Perhaps you’re considering setting up website security for your business page but are unsure if it’s worth the investment. Consider this a sign that it is.
Statista predicts that by the end of 2025, cyberattacks in the U.S. will cost an estimated $600 billion. These statistics make a compelling case for prioritizing site security.
This article will discuss what website security is and why it’s important. We’ll also cover the most common digital attacks you should be aware of and the steps you can take to prevent them.
What Is Website Security?
Website security refers to the safety measures and practices a website owner takes to protect their site from cyber threats. These methods help prevent cybercriminals from accessing and exploiting a website’s sensitive data, software, and hardware.
Why Should You Invest in Web Security?
Preventing malicious attackers from damaging your brand is the ultimate reason to keep your website secure. Without reliable web security tools, your business might face serious risks.
Consider the following motivations for prioritizing website security:
To Prevent Financial Loss
Losing revenue is one of the major risks if your webpage remains vulnerable to threats. A data breach, for instance, costs $4.88 million on average, according to IBM’s 2024 Global Cost of a Data Breach Report.
When your site gets compromised, your cyberattack response will cost you more than the money you earn.
You’ll need to take numerous steps to solve the problem, such as investigating the source of the attack and hiring cybersecurity experts. All of which will take up the resources initially intended for other business purposes.
To Avoid Website Downtime
Digital attacks make it impossible for site owners to continue daily operations. Some attacks make your website load slowly, which results in poor user experience (UX).
Others corrupt your internal files or cause complete system failure, making your site inaccessible to customers.
When you face the effects of cyberattacks, you’ll be forced to take your webpage offline to resolve the issues. This disrupts your services and makes your company seem unreliable to consumers.
To Protect Brand Reputation and Credibility
A cyberattack severely damages a company’s reputation by destroying customer trust. When you fail to protect sensitive customer data, it tells consumers your business doesn’t take their security seriously. It causes them to feel betrayed and lose faith in your brand.
This loss of trust pushes clients to switch to competitors. They might also leave negative reviews that can drive away potential customers and investors. Ultimately, your brand could lose credibility in the industry and miss the chance for long-term success.
To Ensure Legal Compliance and Avoid Regulatory Fines
A cyberattack causes a series of legal consequences for organizations. Data protection laws hold businesses responsible for safeguarding personal information, and violations of these laws can run up costly financial penalties.
Apart from that, legal liability requires companies to compensate victims for financial losses and other damages caused by the attack. Courts increasingly hold companies accountable through lawsuits.
A notable example is the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) cyberattack incident in February 2023. LVHN fell victim to a BlackCat ransomware attack that compromised its network and allowed attackers to steal sensitive patient data, including highly personal images of cancer patients.
The cybercriminals demanded ransom from LVHN, but the organization refused to comply. As a result, the attackers published the photos on the dark web.
Affected individuals filed a class-action lawsuit against the organization. The lawsuit claims that LVHN’s security protocols were insufficient and that refusing to pay the ransom showed a disregard for patient welfare.
To resolve the litigation, LVHN agreed to a $65 million settlement.
Common Website Security Threats
Awareness of how cyber threats work helps you prevent damaging consequences for your company. Here are the most common cyberattacks you should pay attention to:
Malware
Cybercriminals create malware to break into computer systems and cause serious damage. This infiltration often occurs through exploiting software, human vulnerabilities, outdated programs, or through phishing.
Once malware reaches your website’s database, it can disrupt operations, leak private data, or destroy important files.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack
A DDoS attack makes web servers, internal networks, or other online services unresponsive and sometimes completely inaccessible. It works by sending a considerable number of requests to overwhelm the target device.
When it comes to websites, malicious actors flood pages with fake traffic, which prevents users from engaging with them. This disrupts normal operations and frustrates consumers.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
An XSS attack happens when cybercriminals inject malicious code directly into website content. The injection occurs when a site owner fails to properly filter user-supplied data, like blog comments or product reviews, before displaying it on their page.
When unsuspecting website visitors click on the compromised content, they get redirected to a fake page. This triggers their browsers to execute the attacker’s embedded scripts.
These scripts then perform unauthorized actions, potentially resulting in identity theft, financial losses, and private information leaks.
Structured Query Language (SQL) Injection
With SQL injection, attackers take advantage of web application security flaws to infect a website’s database. They imbed harmful SQL code into a website’s input queries, like username or password fields, which tricks the application into interpreting it as a legitimate command.
This tactic allows attackers to skip authentication and authorization procedures. As a result, they gain access to your site’s database. Cybercriminals can modify existing records to their advantage or delete databases, causing your webpage to shut down.
How Do You Secure Your Website From Cyberattacks?
Fortunately, with the help of today’s technology, cybersecurity gives website owners a chance to solidify their intrusion prevention system. Consider these best practices to maintain a secure website:
Implement Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates
SSL certificates ensure that all data shared between the website and its visitors remain confidential. With this security tool, you can encrypt login credentials, credit card information, and customer details.
By displaying the padlock icon and the “https” at the beginning of your site’s URL, you give your regular and potential clients peace of mind. It encourages them to engage more with your site and do business with a company that prioritizes consumer safety.
Scan for Malware
One of the reasons why malware is dangerous is that it’s discreet. It can cause extensive damage to your website without getting detected right away.
It’s important to scan your website frequently to catch malware before it’s too late. There are numerous platforms that offer malware scanning services.
For instance, our partners at Web.com provide various SiteLock Security packages that include daily malware scans. Apart from that, these plans offer other features like automatic malware removal, DDoS protection, and database scanning.
Back Up Your Website
Creating website backups regularly helps you recover quickly in the event of a cyberattack or data loss. Choose a website recovery service, such as CodeGuard, that allows you to automate backups and store them in an encrypted remote system.
We also recommend conducting regular tests of disaster recovery scenarios to ensure your procedures are effective.
Put Up a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF filters traffic between a web application and the internet. It identifies and blocks suspicious requests before they can even infiltrate your website’s database.
Select a reliable WAF provider that makes it easy to deploy, manage, and scale the tool. It’s also important to consider factors like threat detection accuracy and effectiveness.
Lastly, ensure the platform you choose allows you to set up prompt alerts to notify you of suspicious activity.
Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA secures the standard login process by asking for further verification beyond a password.
With MFA, a user is requested to present two or more separate identification forms, such as a time-sensitive code they’ll receive on their smartphone or a biometric fingerprint scan.
Implement MFA to make it more difficult for hackers to access and exploit your website’s database. Combined with other security measures, MFA gives you a fighting chance when cybercriminals target your site.
Roll Out Employee Security Trainings
Members of your organization are the frontline defense for cybersecurity. Design and implement comprehensive security training sessions for your employees to empower them to identify and prevent potential risks.
Develop training modules that address relevant threats, including phishing, password security, social engineering, and data privacy.
Employ engaging methods, such as simulations and interactive exercises, to help your staff retain the cybersecurity knowledge they gain from the training.
Armor Your Site With Ironclad Website Security
Website security is your ultimate defense against cybercriminals who want to cause irreparable damage to your business. Having an infected website hinders your brand’s growth and reduces your credibility in the industry.
Be proactive and safeguard your webpage from cyberattacks before it’s too late. Consider our partner, Web.com, as you search for reliable website security solutions. Visit their website today!
While you’re at it, read our article on website maintenance costs. It details the potential expenses of website upkeep to help you decide if it’s worth your money, too.
