Is Your Website Sound And Secure?

Whether you run a multi-million dollar business or a small mom and pop shop, your website’s security should always be a top priority on your list of important things to keep the company moving forward.

Unfortunately, too many businesses don’t always make website security the important item it should be; thereby leaving themselves open to potential hacking. And if you think hacking only comes from the outside, think again.

Do Regular Reviews and Find the Bugs

Just as you periodically do employee reviews, the same holds true for the health and integrity of your website, though those reviews need to be done on a regular basis.

As news reports have shown, especially in the last couple of years, hacking into business websites is not an occasional problem, but more so a regular issue. Sure, the bigger hacking events typically get all the headlines, but many smaller companies have had their issues too.

So, what are some of the steps you can take to make sure your business website is as protected as it possibly can be?

• Be pro-active – First and foremost, make sure you and/or your I.T. staff (and your other employees for that matter) are pro-active. Criminal hackers look for the tiniest of slip-ups in order to work their way into your site. Whether it is giving up passwords or not having active firewalls, hackers just need that one break to make your business life (and oftentimes that of your customers) miserable. Maybe you want to start a blog on your website to drive more traffic your way. While that is fine, make sure you don’t give out sensitive password information to guest bloggers who you might allow to access the site. While most people have good intentions in wanting to contribute as guest blog posters, it just takes that one individual to create the nightmare scenario, leaving you and potentially your customers exposed;
  
  
• Review protocols – Even though you might think you’re always staying one step ahead of hackers, think again. In these cases, you need to stay two and sometimes three steps ahead of them, keeping in mind that hackers are working full-time at trying to expose your website. Make sure your members of your staff are all on the same page when it comes to website security. Having periodic meetings to review and improve website security is always a good idea;
  
  
• Stay up to date on security measures – Finally, make sure you review the latest security measures in the tech industry. With countless hackers out there, tech companies providing Internet security to businesses can help you with the latest firewalls to lessen the chances of being hacked. It is also not a bad idea to have your in-house our outsourced I.T. folks attend trade shows, conferences, webinars etc. involving online security. Knowing the latest security measures and what the most recent attacks to look for are helps keep you on a level playing field with potential hackers.