Customers rely on your business website every day to complete secure transactions; unfortunately, all it takes is one hacker to bring down your entire site and business reputation in the process. From website phishing schemes to web attacks and everything in between, security vulnerabilities on your site can lead to serious problems down the road. Just take a look at some of the major businesses and organizations that have fallen victim to web attacks in recent years—and the impact these attacks have had on their reputations.
Fortunately, there are some practical steps all business owners can take to enhance website security and avoid falling victim to any number of common data attacks.
DDoS Attacks
One of the most common types of attacks that websites of all sizes are succumbing to these days is the DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack. These operate by flooding a site with fake traffic to the point of overwhelming the dedicated server and bringing it down altogether.
While there is no way to guarantee your site will never fall victim to a DDoS attack, having some form of DDoS protection in place on your dedicated server is the best precaution you can take to reduce your risk.
Security Breaches
When a security breach occurs on your business website, you could end up in a world of hurt. This is especially true if sensitive customer information (such as payment data or personal data) is compromised as a result. When it comes to how to prevent data attacks, you have plenty of options. Because many data attacks occur as a result of vulnerabilities in apps and software, one of the best ways to protect your site against them is to simply make sure to install updates and security patches as soon as they become available.
Ransomware
Ransomware is becoming a very serious problem these days; these types of attacks occur when a hacker brings your server down and demands payment (usually in the form of hundreds or even thousands of dollars) to release it. While your site is down, your business reputation may be tarnished. And of course, if you pay the ransom, your business could be out thousands of dollars as well. Another possible consequence of having your site brought down by ransomware is the possibility that your site will be blacklisted by the search engines, which can seriously affect your SEO and marketing as a result.
The best way to protect your site against ransomware? Again, check for security updates on a regular basis; do this manually at least a few times a week and always install updates or patches as soon as they become available for the best level of protection.
These are just a few of the most common security threats that exist against business websites of all sizes. By taking the proper steps to protect your site and by choosing a dedicated server that has standard protections built in (such as DDoS protection), you can reduce your chances of your site falling victim to one of these attacks. For more information, contact ReliableSite today!