With stories of data breaches and hacks constantly in the news, it is abundantly clear that security should be a point of emphasis in managing your website. Enhancing your site security won’t just protect your own valuable data and content — it will also protect your customers from fraud and other hazards.

The following are some of the best things you can do to enhance your online security.

1. Use SSL Encryption

SSL encryption is essential for any website, but even more so when you or your customers will be inputting passwords or payment information online. SSL encryption ensures that confidential information is transmitted securely, so even if the information is intercepted by a third party, the encryption settings make it indecipherable.

Without SSL encryption, hackers could easily steal your passwords, allowing them to gain access to backend site content. It could also allow them to steal customer payment information, resulting in serious financial issues and tarnishing your brand image.

2. Stay Up to Date

One of the greatest advantages of a WordPress site is that there are countless plugins and extensions you can use to enhance site performance and deliver a better experience for your audience. However, each of these assets also represents an additional security liability.

The biggest problem comes from utilizing outdated extensions that have not been upgraded to meet the latest security requirements. You should always update plugins when a new version is made available. You should delete old plugins that you no longer use. Reducing the number of hackable entry points will greatly lower your risk of a security breach.

3. Strengthen Your Passwords

Even with a secure platform, hackers can use sophisticated methods to guess your passwords. When login credentials are stolen, viruses could be embedded in your site content, or the site itself could be held “ransom” until you pay a fee. 

The best way to avoid this disaster is to use stronger passwords. Make sure everyone who has login access to your site uses complex passwords that contain a mix of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special symbols. Longer passwords are always better, and two-factor authentication can further improve site access requirements.

4. Choose a Site Rockstar Maintenance Plan

You can’t monitor your website 24/7. But Site Rockstar can. A key part of our website care plans is to offer continuous security and monitoring to address common WordPress vulnerabilities. In addition to providing daily security scans, our care plans provide immediate updates of vulnerable plugins, access to iThemes Security Pro, and full site backups and site restore services.

This combination of features will greatly lower your risk of a breach by identifying and resolving common security issues. More importantly, this system of backups ensures that even if the worst should happen, your site can be restored to original condition in no time.

Conclusion

By emphasizing digital security as you build and run your site, you can prevent many of the common miscues that lead to website breaches. By combining a strong background with our comprehensive site care plans, you can have confidence that your site will be safe from attacks — and that backup plans will be in place should an attack occur. You wouldn’t leave your physical store unlocked. Give your website the same level of care.