In today’s market, most consumers rely on the internet for their research and purchases. Because of this, many businesses are bringing their operations online. It’s a great way to reach new audiences, diversify revenue streams, and introduce innovations conveniently. However, these translate to essential business information being stored, shared, and accessed online — drastically increasing cyberattack cases worldwide.
Hackers have stolen over 3 billion records in 2018 alone, with experts estimating cybercrime damages to hit $6 trillion by 2021. Besides losing money, this puts companies’ reputations at risk as one-third of consumers claim they will stop dealing with brands that fell victim to cybersecurity breaches.
With these in mind, it pays to protect your websites from cyberattacks. Here are the best and proven strategies to protect your website.
Invest in a Good Website Security Tool
Website security tools can scan websites at periodic intervals, checking if any suspicious activities are happening on your network and site. When it detects these, it will instantly notify you and security experts. Companies and websites such as capsher.com provide software and other solutions to protect your websites against malicious activities. It can also identify and remove malware and other computer viruses, often unnoticed by website owners.
Activate a Firewall on Your Network
The firewall is the first defense line when hackers try to infiltrate your website, payment terminals, or network. It’s a security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic following predetermined security rules. A firewall can swiftly detect if your data from your network or website is getting messed around with and automatically shuts down the process.
Keep All Software Up to Date
When trying to prevent security risks on a website, you need to update all your software after activating a firewall. That’s because outdated software can increase the chance of your website becoming an easy target for hackers. You can do this by setting up all the software you use for your systems to update automatically, making it more challenging for cyber attackers to infiltrate your network and website.
Encrypt Data
Encryption is a classic and one of the most effective ways of protecting sensitive information. It’s the process where you encode data to remain hidden or inaccessible to unauthorized users. It protects all your private information and sensitive data while enhancing communication security between your clients and your servers. Make sure to encrypt all sensitive files, including financial records and tax returns.
Run Penetration Tests Regularly
Performing penetration tests are a great way to ensure your security measures are working against cyberattacks and other online malicious activities. These work by simulating a cyberattack on your website and network, which helps you determine your security vulnerabilities. It gives you time to make the necessary adjustments before a real cyberattack takes place.
Buy Cyber Insurance
When all else fails, the fallback option you have to cope with losses from a cyberattack on your website is buying cyber insurance. This policy covers all costs related to the attack, including the investigation, notifying people affected by the breach, and recovering a portion of the funds lost. It’s a great way to help you get back on track after an attack, but this insurance policy isn’t cheap, as it can cost up to $20,000 for every $1 million in coverage.
Hackers are always on the lookout for new techniques to steal your essential information through cyberattacks, making it critical for you to implement the strategies mentioned to protect your website, online activities, sensitive data, and overall business.