Secure web hosting is one of the most important aspects of a successful business website. There are many threats to security online, and any one of them could shut down your site, compromise your customers’ information, and cause potential customers to go elsewhere. That’s why it’s important to obtain secure web hosting from the start. Here are some tips for securing your site.
Why Is It So Important to Secure My Site?
When security breaches and hacks cause your site to shut down, it’s a hassle to get it back up (or hire someone who can). But the problems don’t stop there. Every moment your site is down, you lose money. You could lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars in revenue from just one day of your site being down! There’s another effect of these cyber attacks that will affect your business in the future as well: your customers and potential customers will lose faith in your brand. They will associate your company with an inability to protect their information. This will cause them to look elsewhere for the same products and services that you could provide.
Staying informed of possible security threats is the first step to avoiding them. These are the top threats to web security today:
- DDoS Attacks: A distributed denial of service is a type of cyber attack in which thousands of requests are sent to your site, which overloads the site and causes it to crash. This disrupts your business, requiring you to take the time to get your site back up before you hemorrhage too much revenue.
- Weak Passwords: Hackers are skilled in guessing passwords. If they can get a little bit of personal information about you, they can probably guess the most likely password. This is why you need to take the time to come up with strong, unique passwords.
- Outdated Software, Apps, and Plugins: When a part of your site, such as a certain plugin, isn’t kept up to date, it can become vulnerable to attacks. This can affect plugins, themes, apps, and core software.
- Malware: Malware is more than just a virus that someone infects your site with manually. It can also come in the form of third-party apps, which can be either intentionally malicious or simply unsecured. These attacks compromise both your site and your users’ personal information.
- Insecure Hosting: Sometimes your web hosting itself can become a danger. Insecure web hosting could allow servers to become infected or simply outdated, putting every website, including yours, at risk.
What is the Best Way to Secure My Site?
By far, the best way to secure your site is to purchase managed web hosting. This type of hosting service will secure your site for you. The features you have access to will vary, depending on the hosting company you go with and the plan you purchase.
There are some features you should look for in secure web hosting. If your hosting doesn’t offer these types of security measures, you may find yourself with an area that is vulnerable to attack. Look for secure web hosting that offers the following features:
- DDoS Protection: This is basically a filter that allows legitimate traffic to flow to your website, but identifies massive attacks that need to be blocked. This keeps this immense number of requests from overwhelming your site but still allows customers and prospects to access your site.
- Software Updates: Outdated software will compromise your website. Core software, apps, themes, and plugins should all be updated frequently. If you use WordPress, it is updated frequently. Themes are rarely updated by developers, leaving it up to you. Plugins are usually only updated by WordPress if there is a security issue. The right web host can offer regular updates for all of these components of your site. This allows you to feel safe and get on with running your business without needing to worry about updates.
- Regular Security Scans: A web host that tackles problems only after they appear will always be a step behind, leaving you constantly vulnerable. Look for a company that performs security scans regularly and consistently. Daily scans would be the best. This will allow the host to identify suspicious activity right away, eliminating downtime that could be harmful to your business.
- Backups: It’s also important to back up your site in the event of a total shutdown. The web host’s server should have a copy of your data in an off-site location that you can access easily.
- SSL Certificates: An SSL certificate will help to keep your site secure. It also tells Google that your site is secure, preventing your site from being labeled “unsafe” in search results. Many web hosting companies now offer SSL certificates with managed hosting plans, though some may require you to pay extra for it. Look for a plan that includes a free SSL certificate.
- Anti-Virus and Hack Protection: If a scan does pick up on malware, a virus, or a hacker, the web host should do more than just tell you about it. They should fix the problem right away. Look for daily scans, CDN integration, and hack protection.
- Reporting: Finally, the web hosting service you choose should report any issues to you. Look for hosting reports that are provided at least monthly.
Choose Secure WordPress Hosting So You Can Run Your Business Worry-Free
BionicWP can help you rest easy, knowing your website is secure. We offer both hosting and WordPress support for any size business in any industry, including e-commerce and agencies. Our plans include the following security features:
- 90 days of off-site backups
- Core, theme, and plugin updates
- Daily malware scans
- Hack promise
- CDN integration
- Free SSL certificate
- Free monthly hosting report
Contact BionicWP today to find out how we can make your website more secure.