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Website Security – 4 Ways to Secure Your Website

One of the biggest priorities when running an online business is website security. Having a secure website will cause your customers to trust your business, thereby boosting sales and increasing your return on investments. The online community is teeming with malicious hackers that are willing to do whatever it takes to penetrate your site’s security and compromise the delicate financial information of your clients. You should have the same fervor when attempting to deter these careless intruders. Most customers will not shop at an online store that is not secure, therefore creating a secure environment is essential in the world of online business. The following 4 tips will help make your website a safer place for your customers to shop.

Strong Administrative Passwords

Protecting your website means protecting the administrative interface. Once a hacker gains access to your site’s administrative interface, they can gain control of your entire online business in a few short steps. Once they’ve access the administrative control panel, hackers can do anything from defacing your website, to committing identity theft or fraud in the name of your business. To prevent hackers from easily gaining access to your website, you’ll want to use strong passwords that are mix of letters and numbers. These alphanumeric password should be at least 10 characters in length. Try to avoid using any commonly used words or names. Also try not to use dates that are significant in your life, as a hacker may be able to access this information.

Firewalls

Firewalls filter information that is transferred to and from your website. By configuring a secure firewall, you’ll be preventing all unauthorized access to your website. Setting an industry standard firewall at the highest possible security preference is one of the best ways you can deter hackers with ease. Remember that simply having a firewall is not enough to keep you site safe. The firewall must be configured properly.

Antivirus

Make sure you use only the best antivirus programs. If your computer contracts a virus, the hacker that distributed this virus could gain access to sensitive information on your computer. Some viruses will install hacking utilities known as KeyLoggers, which record the data inputted from your computer’s keyboard. This means that everything you type is recorded and then sent to the hacker, including your system and website passwords.   It is imperative that you ensure that your antivirus program is regularly updated to the latest definitions. This will help you to protect your computer from hackers who attack your system in efforts of gaining control or information. Simply having an antivirus program installed is not enough. New viruses are created everyday, so it is important to keep your Antivirus program updated regularly.

Security Testing

Once you have all of the above security measures in place, you’ll want to test the security of your website routinely. Try to use a security analyzing tool regularly. These tools will usually find any existing security lapses and assist you in correcting them. Remember that in order to have good website security, these security measures must be practiced regularly.

The Need for PCI Compliant Hosting

More web hosting providers are offering services that provide customers with the help they need to achieve PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance.  Achieving compliance requires the use of numerous security tools and policies to meet the standards that apply to any business that accepts, processes and stores credit card information.  Those who do not adhere to these requirements are subject to penalties and may eventually lose their privileges to accept credit card payments, which is the most common method of payment on the web.  If you sell products or services online, investing in a PCI compliant hosting solution may be worthy of your consideration.

Though PCI standards were introduced to protect consumer information and ensure integrity across various industries, they have also introduced a new level of frustration for the smaller business that has a need to sell products or services online, but doesn’t possess the resources to meet compliancy.  There is a lot that goes into protecting sensitive card data and unfortunately, one too many organizations are not equipped to provide this protection.  Everyday, companies are scattering in attempts to gather the necessary resources to not only fend off attackers, but also keep the government out of their business.  Difficulties aside, PCI compliance is needed as threats are growing rapidly in terms of numbers and sophistication.

PCI-Friendly Hosting Features

Achieving compliance requires a multitude of security components.  Some of the essentials include:

Malware Protection – Malicious software such as viruses, worms, Trojans and keyloggers pose a direct threat to card data stored on any computer or web server.  Businesses are strongly advised to keep their systems protected with reliable solutions capable of detecting and eradicating the latest malware programs.

Firewall - A firewall provides an organization with the ability to control inbound and outbound traffic going to and from the system.  With the right configurations, it can halt malicious traffic and also help to prevent basic hacking attacks.

Intrusion Detection – Though very effective, a firewall can only do so much.  An intrusion detection system enables PCI compliance by detecting the presence of malicious activities that pose a potential threat to card data resting on the system.

Network Monitoring – Even with all the right security mechanisms, card data can still be at risk due to a wide range of circumstances.  This could related to hardware failure or a problem with a backbone provider.  Network monitoring allows companies to stay one step ahead of such issues by watching over the network and reporting its status to system administrators.

SSL Certificate System - SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a must-have security feature for any business that sells goods or services over the internet.  Credit card data is in jeopardy whenever transactions are made on any website that isn’t protected.   With an SSL certificate, businesses can ensure the protection of sensitive information as the protocol creates an encrypted tunnel for which credit card details to travel through.

Not all hosting providers make the commitment to aid in PCI compliance but more are getting onboard with the concept.  Those who are should be commended for their efforts to aid in business-friendly solutions that take the stress out of meeting these demanding standards.