What is a Business Website Security Analysis?

Business Website Security Analysis: the most effective way to ensure your website is safe and secure.

Business Website Security Analysis is a great way to determine your website’s health. Website security is a daunting topic for a lot of people. Since so much effort already goes into developing your website, it’s very easy to let this complex issue fall to the back burner. However, since hacking and malware pose a tremendous threat to websites of all sizes, It is very important that business owners resist this temptation.

A compromised website can hurt your business in numerous ways. If a potential customer visits your website and catches a virus or some form of malware in the process they likely will not be returning anytime soon. In fact, the damage could be done before your potential customer ever even lands on your site. This is because large search engines do not display hacked websites. Google alone blacklists nearly 20,000 websites per week because they are compromised.

For the sake of your websites digital presence, having airtight website security is essential.

But, as mentioned before, security can sometimes seem daunting. That’s where a website management professional comes in. A web security expert can analyze your website, diagnose exactly what is wrong and provide cost-effective solutions. After a Website Security Analysis, your business can rest assured knowing it is safeguarded from any potential threats.

A seasoned web security professional will look for a lot of different security issues. Some of these include…

Secure Sockets Layers (SSL)

One of the first things a website should possess is a Secure Sockets Layer. An SSL is the industry standard for protecting sensitive information that you and your clients exchange. They are incredibly common in a digital world increasingly aware of cyber threats. In fact, Google reports that over 89% of websites use a secure sockets layer. Furthermore, Google recently announced they punish insecure websites by lowering their presence on their search engines.

The easiest way to tell if a website uses a secure sockets layer is by looking for “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP” in the address bar. This is typically accompanied with a green lock that signifies exchanging information on the webpage is safe.

If you want customers to trust your website when they come to visit, having an SSL is essential. At Web Design by Knight, we offer SSL installations for as low as $250. Contact us today for more information.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

In a Business Website Security Analysis, security experts take a look at your content management systems. In short, a CMS is a software program that provides capabilities for multiple users to edit some, or all, content, data and information of a website application. These programs are very widely used in the digital world because they are efficient and effective.

The problem with content management systems arises when you are using an out-of-date or less-than-ideal program. An experienced website security professional can take a look at your current CMS and suggest improvements on your current format or a more suitable application.

Firewall Detected

We’ve already discussed Secure Sockets Layers, but having your website listed as HTTPS isn’t enough. The next step toward securing a website is through the installation of a Web Application Firewall.

Firewalls are important components to any secure website. These software programs prevent hacking on your website by identifying suspicious activity and immediately blocking it. Firewalls block unwanted web traffic from your site, protect against hacks & other malware threats and provide virtual patching before common CMS platforms release official patches.

If the firewall is functioning properly, it makes it much more difficult for potential hackers to break in to your server and compromise your data. This is one of the first things a website security professional will look for when analyzing your website.

Blacklisting

A web design professional checks to see if any search engines have blacklisted your website. Search engines blacklist webpages that are compromised or hacked. If they decide to black list you, your website will not show up on their search engine.

Losing rank on a search engine can devastate a business. This is especially true if your business relies heavily on new customers online. In fact, a website loses nearly 95% of its organic traffic when it is black listed by certain search engines.

Malware

If your website contains malware of any kind, you will see a serious hit from search engine-generated traffic. Furthermore, it puts the security of you and your client’s information at a great risk.

A common misconception is that hacks tarnish your website’s look. However, hackers don’t always want you to know they gained access to your website. They would prefer you didn’t find out of the malware so they can continue farming information quietly.

Even if you are using a secure hosting platform, hackers can compromise your website. It can be difficult to tell if your website has malware on it because hackers have developed sophisticated ways of cloaking their actions.

Conducting Website Security Analysis can ensure your website is safe and secure from any malware.

Injected Spam

Another way hackers attack a website is by implementing spam. This is a very common problem with compromised websites and can result in a loss of trust from your customers. According to Google, there are typically three ways a hacker modifies your site:

1. By gaining access to an insecure directory on your server. For example, you may have inadvertently left a directory with open permissions.
2. By exploiting a vulnerability in software running on your site, such as a content management system. For example, you might be running an older, insecure version of WordPress.
3. By hacking third-party plugins that you use on your site, such as visitor counters.

Call a website professional today to make sure your web pages are safe from spam and malware.

Conclusion

There is plenty more we look at when analyzing a business website, but these are some of the most important factors. Hiring a professional assures you that you are running the most secure website possible, which reduces risk for your company.

At Web Design by Knight, we offer full-service Business Website Security Analysis. Once we determine the health of your website, we offer a step-by-step guide for how to maximize it’s potential. Contact us today to find out if your business is secure and less vulnerable to attack. This isn’t something you should leave to chance.

Remember, it isn’t IF your website gets hacked, but WHEN.