As a website owner, one thing you never want to see as is that large red box reading … ‘This site contains harmful programs’.
This usually means that your website is hacked and Google has marked it insecure. Here is a great article on how to fix that problem and get the warning removed by Google.
Websites are powerful tools that can do a lot of good for your company, but they can also expose you and your visitors to security risks. Four out of every five websites either have vulnerabilities now or have exposed their enterprises and visitors to malicious code, viruses, and other cyber-criminal activities. And although everyone on the web should always be careful, business owners have an added responsibility to keep data safe and secure.
With so many different types of attacks, what can you do to protect your assets and your reputation?
Here’s how to safeguard your site:
Do:
- Update all software and patches promptly. Software updates help eliminate known vulnerabilities.
- Leverage operating system security features that support rigorous authentication protocol.
- Implement password protection policies that include two-step authentication.
- Lock private files and folders to limit access should a hacker access the network.
- Be hyper-vigilant about which websites you visit, especially when surfing with administrative account credentials.
- Post a privacy policy to inform consumers about what data you collect and what you intend to do with that data.
- Deploy next gen firewalls, sandboxing techniques, and other advanced security protocol to protect both external and internal perimeters.
- Download anti-spyware and antivirus software on all devices connected to your network.
- Back up frequently and consider off-site storage.
Don’t
- Trust user input. Strip all HTML before passing along user input.
- Click on links or attachments included in emails from unknown sources.
- Click on pop-ups (including the close tab) from suspicious sources. Just back out of the page.
- Use free downloads (unless you’re confident the source is trustworthy).
- Shop on a site that doesn’t display SSL signals. Look for “https,” the tiny lock on the left side of the URL, and a green background in the address bar.
- Provide hints that could help hackers guess passwords and usernames.
- Collect unnecessary data that may be hijacked to implement an XSS scheme.
Creating a WordPress website with a strong focus on security is one way to build a solid reputation with your customers and site visitors. Make sure you choose a web hosting partner that takes your security as seriously as you do.
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