Website Security Is The Key To Protecting Your Business

If you own or manage a small business than you know exactly how important it is to protect your assets. That is why you have a business insurance policy in place that covers any liabilities that may occur. In essence, insurance is there to limit your exposure, from a financial standpoint, when emergencies happen. That being stated, it is just as crucial to protect your website due to the fact that it is an incredibly important and valuable business asset. In order to accomplish this you need to ensure that you have the proper website security in place.

It all starts with the firewall. So what exactly is a firewall? By definition, “in computing, a firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted network and an un-trusted network, such as the Internet.” In essence, it is the first level of security between your business website and the cyber thieves that are trying to break into it. When it comes to firewalls, the stronger the better. Think of it in the following manner.

Your firewall acts like a stronghold or wall that is surrounding your fort. If the wall is built properly it will protect everyone and everything within that wall during an attack. Another incredibly important aspect of website security is website hosting. Although a great deal of small business websites are hosted under the shared hosting model, it is not a smart idea. In essence, if you are on a shared server it means that other websites are on the server as well. That means if one or more of those other websites are attacked by a hacker, your website may be exposed as well.

You should consider moving your website to a dedicated server ASAP. Although it is a slightly more expensive to have your business website on a dedicated server, the investment is well worth it. You also need to make sure that you and anyone else that has access to your website, are using secure passwords. Once again, the stronger the password the better. This is due to the fact that password strength is a measure of exactly how effective a password is against guessing the password, and or attempts to attack the password.

The bottom line is that passwords should be over ten (10) characters long, and combine both letters and numbers. Last but certainly not least, it is extremely important to back up the information contained on your website on a regular basis. That way if there are any issues or causes of concern from a cyber security point of view, you can always rely on an earlier version of the website.

Your Page Today specializes in custom web site design, custom web site development, search engine optimization, monthly or weekly blog writing services, content management solutions and ongoing maintenance and support. Our company began its journey as an owner operated web development company in 2001. Back when websites were just that; web pages. With well over 18 years of hands on experience in the world of website design and development, we have the expertise to not only get your website up and running, but get it visible to those ideal prospects who ARE your target audience.

If you need help protecting your website from hackers and or would like more information about our WordPress Website maintenance packages, please click here. We look forward to working with you.