As a website owner or administrator, of course you want to do everything you can to protect your site against attacks and other security threats. Unfortunately, data breaches and attacks are becoming increasingly common these days, and even some of the largest and most “secure” sites on the web are not 100% safe from these threats. By having a better understanding of the types of threats that are running rampant today and by taking measures to bolster your site’s security, you can reduce the chances of falling victim.
Common Website Threats
One of the biggest threats that website administrators should be aware of these days is that of phishing schemes, which are being increasingly used to steal site visitors’ personal information like credit card numbers, names, and addresses. Phishing can work in a number of ways, but when used against your website’s visitors, this type of attack will most likely manifest itself in the form of a fake “copycat” version of your website. When your regular site visitors are tricked into visiting these fake sites instead, they may enter their personal information, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data under the false pretense that they’re on your secure site. From there, their information can be compromised.
Another serious threat you should be aware of as a website owner is that of the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. These attacks are becoming very common and can range greatly in size and scope. DDoS attacks operate by flooding your website with fake web traffic with the ultimate goal of overwhelming your server to the point that it shuts down. These attacks can create a world of headaches not just for site administrators, but for your site’s regular visitors as well.
What You Can Do to Protect Your Site
These are just a couple of the biggest threats you should be aware of that could affect your site today. The good news is that there are plenty of steps you can take to protect your site and reduce your risk of an attack. For starters, if you don’t already have some form of DDoS protection in place on your dedicated server, now is the time to implement this important protection. Many web hosting companies offer a variety of DDoS protection options that can help thwart attacks ranging in size and scope from a few gigabytes per second to several hundred gigabytes per second. ReliableSite even includes free standard DDoS protection with all of its hosting plans!
In addition to having DDoS protection in place, be sure to follow additional measures like checking for security updates and patches, as well as backing up your site data often.
The Internet can be a scary place these days, and attacks can have far-reaching consequences for your site and its reputation. For more assistance in protecting your site and managing your dedicated server’s security needs, contact ReliableSite today. We can help you optimize your server security!