of $133,000.
- Ransomware attacks target new businesses every 14 seconds.
- Other tactics such as crypto-jacking and social engineering are now widely used by hackers. 98% of cyber attacks rely on social engineering as the primary tactic.
These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg of how critical website security is. The stats emphasize how vulnerable businesses are and why you need to invest in security protocols. As a new business, you should know how to perform a website security check properly. Regularly perform these checks to ensure you don’t fall victim to attacks. How do you do it?
How to Perform a Website Security Check
Performing a security check is not as tedious and time-intensive as most people think. There are a few fundamental steps that facilitate proper website management and protection. These steps include;
Identify Website Vulnerabilities
Ensure you perform a SWOT analysis on how secure your website is. This analysis evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, and threats to identify if your network is sufficiently protected. Pinpoint weaknesses that hackers can easily exploit and rectify.
Hackers are constantly devising new strategies to access secure networks. Therefore, it is critical to perform website security checks as often as possible.
Keep an Eye Out For Warning Signs
Does your website drastically become slow and difficult to operate? Do you experience a rapid and inexplicable drop in web traffic? All these are subtle signs that you may be the victim of a cyber attack. There are also scenarios where you completely lose access to your site or find that your logins have changed.
Any unusual activity you note when trying to navigate your site is a red flag. The best way to prevent permanent damage to your website is to identify warning signs and act immediately.
Regularly Test Website Security Protocols
Another critical process is to test your network security regularly. This process involves testing password configurations, verifying SSL certificate protocols, and checking if your website version number is hidden. You also need to occasionally change the passwords to your websites to make it more difficult for hackers to get the drop on you.
Make it a point to test all your security systems and ensure they work effectively. Regardless of how high-tech you think your security is, never underestimate the sophistication of hackers. Constantly invest in testing and improving your network.
Invest in Website Security Checking Tools
There are several types of cyber attacks that are difficult to locate. For this reason, ensure you find reliable security checking tools you can trust. There are several tools online, such as Detectify, intruder, and the more popular Web Cookie Scanner. All these tools have top-tier scanning equipment that quickly identifies hidden vulnerabilities.
Web checking tools are critical components when performing security checks, and they are instrumental in evaluating how protected you are from cyber threats. These tools also integrate seamlessly with cloud services, making them easy to use.
Check and Limit User Permissions
Did you know that the most used passwords are the easiest to guess? Research shows that 43% of people share passwords-this is the primary source of network breaches.
To mitigate this threat, it is critical to regularly evaluate user permissions and check for weaknesses that may be a threat.
As a business owner, ensure you facilitate a system that promotes constant password changing. You will also need to limit the number of people accessing critical company information. Reducing user permissions ensures that only authorized personnel have restricted access.
You can also go for multi-level verification to improve safety protocols and make your website harder to hack. This solution is effective, especially for employees who use the same password for multiple accounts.
Verdict
Website security is a primary component of running a safe and effective online business. With the overwhelming number of hackers working overtime, securing your network is the best way to keep your business safe. Investing in modern cyber security scanning tools is the best way to ensure business continuity.
