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Your Guide to Evaluating Website Safety and Security

 

The security of a website is crucial for both visitors and site owners. With data breaches and website attacks on the rise, it's important to regularly check the security of any sites you own or frequently visit.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explain why website security matters, the risks of insecure sites, and how to easily check and improve the security of any website.

 

Why Website Security Matters

Website security helps protect sensitive user data like passwords, financial information, and personal details. It also guards against cyber attacks that could take down your site or use it to distribute malware to visitors. Some key reasons proper website security is essential include:

• Prevent Data Breaches: Security holes could let hackers access user account info, payment data, or other private details stored on your site.
• Avoid Legal and Compliance Issues: You may be required by law to take reasonable steps to secure data. Lax security could lead to hefty fines and lawsuits.
• Protect Your Reputation: A hacked or insecure site damages trust and credibility. Visitors will go elsewhere to avoid potential risks.
• Guard Against Attacks: Proper security helps prevent DDoS attacks, website vandalism, bots, and other cyber threats that could disrupt your site.
• Ensure Uptime: Attacks and vulnerabilities can crash your site or make it inaccessible to visitors, leading to lost traffic, sales, and revenue.
• Improve SEO Rankings: Google and other search engines may downgrade sites with known security issues in results pages.

 

Risks of Insecure Websites

Neglecting security can leave websites vulnerable to a variety of dangerous threats and attacks, including:

• Data Theft: Hackers exploit vulnerabilities to steal sensitive user data like credit card numbers.
• Identity Theft: Criminals access user account information to impersonate or steal the identities of your visitors.
• Malware Infections: Security gaps allow malware like viruses and spyware to infect site visitors' devices.
• Phishing Scams: Attackers create fake versions of insecure sites to steal user data and credentials.
• Denial-of-Service (DoS): Overwhelming sites with junk traffic can crash them and take them offline.
• Defacements: Attackers can vandalize insecure sites by modifying or replacing content.
• Zero-Day Exploits: Newfound vulnerabilities can be quickly leveraged to compromise sites before fixes are available.
• Spam and Blacklists: Spammers use security flaws to send spam through insecure sites, potentially getting them blacklisted.

 

10 Ways to Check the Security of a Website

Checking the security of the websites you manage or frequently use takes just a few quick and easy steps. Here are 10 tips to help evaluate website security:

1. Review Connection Security

Verify the site uses HTTPS with a valid security certificate. This encrypts connections to prevent snooping on traffic. Check for https:// in the URL and a padlock icon in the browser URL bar.

2. Scan for Vulnerabilities

Use free online website scanners to check for known vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common weaknesses malicious actors could exploit.

3. Check for Proper Access Controls

Test access by trying to directly access pages you shouldn't edit info as an anonymous user, etc. Proper user controls prevent access abuse.

4. Review Third-Party Code Security

If the site uses third-party code like plugins, scripts, or APIs, ensure they are updated and hardened against potential risks.

5. Test for Old Platforms and Software

Websites using outdated platforms like legacy PHP, WordPress, Django, etc., or unpatched software have more security bugs.

6. Examine Error Messages

Error messages can expose sensitive info like server paths, software versions, APIs, and debug data that attackers can leverage.

7. Inspect Page Source Code

The HTML source can reveal hidden flaws like insecure links, comments with sensitive data, or debugging functions left enabled.

8. Check Server Security Headers

Verify security-related HTTP response headers like X-Frame-Options, Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS), and Content-Security-Policy.

9. Monitor for Malware

Google Safe Browsing, VirusTotal, Sucuri, and other tools can check for malware, phishing content, or blacklisting of the site.

10. Test User Inputs

Check forms that accept input like search bars or comments for proper sanitization and validation to prevent XSS attacks.

Running through these tests provides reasonable assurance about the security of a website, though expert audits or penetration testing can find more subtle issues. Make sure to re-check periodically as new threats and site changes emerge.

 

Improving Website Security

If your security scans and tests surface issues, there are several ways to lock down and strengthen website security:

• Install security patches and updates for all platforms and software.
• Work with your hosting provider to implement server-level security protections like firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), etc.
• Harden configurations to disable unnecessary ports and services, strengthen password policies, and more.
• Review permissions and access controls to limit account abuse or unauthorized access.
• Leverage tools like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), DDoS mitigation, and anti-malware to guard against attacks.
• Fix vulnerabilities by modifying insecure code, sanitizing inputs, and following coding best practices.
• Obtain an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS across the site if not already implemented.
• Add security headers like HSTS to further strengthen connections and security-related configurations.
• Limit the use of third-party code and ensure any needed libraries or dependencies are secure and updated.
• Back up site data regularly in case of corruption, deletion, or availability issues from attacks.
• Develop an incident response plan for detecting and responding to security events like breaches.

Making website security a priority takes some vigilance but pays off by keeping your site safe and avoiding preventable threats. Use the guide above to start evaluating and enhancing the security of your sites.

 

FAQs:

Q1: What is the best free website security scanner?

A: Some top free options include Quttera Website Scanner, Sucuri SiteCheck, Internet Storm Center Webcheck, and GeoEdge Free Website Security Check. They scan for malware, common vulnerabilities, blacklisting status, and other security issues.

Q2: How can I check if my WordPress site is secure?

A: For WordPress sites, install a security plugin like Wordfence or iThemes Security to guard against threats. Also, use online scanning tools to check for known WordPress vulnerabilities. Enable HTTPS and use strong passwords.

Q3: What is the most secure website platform?

A: The most secure platforms include Linux servers with Apache/Nginx, up-to-date PHP versions, PostgreSQL databases, and static site generators like Hugo and GatsbyJS. Avoid outdated software with known security flaws.

Q4: How do I know if my website is hacked?

A: Signs of a hacked site include defaced pages, redirects, injected spam content, new administrator accounts, increased bandwidth usage, errors about file changes, and unavailability. A website security scanner can often detect malicious changes.

Q5: Can anyone see my website's source code?

A: Yes, the HTML source code of any website is publicly visible to anyone who views the page. Sensitive info like developer comments or API keys may be exposed. Proper access controls on server files help reduce insider risks.

 

Conclusion

Website security is crucial for protecting user data, guarding against cyber threats, and maintaining the availability and integrity of your online presence. While no site is completely immune from risks, taking proactive steps to evaluate and enhance website security helps mitigate common attacks and vulnerabilities.

Regularly scanning for weaknesses, implementing best practices like HTTPS, updating software, hardening configurations, sanitizing inputs, and monitoring for threats are all part of an effective website security regimen. No one tactic will make a site 100% secure, but combining defense-in-depth security measures significantly reduces risks.

Don't just assume your website is secure - take the time to methodically check for flaws using the tips outlined here. By identifying and addressing security gaps before criminals do, you can help keep your business and users safe in our increasingly interconnected world. Taking website security seriously now helps prevent costly damages down the road.