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Tag: WordPress Secure Hosting

How to keep your CMS safe and secure

Website security is one of the pillars of running a business online. Website hacks are not an uncommon phenomenon with 30,000 new small business website hacks a day together with corporation breaches. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, being prepared for such attacks is always a good preventive measure that can save you time from constant web debugging or worse – loss of income from your website and loss of company credibility. 

Hackers have targeted the top three open-source Content Management Services (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal due to their popularity. As technology evolved, these three CMSs have evolved to be more secure through patching its loopholes. 

Common Security Threats to CMSs

  • Data manipulation: Changing parameters and SQL injections are common hacks used. Malicious SQL statements are being inserted in entry fields for execution. 
  • Accessing data: This means using SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks as a way to jeopardize user data. A web application is used to send the malicious code using a browser side script. 
  • Code Injection: Causing lost or corrupted data, lack of accountability, or revoking access, this is the kind of attack that can affect the whole server that runs the website. 

With the common threats illustrated above, here’s what you can do to ensure your CMS stays safe at all times. 

Update your CMS Admin Password 

If you are the type to just use a common password for the majority of your sites or don’t update your administrator password in the past months, then take this as a sign that you need to start doing so. 

The chances of a hacker knowing one or two of your logins is not a slim one. Using a strong password together with a password storage vault can be handy in helping you keep track, organize, update, and manage passwords in one place. Taking an idea from password generators can come in really handy if you do not want the hassle of coming up with one from scratch. 

SSL Certificates 

With the encryption that an SSL Certificate can offer, users are protected from hackers and those attempting identity theft. It has become the PCI standard especially for e-commerce websites that accept sensitive information such as credit cards and personal data. Since 2018, Google has started ranking websites without SSL Certificates lower and most hosting providers provide free SSL or SSL at a low-cost option. 

Website Monitoring 

Constantly monitoring your website is one of the best solutions that can also help you understand common issues and threats. There is an abundance of online services that can offer a way for you to monitor your website 24/7 and help with security measures such as Google Search Console with their alerts and cPanel with their server error logs. 

Security Plugins 

Despite security updates and patches of CMSs, sometimes additional security measures are still important. While server configurations are one way to get security, not everyone can access or have the ability to secure a server properly. A plugin or extension proves to be the easiest way to ensure the server is configured correctly with the right security. Examples of the ways you can protect your site are through Firewall Protection which can help block brute force and DDoS attacks, restricting IP addresses, and more. Some of the available plugins are as follows Sucuri and WordFence (WordPress), Akeeba Admin Tools and RS FireWall (Joomla), and Security Kit (Drupal). 

While plugins can be helpful, it is worth noting that it is important to keep all plugins updated and to keep an eye out for security risks. It is important to download plugins from the official website and developers to face less security threats, malware, and other compromised data. 

Security should always be the utmost priority and thankfully there are a lot of helpful resources available that can help secure your CMS website. If you are new to CMS then don’t let that unfamiliarity get in the way of securing your website. Let a partner agency like iManila assist you with your website. We have a variety of website maintenance and server management services for your different business needs. Drop us a message and see how we can work together! 

How a Hacked Website Can Impact your Business

Your website is your company’s primary asset in the digital age, and the last thing you want to happen is to wake up one day with a hacked one.

With the sudden shift in consumer behavior and increased use of online channels brought about by the pandemic, many businesses are now understanding the importance of having a website to pivot their business in the digital age.

While this is a good start to kick-off your digital presence, many are still neglecting a key element – website security.  This is especially common among small businesses as we tend to focus more on big companies and enterprises whose websites have been hacked before.

But did you know that small business websites are also at risk of getting their websites hacked too? In fact, according to a Verizon 2019 report, 43% of cyberattacks are aimed towards small businesses.

That is why as business owners, it is important to understand the possible impacts of a hacked website to your business, and what you can do to secure your website.

What will happen if your website’s hacked?

Your website is at risk of the following consequences if it gets hacked:

  1. Personal or financial data loss

Most hackers are after these things – personal and financial information. Cybercriminals fish for sensitive information (like your credit card information) often to sell it or use it for themselves.

  1. Slowed Down Website

It is also common for cybercriminals to hack into websites to store and run files on your server. This often leads to a slowed-down website, which can later affect your SEO ranking, as Google’s algorithm takes website speed into account in ranking pages.

  1. You will probably lose your customer’s trust too

No customer would like to hear or see their trusted brand’s website get hacked. Your hacked website not only puts your information at risk, but it also risks having your customer information stolen for can be used by cybercriminals for identity theft.

Additionally, you get possibly be held accountable for stolen customer data, and most customers will probably not be confident to visit your website anymore.

 

What can you do to make your website more secure?

  1. Make sure to get an SSL Certificate

A trusted website should be equipped with an SSL Certificate. This is essential for ALL websites, as it ensures that the data shared between your website and visitors are safe, encrypted, and secured from potential hackers or intruders.

  1. Choose a trusted Web Hosting Provider

The type of hosting you choose for your website can help determine your website’s security. It is important to know how well your hosting provider can protect your website from possible cyberattacks, and how they can respond to hacking incidents when it happens.

 

Conclusion

Website hacking is a real threat to businesses in the digital age. With this, keeping your website secure should be a priority for all businesses to ensure that your company and your client’s information are always safe.

Looking for the right web hosting partner for your business? Check out our website hosting services at iManila.

With over 20 years in the industry, iManila is one of the most trusted web hosting companies in the Philippines. Whether you are looking for a domain, security, or hosting solutions, contact us and we’d be glad to help!