How To Secure A Website For Free In 2023?
Protecting your data and sensitive information from your clients requires securing your website. Preventive security solutions can save time and money while preserving the reputation of your brand. Cybersecurity attacks and threats have escalated in recent years, making website security even more essential. For websites that conduct online business, like e-commerce sites, and for websites built on widely used platforms like WordPress, security is even more important. You must put preventative security measures in place to protect your website from hackers. In this blog, we’ll look at seven various ways you may safeguard your website for no cost, including best practices, free tools, and other security measures.
Ways to Obtain Free Website Security
1. Get An SSL Certificate Installed
Secure Sockets Layer, usually known as SSL, is a protocol that establishes an encrypted connection between a web server and a web browser. This guarantees the security of any information sent between a visitor and the website. If you run an online store, you absolutely must have an SSL certificate for your WordPress website. Your customers’ private payment information will be more secure with the help of the SSL certificate. Fortunately, installing SSL on your website doesn’t require any technical expertise. From a hosting company, domain registrar, or certificate authority, you can quickly obtain an SSL certificate. The cost of an SSL certificate varies, although it is available at no charge. They are frequently included for free in hosting packages from many providers. You can obtain an SSL certificate for nothing from CAs like Let’s Encrypt if your hosting provider does not offer one.
2. Refresh Your Website Frequently
Your website may be vulnerable to viruses, cyberattacks, and other security risks if your software is out of current. Maintain the most recent version of your website by routinely checking for changes or setting up automatic updates to assist you to prevent these issues. These updates must be released as soon as feasible because they frequently include security patches from developers. Many hosting companies offer managed hosting, which takes care of updates for you if you use WordPress. You can select a built-in option from WordPress that enables automatic updates for the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. Before integrating any third-party extensions or services, you should exercise caution. Before doing so, check the reviews or the developer’s approval; otherwise, you run the risk of adding a vulnerable plugin or component to your website.
3. Create Secure Passwords
It’s like inviting burglars into your house if you use basic passwords like common words, number patterns, your name, or the name of your website. With these passwords, it’s simple to hack into your website. A simple and cost-free solution to protect your website is by using strong passwords. Good passwords consist of:
- A string of characters that are both alphabetical and numerical.
- Both uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Unique characters.
Your browser can make a strong password suggestion for you if you’re having trouble thinking of one. To manage your passwords on your desktop, laptop, and mobile devices, you may also use a free password manager like Dashlane.
An additional layer of protection called two-factor authentication (2FA) makes your website more secure. To stop a malevolent hacker from accessing your website, two-factor authentication uses two separate types of structures. As a two-sided puzzle, the security layer combines your password with a text code, facial or retinal recognition technology, or your fingerprint. Your mobile device’s scanner can record your fingerprint or retina. Both riddles must be solved by anyone attempting to access your website. Although it is not a perfect system, two-factor authentication will increase a website’s security. With services like DUO, you can install 2FA on your website for no charge for a select group of customers.
4. Maintain Regular Site Backups
It is not a proactive strategy for website security to regularly create backups of your website, but doing so is crucial in the event of malicious assaults, hardware failure, or natural disasters. Your website can be quickly restored if you have a backup. You run the risk of losing all of your data, customizations, and settings without a backup. Your website’s primary files, media, non-media content, and databases can all be backed up. You won’t have to spend the time, money, or effort dealing with data loss if you have backups. You have three options for backup production: manually, with a tool, or by entrusting your hosting company. You can schedule and automate backups using the majority of tools and hosting companies. For instance, Nexcess incorporates 30-day backups in all of its WordPress-managed services. You can pick a backup plan from your hosting company for your small website. Some of them offer free or inexpensive automatic data backup services for websites. On the other hand, a large and complicated website needs a substantial quantity of storage capacity to store backup data. You can buy cloud storage to make your data accessible from anywhere at any time.
5. Staff Training
Smart hackers can trick even the best cyber security firms, yet occasionally the guilty party is identified as an unskilled employee. Even if your staff members are the greatest in the business at what they do, they are still capable of making simple errors that invite viruses and attacks. You must teach your staff to be alert for suspicious activities and cautious when clicking any doubtful links or emails from unfamiliar senders if you want to prevent these kinds of errors. Employees may grant unauthorized access to sensitive data, including email addresses, phone numbers, login information, and credit/debit information, as a result of phishing attempts in particular. Conduct a cyber security awareness training program within your firm to instruct your staff on how to safeguard the information of the business and its clients.
6. Scan Repeatedly
By regularly scanning your website, you can make sure that you catch any problems or dangers before they seriously harm your visitors’ user experience or the reputation of your company. There are numerous free malware scanning tools for websites, including:
- SiteLock Free Website Scanner
- Quttera
- Astra Security
- SiteGuarding
- VirusTotal
- MalCare
In addition to picking a separate security program, plugin, add-on, or organization, you might go with a hosting provider that offers its clients malware and virus scanning services. The optimum use for this option is for non-e-commerce websites when no money transactions take place there. Given that they feature an integrated scanner for harmful activity, Namecheap and Hostwinds are the perfect hosting companies for all kinds of web applications. Additionally excellent for WordPress websites are WPX and WP Engine.
7. Implement Security Tools
By using free tools, you may secure your website as well. The most important security tools, which are both free and include premium options, are discussed here.
Sucuri
Sucuri is a corporation that specializes in cyber security. They can assist you in protecting a website from several serious security problems, including hackers, malware, spyware, trojans, and denial-of-service attacks.
Qualys
Qualys is a cyber security business as well, but it protects servers and apps that are hosted in the cloud. You can use it to defend your online application and IT servers by using it to discover a variety of security concerns.
UpGuard
Another network security business that focuses on protecting sensitive data from businesses is UpGuard. Third-party risk management, attack surface control, and managed security are among the services offered by UpGuard. To stop data leaks, it monitors data coming from your vendor or any other party.
Detectify
Similar services are offered by Detectify and UpGuard, however, Detectify offers an AI risk monitor that scans your website for any of the over 2,000 security exposures to malicious attacks.
ImmuniWeb
Security firm ImmuniWeb is situated in Switzerland. SaaS-based services, have machine learning and AI technology in place to track fraudulent activities or vulnerabilities. ImmuniWeb examines a website utilizing a variety of standards, including HTTP headers, front-end library vulnerabilities, PCI, DSS, and GDPR compliance, as well as a CMS-specific test for WordPress and Drupal sites.
Securing your website is essential regardless of whether you operate a content-based website, an ecommerce website, or a membership site on HubSpot, WordPress, Magento, Drupal, WooCommerce, Craft CMS, OroCRM, Sylius, or ExpressionEngine. Free website security measures include:
- Get an SSL certificate installed.
- Regularly update your website, or enable automated updates from your hosting company or an add-on from a third party.
- Use secure passwords, and encourage your staff to do the same.
- Use automated backup services offered by your hosting company or a third-party add-on, or make frequent backups of your data.
- Upskill your staff to combat and fend off phishing and other cyberattacks.
- Use antivirus software, which is included in many hosting plans.
- Utilize free security software.
The best hosting company is the one that offers integrated or built-in third-party plugins for automated backup and recovery, upgrades, and regular anti-malware scanning. Additionally, search for services like CDN, auto-scaling, an SSL certificate, and the choice of corporate hosting for larger websites. Finally, think about using a fully managed hosting company like Nexcess. A website that uses fully managed-to-host benefits from all of the aforementioned features as well as specialized customer support, sophisticated caching, development sites, containers, and a better level of dependability and flexibility.
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