Web security is more important than ever. Long gone are the days where “password123” is sufficient enough to protect your account. With the influx of digital media and e-commerce, websites are the foundation of many companies’ entire business model. Keeping your website safe is about much more than setting a solid password once. You need to be constantly on top of who has access to your site, potential threats from viruses, and general internet security. Follow these tips to protect your website’s most valuable data.

Back Up Regularly

Website backups ensure that you will always be able to access important information and restore your site after data corruption, file loses, or even hacks. You should avoid backing up your website on the same computer on which you work as hosting exclusively on hardware runs the risk of corruption and total loss. Instead, look for cloud backup services. Hosted online on a remote server, cloud backups ensure that your website’s information is always protected. When choosing a cloud service, look for providers that offer secure encryption.

Check for Malware

Checking for malware and other issues should be a part of a continuous cycle with the purpose of constantly evaluating for and addressing security issues at its heart. If a computer is infected with a malware virus, confidential information, including your website’s access and data. Scheduled checks every day using a paid service, or manually every few weeks are the best way to stay on top of threats and prevent any security breaches.

Strong Passwords

To prevent hacking, it’s recommended to update your website’s passwords every six months or so. More importantly, you should create a strong password using free tools like LastPass or OnePass. Secure passwords should not include any personal or easily identifiable information that is easy to guess, including your company’s name, your name, or your birthday. Make sure that every employee also frequently updates their login information and that they do not ever leave their account logged in outside of company property.

Once you establish a solid security protocol, website maintenance will become much easier. Give yourself time to explore your needs, and develop a plan that is best for your site. Make sure that anyone who shares access to the website is always up to date on the latest maintenance tactics as well.

Do you need your site set up for easy security maintenance? Take a look at our maintenance plans.