Data breaches are a genuine concern among all companies that do business online. It seems as though news about another major breach comes out daily – and the last thing you want is for your own company to make one of those headlines.
Unfortunately, there is no way to safeguard your information against potential hackers completely. However, there are a few proactive steps you can take to protect your site’s data.
Below, we’re breaking down four of the best ways to prevent data breaches.
1. Opt for Data Encryption
One of the best things you can do to protect sensitive data from ending up in the wrong hands is to encrypt it. When data is encrypted, it is essentially “translated” into unreadable text when an unauthorized user opens it. With this service, even if hackers gain access to data files, they won’t have the “key” needed to decode the text.
Encryption is a common practice with passwords, usernames, and other sensitive data sent over the web. However, it can also be done pretty easily with the files you have uploaded to your server. Take time to make sure you’ve encrypted as much as possible as an added safeguard.
2. Choose a Dedicated Server
What type of hosting are you using for your website? If you’re using anything other than a dedicated server, it’s time to make the switch. Unfortunately, shared hosting and even virtual private server (VPS) hosting come with some inherent security vulnerabilities that could put your data at risk. Switching to dedicated hosting will improve your data security while offering several other benefits, including:
- Faster Page-Loading Times
- Greater Reliability
- Unrivaled Customization
Once you’ve made the switch to dedicated server hosting, there are a few extra steps you can take to prevent data breaches. These include making sure to install security updates as they become available and choosing a strong password. Contact your host to find out what other advanced security features they offer or how you can customize it for your users.
3. Be Mindful of Your Network
You may read this advice over and over but we can’t emphasize it enough: When logging into your server’s control panel, always make sure you’re on a trusted and private network. One of the biggest data security mistakes people make is using open, public, and unsecured networks to relay sensitive information like usernames and passwords. Hackers can easily discover this data and use it to access your account. Therefore, you should only log into your server control panel using a trusted network. You should also make sure all authorized users on your account know to do the same.
4. Consider Managed Services
Last but not least, consider using managed hosting through your dedicated server provider if you need expert help. Managed hosting services ensure that a variety of basic security measures are handled by a professional. This includes everything from running necessary maintenance on your server to completing security audits and installing updates and patches as needed.
Many business owners find managed services to be more than worth the cost, especially when you take into consideration how much time you’ll save. Rather than spending time handling security and maintenance tasks and learning how to manage your server, you can focus on other important aspects of running your business. At the same time, you can rest easy knowing that all of these tasks are being taken care of by experienced and trained system administrators.
Ramp Up Your Data Security with Help from ReliableSite
Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that your site will never fall victim to a data breach. However, taking these steps can go a long way in reducing the likelihood of such an occurrence.
Looking to make the switch to dedicated server hosting? ReliableSite has a variety of plans that can improve the security of your company’s sensitive data. To get started, contact us today!