Irrespective of how much technically we have evolved, we are still struggling to discover a sure-proof way to beef up the security of a website. Internet breaches do exist and they prove to be detrimental for the fortune of any website. People cringe at the mere thought of getting their website hacked, however, many of them do nothing to invest their time and mental efforts to augment the security level of their website.

We know that having a bulletproof website is crucial, but how does one actually need to go about to create a site that keeps vandals at bay is a question that prevails among many online players. Internet fraud is becoming ubiquitous and as it becomes more dangerous, we need to implementing some rock solid techniques to fight malicious and hacking attacks on the web.

This post talks about some basic tips and tricks that help you uplift the safety bar of your website. The tips mentioned below are easy to follow and will curb hacker’s ability to gain an illegitimate access to your website.

1. Keep Your Software Updated

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that having an updated website is paramount to keep hackers away. This is essential for both server side operating system or any sort of software (such as CMS) that powers your site. Hackers are quick to harm websites that use older versions of software, so keep the updates rolling.

Site owners who rely on hosting solutions don’t need to feel jittery when it comes to applying updates on their website as their hosting company can take care of this.

However, for those with third-party solutions such as CMS or forum, need to be aware about the software updates. Many CMS solutions like WordPress, Umbraco and many other have an automatic notification system that is pushed to the user whenever any update has been introduced.

2. Embrace Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

For those who are up on the Internet security systems, must be aware of the utility of secure socket layer. SSL is a security layer that encrypts any information that is sent across the Internet. It establishes an encrypted connection between a client and a server. If your website receives sensitive information such as credit card/debit card numbers, login credentials, or anything that matters, having an SSL certificate is a must. SSL certificate makes it difficult for the hacker to read confidential information on your website and thus helps you boost your website security.

3. Use Unbreakable Passwords

Website owners should dedicate some time in creating unique and strong passwords. If you are an administrator then you just can’t avoid having a secure password. Without it, hackers can easily gain a backdoor to your website and destroy it terribly with the help of brute force attacks.

There are three simple rules of creating a reliable password. First, it should be a bit longer(consider using 12 characters at least). Secondly, avoid using passwords that contain names, places, your date of birth, or words that exist in dictionary. Third, make use of variations in spelling, numbers, and punctuation while creating a password for your website.

These three simple rules will make it complicated for hackers to break into your website.

Also, avoid using the same password for different website logins. Make sure you change them on a regular basis for an added security. You can also store the user’s password in encrypted form. This is important because even if there are chances of a security breach, hackers won’t be able to access actual passwords used by the user.

4. XSS

Cross-site scripting (XSS) refers to a situation when hackers inject their own malicious JavaScript code into the HTML pages that are presented to your visitors. If the code is accessed or executed by the victim, the code could harm the website by either changing the appearance of the website, damaging its internal data, or performing some unexpected functions.

That is why it is always recommended to check if your website is vulnerable to XSS attacks or not. You can use web application security scanners that automatically crawl on your website and check if it’s vulnerable or not.

5. SQL Injection

SQL injection is the most common way of attacking a website database by gaining an illegitimate access to web forms and URL parameters. Here, an attacker inserts malicious code or SQL commands that are executed by the web application. Injected SQL commands can expose back-end data and compromise the security of a web application.

However, one can easily deal with SQL injection with the help of parameterised queries. This is a feature available in almost every web language and it’s quite easy to implement as well.

6. SSH Instead of FTP

It does not make any sense to completely rely on FTP when it comes to securing a website. FTP credentials are generally not encrypted and can be accessed very easily. SSH can be a better alternative to FTP. The reason being-SSH has a very simple and straightforward algorithm that encrypts the data sent across.

7. Hide Admin Directories

The most common way hackers make inroads to your website is by directly hitting the main source and attacking the admin directories.

Hackers with the help of some harmful scripts scan all the directories on your web server and try to access these folders to make your website vulnerable to security attacks. To tackle this issue, many CMS platforms give their users a facility to alter the name of their admin folders as per their choice. A changed admin name reduces the chances of potential hacking attacks.

To Wrap Up 

Most of us don’t really care about adding the layers of security on our website. However, this is very important to avoid hacking scenario. Even the most basic attack can spell doom to your users’ data and all the information that are necessary for the functioning of your website. It can also make Google blacklist your website forever as you are spreading malicious content to the web audience. So, it is crucial to implement the above mentioned tips and make your site hacking proof.

Author Bio:

Having in-depth experience in the field of Web Development application, Jack has very strong background as a Web Developer in Markupcloud Ltd, a great PSD to responsive HTML service company with effective strategies. Jack likes to teach new beginners in this area.