Protect An HTML Site From Hackers Using Handy Tips From Semalt. It Is As Easy As ABC!

1. Keep All Software Updated

Artem Abgarian, the Senior Customer Success Manager of Semalt, strongly believes that keeping your software updated is one of the crucial factors that'll help to secure a website from hacker attacks. Some companies release regular patches and updates to fix bugs and errors in their previous plugins. By making sure that they correct any bugs and holes in the code, these companies reduce the risk of attacks on their software. Therefore, as long as the site makes sure that it has the most recent plugins supporting it, it is assured of the same security attributes. The same applies to the site owners that use third party plugins. One should make sure they track their updates and ensure that they remain updated at any single time. A site owner needs to clear any plugins that are no longer used or necessary as they serve as sitting gateways, which hackers may find and use to attack.

2. Build Security Layers Around the Site

The first line of defense on a website is the Web Application Firewall. Its purpose is to inspect any incoming traffic and flag any suspicious requests. In the end, the site keeps out of the reach of cyber-attacks and spam. In the past, Web Application Firewalls were in the form of hardware appliances. However, the Security-as-a-service companies (SECaaS) have made use of cloud technology as a cheaper way to provide website security, previously found on enterprise level setups alone. Through cloud technology, any company can rent out a "Web Application Firewall" without incurring extra expenses such as owning a dedicated hosting server. These plug-and-play services have automated features that conduct the necessary processes on behalf of the owner. These cloud-based Web Application Firewalls fill the void where another hosting provider fails.

3. Switch to HTTPS

Hyper Text Protocol Secure is a secure communication protocol used to exchange private or sensitive information. Using a HTTPS service to make communications between a website and a browser means adding an extra encryption layer to the Transport Layer Security (TLS) or the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). It is an added advantage to the owner as it protects them from hacking attempts, and to the website as it shows users that the business dedicates itself to protecting their information.

All online transactions run on a HTTPS platform. The remainder of the website is HTTP by default. However, this may change as Google recently added that they would start using HTTPS as a search ranking factor, which will mean that most websites will make the shift with the hope of improving their ranking on the SERP.

4. Use Strong Passwords and Change Them Regularly

There is an alarming increase in the number of brute force attacks used by hackers to try and guess user passwords. One way to protect oneself from such is through the use of strong and unique passwords. It is imperative to have these characteristics applied to admin, website servers, and database passwords. One should create a password that makes use of different characters, and at least 12 characters long. Finally, users need to change passwords for various sites to ensure one is double secure. Encrypted passwords work even better as it makes it difficult for hackers to get the passwords after they perform successful breaches.

5. Make Admin Directories Tough to Spot

Hackers attack the source directories to retrieve data concerning the site. By using scripts that crawl through this data, their focus shifts to trying an enter the folders contained there to compromise security. A website owner should make sure that the names used on the directories are only known to the webmasters only.