As tech advances, so do cyberattacks. We’ve seen a surge in cyberattacks recently across Canada, affecting major retailers and institutions. Even the Toronto Zoo wasn’t safe.

The consequences of being hacked can be quite severe. Your website might go down, and your sensitive customer data could be stolen, seriously hurting your reputation. The financial impact can get so bad that it sometimes affects the survival of a business.

Investing in website security is necessary to keep your business safe. So, in this guide, we’ll walk you through the most effective ways to protect your website against cyber threats. Your website—and your business—depends on it.

Why You Need Robust Website Security

Cyberattacks are the number one threat to business, according to today’s investors. Website security protects your website from cyber threats like hacks, malware, and data breaches. Businesses need to invest in website security to keep themselves and their customers safe.

It maintains the trust and confidence you have built with your customers, which is a must for any business. Customers are unlikely to return to a website they feel is unsafe. Negative publicity sticks around for a long time.

However, the other major reason you need robust website security is that it can also affect your search engine rankings. The best SEO-optimized website with all the bells and whistles won’t cut it if it’s not protected. Google’s still going to knock down compromised websites.

Best Strategies to Protect Against Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks are becoming more advanced and can affect businesses of all sizes. Protecting your website and sensitive data has never been more important.

Be sure to take note of these effective strategies for improving website security.

Implement SSL Certificates

One of the most effective ways to protect your website is to install SSL certificates. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a technology that establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This basically makes sure that all the data transmitted between the server and the browser stays private and secure.

You can actually tell when a website’s using SSL when you visit a website and see a padlock icon in the address bar or when their URL starts with “https.”

Search engines also prefer SSL-secured websites, which can provide a double punch of keeping your website safe while also boosting your rankings.

Regular Software Updates

There’s no such thing as “good enough” when it comes to protecting your website. Keep your software up-to-date. Software updates usually contain patches for vulnerabilities that have recently been found. It’s common for cyber attackers to take advantage of these flaws, so be sure to stay updated.

This can include updating your content management system (CMS), plugins, themes, and any other software your website might rely on. Set up automatic updates or schedule regular maintenance checks to ensure your software remains secure and up- to-date.

Strong Password Policies

Passwords are the first line of defence against hackers. However, they can also be a weak point if not managed properly. Once a hacker figures out a weak password, they can access everything within your system. This risk can be avoided, though, by implementing secure passwords.

Encourage everyone—employees and customers—to create strong passwords that are difficult to guess. A complex password should include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using personal information (like names or birthdays) and common words as passwords, as these can be easily guessed.

Employee Training and Awareness

Preparation pays off. Cybersecurity training makes sure that you and your team are well-informed and know how to deal with threats. Your employees are your biggest asset and your best defense against cyberattacks, after all.

These training sessions should be able to cover topics like knowing how to spot phishing emails, making strong passwords, and following privacy policies.

Employees should also learn about various social engineering tactics and how to avoid falling victim to them. Regular training updates can keep everyone alert to new threats and remind them to keep on top of things.

Backup and Recovery Plans

If you are attacked, don’t lose everything. Regular data backups protect your business from data loss because of cyberattacks, hardware problems, and even natural disasters.

A solid backup strategy ensures your data is regularly copied and stored in a secure location, able to be restored quickly when something happens. It can be both on-site and off-site backups to protect against different types of risks.

Having a well-thought-out recovery plan minimizes your downtime and maintains business to continue as usual even when things suddenly go unexpected.

Begin With B for Website Solutions that Keep You Protected

Don’t wait for a cyberattack to remind you of how important it is to keep your website protected. Invest in website security so you can fight against attacks with confidence.

For seamless website maintenance that just works, choose Begin With B. Serving Calgary-based businesses, we provide a complete range of web services designed to keep your website secure and running smoothly.

Our website maintenance and support services offer reliable and affordable solutions. We understand the risks of a hacked website, which is why we also specialize in malware removal and security solutions for future protection.

Contact us today to ensure that your website’s always in good hands. Secure your online presence and build a resilient future for your business.