Making Your Small Business Website Secure

“My website is too small to interest hackers.”

“I’m not making any money anyway.”

“It’s just a small blog, I don’t even sell anything on my site.”

“Is it really that bad if a hacker gets in?”

“I don’t have the money to invest in website security.”

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever questioned the importance of securing your small business website, you’re not alone. But as technology evolves and people continue spending more and more time online, small businesses need to protect their online presence.

It’s not often that you see a small business website that’s protected like an enterprise website. It should be noted though that the same website security resources that big businesses use are readily available for small businesses as well.

Is your small business website vulnerable to hacking? If so, how can you make your website more secure? Let’s discuss why it's important for small businesses to prioritize website security. We’ll then detail seven ways to make your website more secure to protect against future cybersecurity attacks.

Website Security Must be a Priority for Small Businesses

Many small business owners find themselves taking website security seriously only after a breach has happened, wishing they had a cybersecurity response plan in place. Whether you’ve created a website for marketing purposes or e-commerce transactions, prioritizing website security provides secure browsing and a better overall user experience for visitors. It also builds trust, which contributes to a loyal customer relationship. 

Hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their approach to hijacking and infiltrating small business websites. Instead of deciding one by one which sites to hack, they’re now relying on automation tools to highlight which sites are most vulnerable. These automation tools can check your website against common website security vulnerabilities. Once your site is identified as vulnerable, hackers take it from there.

Because the list of techniques used to hack websites is growing and hackers are becoming savvier, it’s up to small business owners to take website security seriously. If you solicit for, collect, and store private information on your website, you need to protect it. It’s as simple as that.

7 Ways to Make Your Website More Secure

Small business websites are targeted daily by hackers. They see more of an opportunity to infiltrate them because they know small business owners haven’t put much money into protecting their websites. Therefore, they don’t have to do much to get into your website and can steal your business and/or customer information with ease.

You don’t need to know all the technical jargon that comes with building a secure website. You do need to know what’s necessary to protect your website and how to go about getting it installed or set up. Here are seven ways to secure your website and put it out of a hacker’s reach:

Hire an Expert

If you aren’t confident in your tech ability, hiring an expert in cybersecurity may be the best option for ensuring your site is adequately protected. Cybersecurity experts are well versed in the technical language, specific software solutions, and the analytical aspects that influence your website’s security.

When you're looking for a cybersecurity expert, make sure they’re:

●   Certified by organizations such EC-Council or CompTIA

●   Knowledgeable in current security software

●   Comfortable with cybersecurity language

●   Interested in your industry

●   Okay with a flexible schedule

●   Willing to solve problems before they arise

●  Able to thoroughly analyze data

If you’re unable to afford an expert, be willing to become an expert yourself by taking advantage of free resources online dedicated to teaching important aspects of securing your website.

Choose a Reputable Website Host

Your web hosting service makes it so your website is available to the world. Wherever you bought your domain name, they likely offered a website builder as well. Whoever you choose for these services, they need to be reputable, dependable, and easy to work with.

Most website hosts offer security software and protection along with their hosting service depending on the package you choose. Your website host should help you mitigate the security concerns of visitors and keep up with consumer trends that would be important to website owners.

For example, an e-commerce business owner should choose a website host that offers a secure online payment portal and mobile payment security. This would address the significant increase in online buying and purchases made on mobile devices. Thoroughly research website hosting services and choose one that offers the website security necessary for your business operation.

Stay Up to Date With Cybersecurity Trends

Keeping up with cybersecurity trends is more important than ever for small businesses. Remember, you’re looking to protect your online visitors as well if not better than your enterprise counterparts do. Staying up to date with the challenges companies are facing with cybersecurity as well as what’s working keeps you a step ahead of your competitors. It also builds trust with your visitors by providing them with a website that’s mindful of the cybersecurity threats out there and implements ways to fight them.

When it comes to cybersecurity trends, the future of cybersecurity looks like this:

●  Increased encryption

●  More control of cybersecurity data

●  Increased usage of AI and automation

●  Finding more ways to secure remote work technology

●  Establishing a balance between security and convenience

●  An emphasis on privacy options

Sign up for updates from sites that track cybersecurity trends. Take notes on trends that primarily affect the security of small business websites. Implement any strategies or tips associated with effectively addressing those trends.

Make Sure Your SSL Certificate Is Verified

We’ve been forced into taking our purchases online and maintaining our relationships digitally more often because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, people want small businesses to thoroughly protect their information when they visit them online. Easily identify your website as secure with an SSL certificate.

A Secure Sockets Layer or SSL certificate encrypts the information exchanged between your visitors and website. SSL is the reason for the “S” in “HTTPS” and the padlock in the address bar. This encryption makes it difficult for hackers to steal personal information like login credentials, credit card information, addresses, and emails.

Install an SSL on your website:

●  With a quality website builder that offers an SSL certificate for free

●  With a reputable website hosting service that offers SSL installation with each of its plans

●  For free yourself with Let’s Encrypt software

Manage Your Passwords

Small business owners who neglect the importance of website security often use passwords that are easy for hackers to guess. Strong passwords could be the key to preventing hackers from getting a hold of your customers’ personal information and private business data.

Being diligent about the way you create your passwords and where you store them is most important to a secure website. Protect your administrator credentials for your web hosting service and website builder by constantly updating them and doing your best to only store them in your mind.

Your passwords should never include easy-to-guess information like birth dates, family facts, number sequences, and popular phrases. Use a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols to craft a unique password every time.

Make Sure All of Your Software Is Up to Date

Whether you’re using the most expensive website software or a budget-friendly system, hackers are on the prowl for websites that are using out-of-date versions of their software. Using old versions of plugins or website builders makes your website vulnerable to hackers. Out-of-date software signals to hackers that:

1. You do not do website maintenance regularly
2. You probably do not have a solid defense against any cybersecurity threats

Do a website software audit and identify any updates that need to take place with your website builder, host, and plugins. Update your CMS, operating systems, and other website software periodically. Log and fix all bugs and potential threats as they arise.

Be Aware of Phishing Emails and Other Scams

Although small business website protection is lacking, owners do set up their websites with the intention of protecting their visitors. Most small business owners are tasked with finding ways to run their businesses with budget-friendly resources, and that includes the quality of the website they’re able to set up.

Unfortunately, hackers are preying on budget-conscious business owners looking to cut costs. This applies especially to owners who are discontinuing security measures on their websites or refraining from setting them up in the first place. Hackers use your business’s listed contact information to reach out to you with phishing emails and other scams. They’ll pose as website professionals or other trusted connections to gain access to your website credentials and other business information.

Be aware of the most common cyberattacks and on the lookout for any suspicious emails, texts, or phone calls. Do not open any emails from contacts you’re unfamiliar with and never give out personal or business information to anyone you don’t know.

Prioritize Website Security Today  

A secure website experience for your visitors could be the difference between a thriving business operation and one that’s on the verge of closing its doors.

Website security is especially important for small businesses because hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their approach and hacking techniques. They’re less concerned with how much money your business is making and more concerned with how accessible your business and customer information is to them.

Don’t let a data breach be the reason you finally prioritize website security. To make your small business website more secure, invest in some of the above cybersecurity solutions and ensure your small business is ready to offer a protected online experience.