How to secure your website
Practical guide for business owners from Bytom and Silesia. Learn about the most common threats, backup principles, importance of updates and SSL certificates to effectively protect your website and customer data.
Having a website is now essential for every company in Bytom and Silesia. However, launching it is just the beginning. Few people realize how crucial it is to regularly maintain its security. Neglecting this can lead to data loss, reputation damage, and even financial losses.
In this article, we present practical tips on how to effectively protect your website.
Quick security glossary
- SSL Certificate – encrypted connection between user and server (green padlock).
- Backup – website copy that can be restored after failure.
- Malware – malicious software injected into website.
- DDoS – attack blocking website through traffic overload.
- 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) – additional login step, e.g., SMS code.
1. Most common threats – know your enemy
To defend effectively, you need to know what you’re defending against. Here are the most popular website attacks:
- Malware (malicious software): Viruses, trojans, and scripts that can steal data, display unwanted ads, or completely block your website.
- Phishing: Attackers create fake login pages to trick users into revealing passwords and access data.
- DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service): Involve mass sending of requests to the server, leading to overload and blocking access for real users.
- Brute-force attacks: Automatic attempts to guess admin panel passwords by testing thousands of combinations.
Remember: threats affect not only large portals. Small, local business websites are often targeted due to weaker security.
2. Regular backups – your insurance policy
Even the best security can sometimes fail. That’s why creating regular backups is absolutely fundamental. Backup is your safety net that allows you to quickly restore the website after failure or attack.
Backup creation principles:
- Frequency: Minimum once a week. If you frequently update content (e.g., run an online store), make daily copies.
- Location: Store copies in at least two different places, e.g., on server and on external drive or in cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox). Never keep backup only on the same server as the website!
- Automation: Configure automatic backup creation. Most hosting companies offer this service.
3. Updates – don’t ignore notifications!
Most website attacks exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software. Regular updates are one of the simplest and most effective protection methods.
What needs updating?
- Custom-coded websites: Have significantly fewer vulnerabilities than CMS systems, but still require framework updates.
- CMS systems: If you use WordPress, Joomla - the system core requires regular updates.
- Plugins and themes: Each additional module is a potential threat - custom-coded websites don’t have this problem.
Tip: Before each update, make a backup. Sometimes a new plugin version can cause conflicts.
4. SSL Certificate – foundation of trust and security
SSL certificate (visible as https:// and padlock in browser address bar) is now a standard. It encrypts the connection between user’s browser and server, protecting transmitted data (e.g., from contact forms).
Why is SSL certificate important?
- Data protection Bytom: Ensures confidentiality of your customers’ data.
- GDPR requirements: Processing personal data without encryption violates regulations.
- Credibility: Websites without SSL are marked by browsers as “insecure”, deterring users.
- SEO: Google prefers websites with SSL certificates, positively impacting rankings.
Many hosting companies in Silesia offer free Let’s Encrypt certificates, so lack of SSL is now a serious negligence.
5. GDPR and your website
If you collect any personal data (even email addresses in newsletter), you must comply with GDPR.
Key elements:
- Privacy policy: Clearly inform what data you collect and for what purpose.
- Consents (checkboxes): Users must actively consent to data processing.
- Contact forms: Ensure they are secure and include information clause.
Practical tips and free tools
Here’s a list of simple actions you can implement immediately:
- Use strong passwords: Combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Change them regularly.
- Limit number of users with admin privileges.
- Change default username “admin”.
- Choose secure technology:
- Custom-coded websites: Naturally more secure - no databases and plugins to attack.
- For WordPress: Wordfence Security, Sucuri Security (if you must use CMS).
- Regularly scan website for viruses:
- Use online scanners like Sucuri SiteCheck.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for admin panel login.
Summary
Website security is not a one-time action but a continuous process. Regular backups, updates, and following best practices are the foundation that will protect your business from many problems.
If you feel overwhelmed by website security management, get professional IT help in Bytom. At Qualix Software, we offer comprehensive website maintenance and security services, so you can sleep peacefully. Schedule a free security audit, call +48 697 433 120 or email contact@qualixsoftware.com. I respond within one business day.