The Modern Face Of Website Security

The ever-evolving threat of cybercrime places a significant burden on website owners, particularly in today’s mobile age. While most desktop computers will have an antivirus package installed, smartphones and tablets are often left unprotected. Companies with an online presence can’t expect customers to shoulder all the responsibility for safe web browsing, so they need to make ongoing investments in website security to ensure audiences aren’t compromised in any way.

SiteLock

One way to improve website security involves adopting a solution like SiteLock. This cloud-based service handles everything from detection and removal to the prevention of DDoS attacks that could force a server offline. WestHost’s Basic SiteLock package costs $15 a year, while Premium versions perform daily FTP scans and automatically remove any detected malware. There’s even an Enterprise subscription, providing unlimited scans for larger businesses.

HTTPS

Despite the reassurance provided by SiteLock’s trust seal, it’s only one aspect of modern website security. Perhaps the best-known tool is HTTPS, which applies end-to-end encryption to any information being transmitted between a web browser and the host server. This prevents man-in-the-middle attacks, where a third party can view or steal data as it’s being exchanged. HTTPS also blocks data tampering, while accreditation by a Certification Authority provides consumers with confidence in the sanctity of communications. The HTTPS Everywhere extension is available for Chrome, Firefox and Opera, based on technology developed by encrypted communications specialists Tor.

Tor

Tor represents a fairly extreme method of website security, distributing data packets around the world to mask their eventual destination and ensure end user anonymity. However, using numerous nodes makes Tor sluggish and less suitable for bandwidth-intensive activities like gaming or media streaming. Most consumers will be happy with platforms like Google Chrome – currently the world’s most popular web browser. Today’s browsers can identify compromised websites (or those with outdated security certificates) and warn users to avoid them, as well as offering extensions like HTTPS Everywhere.

Extensions

Extensions are a central part of WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system, powering over a quarter of the planet’s websites. Among its 52,000 standalone plugins are numerous tools designed to improve website security. Many are held in high esteem – WordFence has been downloaded a million times and has a customer rating of 4.9 out of 5. Its iThemes rival offers thirty different security processes, including protection against brute force attacks and locking out people who repeatedly enter incorrect credentials. The rather wordy All In One WP Security & Firewall comes with a meter to ranks a site’s security, providing recommendations on possible improvements.

Consumer Awareness

One thing that’s improved beyond recognition in recent years is consumer awareness. Audiences understand the importance of two-factor authentication when logging into financial platforms, and they generally know how to avoid falling for phishing scams or cloned addresses (like amaz0n.com). Nonetheless, legitimate websites can still be compromised or have traffic redirected to a malicious address. Avoiding this requires diligence on the part of webmasters and administrators, alongside the use of a web hosting company with sufficient hardware and knowhow to prevent attacks taking place.
That brings us back to our own products and services. A secure website inevitably relies on a dependable web hosting company, and WestHost has invested heavily in security. Our international data centers are manned around the clock, and protected against unwanted visitors. We use the Cloudflare content delivery network to identify potential hackers and spammers, and our Business Hosting packages include an SSL certificate for added peace of mind. You won’t find a better way to protect your website – and its visitors – against modern cyber threats…