Discover how to harness the potential of ChatGPT for advanced keyword research in SEO with our comprehensive guide.
Don't let a hacked website compromise your business. In today's article, we'll give you our top 5 tips for preventing malware infection.
A hacked website is a serious issue for any business. You can:
So here are our 5 top tips for keeping your website clean, safe and running smoothly.
Keeping your website up and running is largely a question of following sound security protocols.
A good place to start is simply to do a Google search for "site:your_site" (replacing "your_site" with the address of your website*). Have a quick look to see if someone has sneaked any pages onto your website.
Searching for your business name will also show if Google has noticed anything insecure about your site. If so, they will display a warning:
You should also check the Search Console dashboard for your website. Google will let you know here if they've detected malware. A useful trick is to make sure that Search Console messages are automatically forwarded to your email account.
* So we would search for: site:keybusinessmarketing.co.uk
The Google page about passwords is very thorough, so we'll just summarise their advice here.
A strong password is the first step to keeping you personal information safe and preventing hackers from getting into your website. It should:
If you're finding that it's hard to remember all your different passwords, consider using a dedicated password manager like KeePass. this will keep all your passwords together in one place and is "encrypted using the most secure encryption algorithms in the world (AES-256, ChaCha20 and Twofish)".
A lot of the time, malware is sneaked in "through the back door" via third-party content. This can include:
It's extremely important to do your due diligence before you add anything to your website. Initial checks could be:
Your hosting company can be helpful here. See if they have a list of approved apps. Or maybe there is a chat function where you can ask if a particular app or widget is suitable and safe.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a way for computers to share information without being vulnerable to hackers. It's become the standard, best-practice protocol for the modern web.
Using SSL will go some way to preventing a hacked website. It will certainly help keep your data safe. And if you are an e-commerce site (or require a large amount of customer data) it's imperative to be SSL compliant.
As an added bonus, you'll be able to use the HTTPS prefix to your website. You'll see that the full address for this page is: https://www.keybusiness...
This tells Google (and your visitors) that their data is safe. It's great for SEO and great for your reputation. In fact, websites using the old HTTP prefix are now frequently displayed along with a warning message.
We wrote a whole article on this subject if you'd like to go a bit deeper - Do I Need An SSL Certificate?
Cyber security isn't just a matter of apps, widgets and firewalls. A sloppy employee (or even a vengeful ex-employee) can compromise your website just as easily as a weak password.
The most important step is to only allow staff access to the bare minimum on the website. If your writers upload their own blogs, but aren't responsible for settings or account management, restrict their access to the CMS.
Make sure employees don't allow viruses to get onto your system by accessing dubious websites. Consider a service which automatically blocks access to any sites with adult or spammy content.
Above all, make sure you and all your team understand the basics of proper cyber security.
If you'd like to learn more about our services, including our website maintenance packages, please get in touch.
Discover how to harness the potential of ChatGPT for advanced keyword research in SEO with our comprehensive guide.
Explore the latest Google advancements in YouTube Shorts advertising! Discover how Google is boosting brand visibility and addressing revenue challenges.
Learn how to effectively manage your WordPress website's email services for optimal performance. Explore the three methods of sending emails in WordPress
Explore the art of monitoring and optimising your website's performance. Discover dedicated tools to prevent downtime, enhance user experience, and meet Google's performance standards.
Discover the revolutionary shift in Google's search landscape with Project Magi! This upcoming AI-powered search experience makes some big promises!
Discover essential tips to fortify your WordPress website's security. Safeguard your site with expert advice in this comprehensive guide
Mastering WordPress Maintenance Plans: Organize your website tasks efficiently, from backups to plugin updates.
Discover expert solutions for the most common WordPress errors and streamline your website management.
Master the art of WordPress website management with our expert tips! Learn how to streamline maintenance, boost performance, and enhance security