Why Website Security Matters for Small Businesses
Security is more than just a password. Sitewide security measures consist of, taking secure payments, 2-step verification logins, firewall protection, SPF records, spam blocking, and more. Lack of security in these areas leave small businesses vulnerable to a range of attacks:
- Sensitive Data. Websites handling payment processing, logins, customer information, and members. Data breaches can expose your site’s private info leaving you on the hook for identity protection and other compensation.
- Server Uptime. If your businesses website is self-hosted or on a shared platform like GoDaddy, BlueHost, or HostGator you are at risk. Sharing server space means an attacker can target another website on your same server and crash your site too.
- Form Submissions. Bots attack Contact and Request a Quote forms every day. Services such as reCAPTCHA protect your forms from bad actors, keeping your inbox safe from spam, dangerous files, and links.
- Website Hosting. Websites that don’t follow proper security practices are often flagged by Google as potentially dangerous. Warning potential customers to leave before they even have a chance to visit the site.
Businesses today need website support services including regular maintenance and secure hosting to protect these core website components.
How Do I Make My Site Secure?
Securing a website isn’t as simple as pressing a button. A secure website requires several layers of protection, from proper hosting to the various on site measures. Including many of the items we mentioned above. At Super Web Heroes, we run our clients through a comprehensive checklist, here is a shortened version.
- Your site needs to be running HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts data transmitted between a user’s device and your server. Some modern website builders such include basic SSL certificates for free, but those don’t always provide enough protection.
- All accounts and customer logins need strong passwords and two-factor authentication. This is the easiest step that small business owners can take to strengthen their security. All passwords should be unique and stored in a secure environment or password manager. Also, you should avoid sharing one administrator login between several employees.
- Implement malware protection and regular backups. Even with the proper security measures in place, no website is completely immune to attacks. Your hosting provider should have malware prevention in place and be running routine backups, in case the live website goes offline.
- Perform regular updates to your websites plugins, themes, and other components. Outdated software such as WordPress or a plugin is one of the most common ways attackers gain access. Parts of a website can silently break without warning. Making regular monitoring and maintenance key.
Most small businesses simply don’t have the time or resources to manage every aspect of website security themselves. Fortunately, website management companies like Super Web Heroes can handle these security measures for you.
Common Signs You're Vulnerable or Hacked
Identifying the type of attack is an important first step in finding the vulnerability that allowed it to happen. While some signs of a compromised website are obvious, others can easily go unnoticed. Here are some of the most common warning signs to watch for:
- New Administrator Accounts: Check your dashboard regularly to ensure you don’t see any new user accounts. We also recommend limiting the number of users that can create new accounts and the permissions those accounts have.
- Website Acting Strangely: Strange posts, pop-ups, or your website redirecting somewhere else are also signs of unauthorized access. Some of these indicate unauthorized website access while others are server based. If you see this happening you should contact an expert fast.
- Spam Submissions: Some spam through your contact form is normal. However, an increase in suspicious submissions indicates your form isn’t protected against bots and other malicious activity.
- Slow Loading: Pages that suddenly load slower than usual can be a sign that something is wrong. Frequent downtime or unresponsive pages may be caused by malicious traffic, outdated plugins, poorly optimized files, or an overloaded server.
- Security Warning: One of the clearest signs of a website security problem is a browser warning visitors that the site may be unsafe or blocking access altogether. These warnings can be triggered by malware, compromised or outdated plugins, or other security issues with the website or server.
If any of these happen to you, change your passwords immediately and start diagnosing the problem. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the major problems you might be experiencing and how to address them.
SSL, Updates, Backups, Passwords, Hosting, Malware scanning
Every website should have certain security measures in place to protect against common threats and vulnerabilities. While no website is completely immune to attacks, these safeguards can significantly reduce the risk of a security breach. Here are the fundamental security measures that should be in place on every website:
SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate enables HTTPS and encrypts the data transferred between your website and your visitors devices. It also serves as a sign of trustworthiness for your visitors. If you process credit cards on your website, your visitors need to know they can trust you. Look for a padlock icon to the left of the URL, this is what most browsers use to indicate a page is using HTTPS.
Software Updates
If your website runs on WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or another self-hosted platform, its theme, plugins, PHP, and core software require regular updates. Over time, these components become outdated, or people discover new security vulnerabilities. Keeping your website’s software up to date gives you the latest security patches. It also helps stop attackers from using known vulnerabilities.
Site Backups
Every website needs a recovery option just in case. Whether an attack occurs or someone makes accidental irreversible updates, events can damage sites beyond repair. Daily backups are what we recommend, as they allow you to easily restore your site to a point before the issue took place.
Strong Passwords
The passwords used to access your website should be strong, private, and unique. Never reuse passwords across services, and never share passwords between users. Two-factor authentication adds another layer of protection, requiring an additional form of verification. This makes it much more difficult for unauthorized users to gain access.
Secure Hosting
Your website’s server plays a crucial role in keeping your site secure. A dependable hosting provider should offer server-level protections, automatic backups, firewalls, and reliable customer support. We also recommend dedicated hosting over shared hosting when possible.
Some web agencies include secure hosting as part of their web design maintenance package, while others charge for hosting separately. Make sure you understand exactly what you’re paying for and which security protections your provider includes. If you’re unsure, ask your web provider to explain how they host and protect your website.
Malware Scanning
Even if your website appears to work normally, security vulnerabilities may still exist behind the scenes. Outdated or untrustworthy plugins and components, such as forms, can create vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Regular malware scanning helps identify malicious code and other threats that could put your website at risk.
What to Prioritize First
If you believe someone has attacked or compromised your website, act quickly. The longer an attacker maintains access, the more opportunity they have to cause damage, steal data, or disrupt your business. Emergency WordPress maintenance can help identify the source of the problem, secure your website, and begin the recovery process. Start by taking the steps that provide the most immediate protection.
- Secure your admin accounts and logins. Change all admin passwords immediately and enable two-factor authentication if available. Remove old or unfamiliar accounts and review your site for unauthorized users.
- Scan your website for malware. A security scan can identify malicious files, modified code, and other signs of a compromise. Removing the threat is critical, but you also need to identify how the attacker gained access.
- Update your website software. Install available security updates for WordPress, plugins, themes, and PHP. Remove plugins and themes you no longer use, especially outdated or unsupported ones.
- Restore a clean backup. Often times restoring a backup from before the compromise provides the safest starting point. Make sure the backup predates the attack rather than simply restoring the most recent copy.
- Protect your forms. Forms can become targets for spam and automated attacks. Tools such as reCAPTCHA can help block bots and reduce malicious submissions.
- Verify your SSL certificate. Make sure your website loads over HTTPS and that its SSL certificate remains valid. If it doesn’t, contact your hosting provider or web agency.
- Review your firewall and hosting security. A website firewall can help block malicious traffic before it reaches your site. Ask your hosting provider or web agency what firewall and server-level protections they currently have in place.
- Consider changing hosting providers. If your provider can’t help secure a compromised website, or your site regularly suffers from downtime, it’s time to move on. Find a provider like Super Web Heroes that offers transparent website hosting with state of the art security and support.
Every website has different security needs, and a compromise may require additional steps beyond those listed above. Whether you’ve experienced an attack or simply want to make sure your website is secure, we can help. Our security audit identifies vulnerabilities, uncovers access points, and determines the best steps to protect your website moving forward.
When to Hire a Website Maintenance Partner
Security is not a one-time fix. Software updates and data backups are a routine process. For small businesses, keeping up with all these tasks can become another job. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone.
A website maintenance partner can handle the technical side of your website while you focus on running your business. Depending on your needs, they may also cover content updates, new page designs, blog publishing, and new website features. Typically at a fraction of the cost of hiring a part-time or full-time employee to do the same.
The cost of keeping your website secure is generally far less than the cost of recovering from a problem. A compromised or offline website can expose customer information, cost you leads, disrupt your business, and consume valuable time during recovery. A website maintenance partner provides ongoing protection while helping catch potential problems before they become bigger ones.
Final Thoughts on Securing Your Website
Above all, website security requires consistency. Protecting your website is part of protecting your business, your customers, and the reputation you’ve worked hard to build.
No website is impervious to attacks. Preventive security measures reduce vulnerabilities, make your website more difficult to compromise, and give you a plan to recover when something goes wrong. If you don’t have the time or expertise to manage security yourself, choose a website maintenance partner to handle these routine protections for you.
Don’t wait until your website gets hacked to start thinking about security. Regular maintenance can catch vulnerabilities before attackers find them, and before they turn into expensive problems.
