Even if you don’t consider your company’s website a particular target for hackers, it’s important to ensure your website is as resilient and protected as possible. Research and surveys by communications company Verizon has shown there were a record number of cyber attacks in 2013, with 71% hitting businesses with less than 100 employees.
The majority of website security breaches are not necessarily intended to steal your data, but can also be attempts to use your server as an email relay for spa, or to create a temporary web server to serve illegal files. Hackers normally create automated scripts to scour the web in an attempt to exploit security weaknesses in websites and software, so it’s essential to make sure your website is as secure as possible from these types of attacks.
Test your website’s resilience
Firstly, it’s important to understand just how secure your website is from hackers and cyber attacks – which is where software testing comes in. Penetration testing is key to understanding any weaknesses in your website’s systems, and is a process where an attack is performed on your website with the purpose of exposing vulnerabilities. Software testing, audit and compliance are also essential in ensuring that your data is protected to the legal requirement, preventing any action against you in the event of a data breach. It’s best to seek out expert assistance when attempting any of these actions. Contact a company like NCC who offer software testing audit and compliance services.
Keep software up to date
If the results of your software testing are alarming, how can you make your website more resilient to attack? Thankfully there are plenty of simple measures you can put in place to ensure your business website is highly protected. Firstly, make sure that all of the software that operates your website is up to date. From your server operating system to your CMS and forum software, the newest versions will have the required security patches to give you the protection you need. If you use third parties, make sure you’re signed up to their mailing list so you’re kept abreast of any security issues of developments.
Be careful with your error messages
Be aware that your website systems can give away too much information in their error messaging. If you have a login form, make sure you use generic messages such as “Incorrect username or password” when communicating failure on attempted logins. Make sure the messaging doesn’t specify when a user got only half of the login right. In such a situation the attacker will then be able to concentrate his attention on finding the other field. Take a look at this blog post for more information on improper error handling.
These are two simple but important steps in ensuring your website is less vulnerable to cyber attacks and hackers. To make sure your website is well protected, it’s best to call in some expert help who can alert you to any problems and help you fix any weaknesses as soon as possible.
