Totally 797,790 complaints were recorded about cybercrime in 2020 and reported losses exceeding $4 billion – an increase of 69% over 2019 by Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Internet security, especially in the age of cybercrime, should be a priority for anyone with or looking to create a website.
By having a website with poor security, you mean that you do not care about the safety of your website visitors.
“Anyone who visits your website – including potential clients – is sent a negative message by a weak security system.” says Eric Florence, Cyber Security Analyst at SecurityTech.
To ensure that websites are secure in 2021, we asked Florence and other cyber security experts for their insights. Here’s how you can secure your website against threats, as well as how to prevent it from being hacked.
What are the ways your website can be hacked?
An unpatched vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious code, according to a survey by security company Tripwire. One-third of the IT professionals surveyed in Europe reported that their organization had been breached due to this weakness.
Website security attacks include these types:
- Phishing: The malicious message is used to deceive the recipient into revealing sensitive information (such as financial information or credit card information) or to deploy malicious software (such as ransomware). Impersonation fraud involves criminals impersonating an organization’s CEO or senior executive and asking for money or sensitive data.
- Ransomware: Refers to malware in which an attacker demands a ransom in exchange for releasing the victim’s personal information.
- Denial of Service (DoS): This type of cyber-attack makes a website, server, or network inaccessible to its users by flooding them with excessive Internet requests until the system can no longer respond and crashes.
- SQL injection: This is a technique where attackers place malicious SQL statements in a field for execution to gain access to information that should not have been displayed (customer or company data).
- Cross-site scripting: An attack that involves inserting malicious scripts into an otherwise trusted website to steal cookie and session data from users.
- Code injection: In this attack type, malicious code is introduced into an application through the improper handling of untrusted data.
- Malware: Malware stands for malicious software, including viruses, worms, and other elements that attack your website.
What are the motives behind these cyber-attacks?
The human element is responsible for 85% of data breaches – incidents in which data has been disclosed to unauthorized parties via social media or phishing emails. Social engineering, in addition to psychological manipulation, is responsible for a majority of attacks.
How can cyber-attacks cause financial loss?
Verizon reported that 95% of BECs and 95% of CDBs caused a $30,000 median loss and that ransomware caused a median loss of $11,150.
In addition to social engineering attacks, advanced and technical cyber-attacks can compromise your website. Proceed below to explore few steps that you need to take to keep your website safe from cyber-attacks.
How to Secure Your Website in 9 Steps?
Step 1: Choosing a secure host for your website
Choosing a secure website hosting provider is the first step towards having a secure website.
Many people overlook this step, but all the time and money spent on other cybersecurity measures will be wasted if you don’t do it.
If your web host is attacked, your website’s data will also be compromised since it is where all your company’s data and files are stored.
A lack of security features on your web hosting provider makes it easy for hackers to break into your site.
Providers should have security features such as denial-of-service protection (DDoS) and Web application firewall (WAF). Additionally, if you want your website to be safe, don’t use shady hosting providers. Hosting provider Bluehost offers all the security features that you need.
Step 2: An SSL certificate and HTTPS are recommended.
A recent report from cyber security services company Cyphere revealed that encryption is critical for website security – When accessing a website without SSL, Google warns visitors of a potential search engine ranking disadvantage.
Your website’s pages and visitors’ information will be encrypted with an SSL certificate.
If you use a quality hosting provider like Bluehost, you will receive SSL for free. In a different scenario, you must learn by yourself how to use an SSL certificate.
Your hosting provider can provide you with an Advanced SSL certificate if you want an additional layer of security, but if you are just starting out, you should be good with a free SSL certificate.
Step 3: Ensure the correct admin rights are set.
The IN Security Movement’s founder and CEO Jane Frankland said, “Removing admin rights is one of the simplest, yet most powerful security measures an organization can take.”
In an era in which more people access websites, it becomes harder to ensure that security measures are followed.
Restricting administrative privileges is the easiest way to run a stable, predictable, and manageable organizational environment. The number of privileged accounts cannot be reduced simply by reducing their number.
Below are some best practices for managing administrative privileges as outlined by the National Security Agency:
- Local administrators should not be allowed access to the network from non-service accounts: Deny remote access and require local administrators to access machines at the console physically. They must use secure workstations if that’s not possible.
- The number of high-risk computers a user can access should be limited as users may inadvertently expose credentials.
- Standard user accounts should be removed from the local administrator group. By removing these accounts from the local administrator group, a potential attacker is faced with an additional barrier.
- You should not use administrative accounts for browsing the Internet or accessing emails and perform any tasks that might be associated with potentially malicious data.
- Reducing the number of high-privileged accounts (for example, those with domain admin credentials) is a good way of following the principle of least privilege.
- Add at least two levels of multi-factor authentication to privileged accounts.
- Keep passwords securely: Change them regularly, maintain different passwords for every account, and keep them off-network (in a safe).
Step 4: Using passwords strategically
There is a risk that new websites can be vulnerable to misconfigurations, making them open to unauthorized access or data disclosure. This is primarily due to lack of password protection and default configurations used by administrators.” —Dr. Kellep Charles, Digital Protection Expert.
The network traffic of 64% of sites has unencrypted passwords, which potential attackers can compromise by observing.
You should ensure your new password includes both large and small letter sizes as well as symbols, that it is not related to you in any way, and that you regularly change it. If you want to measure the strength of your password and store it safely, you can use a password management tool like LastPass.
You can reduce the risk of account takeover by using the following best practices, in addition to using secure passwords:
- Set authentication URL access restrictions
- To restrict the number of log-in attempts
- Utilize CAPTCHAs
- Implement multi-factor authentication
Ensure you provide attention to the last one. There is a low percentage of GitHub users using MFA, and just 9.3% of NPM users do so, but this is one of the most effective ways to keep your account safe, so if you have a website, make sure it is implemented.
Step 5: Stay up-to-date with your website platform.
Your website platform, along with its themes, plugins, and extensions, should continually be updated, regardless of the platform, you’re using.
According to Eric Florence, keeping your current operating system entirely up to date is the best way to ensure a secure website. Security patches and fixes are usually included in software updates to address vulnerabilities and thwart hackers. However, this isn’t sufficient. Your website should constantly be updated, as well as any plug-ins you may use.
According to Florence, website owners are most likely to make a security mistake by not updating their site. Keep your site and its themes and plug-ins and your WordPress site updated as much as possible if you use WordPress or any other website provider. Make sure to download any updates that are available immediately. Besides adding functionality, these updates also add extra security.”
Step 6: Make sure you use an anti-malware program.
A malware-detecting and removal program scans computers and information systems for harmful software. When you build a website, Harman warns that you should use anti-malware software on your checklist, especially before launching.
Ensure that your checklist includes a malware scanner or anti-malware tool if you are building a website. It is much more difficult to launch your website unlawfully if the software is installed before launching it on the Internet; such malicious activities like malware installation on your web page can be avoided.”
Many antivirus programs – including AVG – offer free versions that include virus protection, spyware, ransomware, and other malware blocking, as well as unsafe links, downloads, and email attachment protection, and automatic security updates.
You should go with antimalware software for additional security, as it focuses on higher-level, broader threats. You can protect yourself from malware with antivirus software, but you should also go with antimalware software.
Step 7: Install and configure security plugins
Consider using security plugins and software for your website to increase its security.
A security plugin can keep hackers out of your site, as Bram Jansen, Chief Editor at vpnAlert, suggests. A hosting platform can be vulnerable, even if it is not up-to-date. Installing these plugins will prevent the possibility of someone from taking advantage of them. Use security extensions for the content management system (CMS) you use to create your website so that hackers can’t actively hack it. CMS platforms support security plugins, many of which are free.
Additional security can be provided by several plugins, including Bulletproof Security and iThemes Security.
You can use Site Lock to monitor malware, identify vulnerabilities, and more, even if you’re using a different website platform.
Step 8: Run a security check on your website
Perform regular website security checks – at the very least every quarter – so that you keep tabs on where things stand with your website security.
Site security checks include checking the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the website in addition to the privacy policies and enforcement of data protection laws.
You can check your website’s stability, security, and privacy with the “Community Edition” free online tool provided by ImmuniWeb.
Another free tool is Site Lock Scanner, which employs a predictive model called “Risk Assessment” to determine whether a website has been compromised. Powered by Patch stack, you can also automate security checks and maintain plugin security.
Step 9: Maintain regular backups of your website
Owners of websites make the biggest mistake of not backing up their data properly. To avoid data loss following a data breach or cyber-attack, you must maintain regular backups.
“Data is the currency for an online business.” Maintaining a website’s integrity requires a solid grasp of that data. By using a reliable cloud service, you will have a solid backup plan. Data back-ups can be done using cloud storage, which is accessible from anywhere with a secure wireless connection, meaning that a damaged or broken computer won’t affect the backup.” —Kristen Bolig, Founder of Security Nerd.
To run website backups, Harman recommends: If a website or its content becomes corrupted in any way, it would be nearly impossible to return to reality. “Having a backup and recovery plan is a must-have.
Data on local storage devices can be restored using a good backup solution. Alternatively, you can use a cloud-based solution that offers regular site backups.
Handling sensitive information on cloud computing systems is essential since these services rely on third-party vendors/servers and cannot guarantee complete privacy.
Our recommended backup strategy (recommended by the U.S. Department of Defence) is 3-2-1:
- 3: Make three copies of all important files: one primary copy and two backups.
- 2: Use two media types to store files.
- 1: Keep one copy offsite (i.e., outside your house or business location)
Where Do New Websites Face the Most Security Risks?
One Computer Guy, Neil John, shares what new websites should worry about regarding security. According to him:
SQL injections are the main security risk for new websites, as their defences are more accessible to penetrate due to their weaker security. Attackers try to alter or delete the website’s database and back office to access the vital information. To access a database, a website can be injected with SQL statements. To transfer data, these codes travel in and out of a website with the original code. When there is a security flaw, hackers can access the backend and all the information of the website.”
In addition to security risks, Dr. Kellep Charles warns new websites to be on the lookout for these other concerns: “Configuration issues are often the most common problems related to security incidents when new websites go live.”
Consider these tips to keep your website secure:
- Don’t use the default settings when installing the website. In particular, don’t use default settings when installing CMSs such as WordPress. In addition to changing the administrative username and password, you should also change the default URL.
- Make sure no unnecessary features and services are enabled. A website with unnecessary features and services increases attack vectors and administrative tasks.
- Make sure your website is secure before going live. Automated vulnerability scanning looks for configuration errors and vulnerable services across the entire site and operating system.
The first step to preventing SQL injections is to pay close attention to new websites. SQLi attacks collectively represent almost 93% of all vectors used to target specific industries, along with Local File Inclusion (LFI) attacks. Ensuring your content management system is configured correctly and disabling unnecessary features is vital if you have just built a website. Make sure your website is secure by running a vulnerability scan.
Examples of why website security is important
These three famous examples illustrate the financial impact that a cyber attack can have on a company.
- A $1.2 Billion Damage to Yahoo, CNN, eBay, and Amazon!
The Hacker MafiaBoy launched project Rivolta, which overloaded the servers of Yahoo!, CNN, eBay, E*TRADE, Amazon.com, and Fifa.com, thus making their website unresponsive on February 7, 2020.
Matthew Kovar estimated the global economic damage by this damage to be $1.2 billion.
- Ransomware attack WannaCry – the worst in history
By encrypting data and making files unusable, the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm attacked Microsoft Windows computers in May 2017. To unlock the files, each computer owner was required to pay $300 in bitcoins.
As a result of this ransomware attack, even though Microsoft had released patches, most WannaCry infections came from organizations that failed to install them.
According to Europol, this cyberattack, which encrypted data on 75,000 computers in 99 countries, was unprecedented in scope. The amount transferred so far totals $27,407.85 and has now reached $500,559.92.
- ‘Phishing’ attack targets Google and Facebook for $100 million.
Evaldas Rimasauskas and his co-conspirators made use of fake email accounts that resembled the same like they belong to the Quanta Computer and sent phishing emails with fake invoices to Facebook and Google employees who were involved with the Taiwan-based company.
Several hundred million dollars were given to the cybercriminals by the tech giants before they were arrested.
In conclusion: Ensure your website is secure.
The number of cyberattack is consistently on the rise. According to Honeypot data, the number of total attacks is expected to increase by 35% between 2020 and 2019.
The awareness has been spread to both small and large companies, so they have started securing their websites. Compared with large companies, small businesses have fewer security breaches.
Your website can be secured in three different ways:
WordPress makes it easy to implement the steps in our list, so you won’t have to learn how to do it yourself. Nevertheless, you must ensure your website platform is regularly updated and meet all security checks.
If you’re building a custom website, make sure you use the latest technologies (like Web application firewalls) to ensure your site is secure.
Are you in a plan of developing a custom website without using third party technology? In this scenario, you need to explore Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) as it’s one of the non-profit organization dedicated to securing the web.
According to Ayal Abramovich, DevOps engineer at Elementor, at his company, “developers work hard to prevent security threats by finding and minimizing known vulnerabilities or bugs.”. OWASP has developed a 10 step procedure for developing secure software products. Because the packages may include security patches, it’s essential to stay current with the latest version.
While they strive to prevent attacks by improving code, there are still many variables that could lead to a security breach.
In addition to improving the code we focus on, different variables are influential in hacking a website. To protect sites, customers should install WAFs (web application firewalls). There are many WAF service providers these days, and some even come with a preconfigured WAF solution.
In case of any concern or queries on how to secure your website, ask us in the comment section below.