A hacker is mostly someone who ‘hacks’ your information I.e., gets unauthorized access into your accounts. Your online presence puts you at a greater risk of being hacked although it is an aspect of marketing.
A hacker can decide to hack your websites to steal information, blackmail you, amongst others but for whatever reason, they want to hack your account, your information and your site visitor’s information is unsafe hence, the need for website security. You need to guard yourself against:
- DDOS attacks slow down your site or shut it down completely, making it inaccessible to your site visitors.
- Blacklisting your site, thereby, hacking it into oblivion.
- Malicious software that allows unauthorized access to your website to steal data.
- Vulnerable exploits involve attacking your website from its Achilles’ heel and stealing its information.
Also, your visitors will be saved from spam, malicious redirects as well as revealing their privacies such as sensitive and important information.
Although you can’t completely protect yourself from a hacker, you can put yourself at a lesser risk of getting your website hacked by:
1. Restrict access to your website
The more the number of people who access your website, the more vulnerable your website is. Always grant access to a limited number of people. Some parts of websites are best if their access is restricted to very few individuals. In real life, for example, access to certain parts of an organization might be restricted to a few individuals. In such cases, the permitted individuals would need to present their allocated IDs at security checkpoints in order to be given access. The IDs are often in the form of cards printed using plastic id card printers. In like manner, it is essential to restrict access to certain parts of your website, using some security checks, such as passwords or IP address checks. You can even take it a step further by implementing zero trust security, to eliminate admin password sharing and authenticate administrative actions.
2. Two Factor Authentication
A lot of sites today now introduce the use of two-factor authentication to enhance security as well as protect sensitive information. This involves using validation code that is usually sent into your mobile as a text message in which you will need to complete your login process. Getting your password might be easy for a hacker but the probability of a hacker getting your verification code is very low.
Also, if there are users who no longer need access to the website, remove their information because it might be an aid in helping hackers gaining access to your sites.
3. Use a very strong password
Having a strong password involves using a difficult password which is very uneasy to guess. Passwords like ‘Password’, ‘password1’, ‘123456’, etc. are common passwords that should not be used at all. Using passwords like this is like handing over the key to a hacker. A hacker guesses your passwords at first using passwords like this before proceeding into applying their professional skills into it.
A very good option of password is to use a mixture of characters e.g., digits, lowercase, uppercase, symbols, etc. You can combine them by using them in unpredicted places like ’12Ac@$46foRMe or _21AE-76++, etc. You can use passwords like this or create creative passwords that will be difficult to guess thereby reducing the risk of them gaining access. Here are more tips for the best choices of password
4. Constantly monitor your site
Always try to monitor your site closely. There are tools available online that can help you find malware on your site thereby making it easier for you to monitor your site.
5. Backup Your Site
In case your account is being attacked or hacked, backing up your databases and files for your site. You can also use the automatic backup
6. Use HTTPS
It is an advanced version of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It means hypertext transfer protocol is secure. It adds extra protection to your site. It is important if you are running a site that collects sensitive and private information. It also protects information shared and transferred online.
As earlier stated, you might not be completely protected from a hacker but incorporating these tips into your website will put you at a much lesser risk of your account being hacked.