Your website is your #1 marketing vehicle – don’t just assume it’s healthy. Interested in learning how to make your website more secure? Here are 7 helpful tips to help ensure security of your website in 2017.

1. keep your website software up to date

The most common security vulnerability is software and code that is outdated. Keeping software up to date means your system isn’t leaving you exposed.

2. use complex passwords

It’s amazing how many people use commonplace passwords and terms to protect their logins. Use a mobile app to help you keep track of all your passwords in one place.

3. limit file uploads

Any file that users can upload to your website may contain a malicious script. Limit file types to .jpg or .pdf, and set permissions to 0666 so that the file cannot be “executed” once uploaded.

4. use HTTPS

Not only do security certificates encrypt and protect all data being passed from the website, they also improve your site’s placement in Google’s search result pages.

5. make and keep regular backups of your website

In the event that your website is hacked, regular backups will allow you to “roll back” your website to a date when the files were all healthy and malware-free. This can save hours and days of time, not to mention development costs.

6. use a login blocking feature

A Brute Force login attempt happens when hackers use automated programs to try thousands of usernames and passwords to hack into your website’s admin panel. A lockdown feature limits login attempts to 3, 5, or any number of failed attempts before it blocks that user’s IP address.

7. use a web security monitoring service

Providers like SiteLock and Sucuri will monitor your website for attacks, establish a firewall to keep hackers out, and even cleanup malicious code once present.

This is a basic, general list of website security factors. If you have a website based in WordPress, there are additional security measures you can apply. But at a minimum, the 7 elements above can eliminate a large number of common threats to your website security.

Forward this checklist to your web designer and ask them to rate your current site on these factors. Any questions or concerns? Feel free to reach out to Splendor!