Keeping your website secure and free of malware.

Did you know that 30,000 websites are hacked daily? Cyberattacks can cost businesses millions, disrupt operations, and destroy customer trust. Protecting your site is essential to avoid these risks.

Key Steps to Secure Your Website:

Strengthen Access: Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), and limit login attempts.
Update Software: Regularly update your CMS, plugins, and themes to patch vulnerabilities.
Install a Firewall: Use tools like Imunify360 to block threats and scan for malware.
Enable SSL: Encrypt data with an SSL certificate for secure connections (HTTPS).
Monitor Regularly: Scan for malware, review security settings, and track suspicious activity.
Back Up Data: Automate backups and test recovery processes to ensure quick restoration.

Why It Matters:

Financial Risk: The average data breach costs $4.45 million (2023).
Downtime: Breaches can take 277 days to detect and resolve.
Customer Trust: 65% of users avoid sites that have been hacked.

Start by implementing these steps to safeguard your website and protect your business. The rest of this guide dives into detailed strategies for staying secure.

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Common Website Security Threats

Every day, over 450,000 new malicious programs are created. Knowing the risks your website faces is the first step to protecting it effectively.

Types of Attacks

Here are some frequent types of website attacks:

Attack Type	Description	Impact
Ransomware	Encrypts website data and demands payment for release	Locks critical data until paid
Conditional Redirects	Installs malicious code to redirect specific users	Hard to detect and disrupts user trust
SEO Spam	Injects spammy content to manipulate search rankings	Hurts search engine visibility
Credit Card Stealers	Steals payment details from e-commerce platforms	Leads to financial theft
Fileless Malware	Uses system tools to avoid detection	Nearly invisible to traditional scans

"Emotet is difficult to combat because of its ‘worm-like’ features that enable network-wide infections." – CISA

Understanding these attacks helps pinpoint how infections typically occur.

How Websites Get Infected

Websites are often compromised through these common entry points:

Software Vulnerabilities: Outdated systems or plugins leave websites open to attacks. Keeping everything updated reduces this risk.
Third-Party Components: Malware can sneak in through compromised plugins, themes, or scripts. For example, the HermeticWiper attack in 2022 targeted Ukrainian organizations by exploiting network weaknesses.
Social Engineering: Human error plays a big role in security breaches – 74% involve some form of human interaction. Phishing attacks remain a popular tactic to steal login credentials or trick users into installing harmful software.

Impact of Security Breaches

The fallout from a security breach can be severe, affecting finances, operations, and reputation:

Financial Losses: The average cost of a data breach hit $4.45 million in 2023. Expenses include forensic analysis, system recovery, legal fees, and compensating affected customers.
Business Disruption: It takes an average of 277 days to detect and contain a breach, leading to prolonged operational downtime.
Reputation Damage: Customers lose trust quickly after a breach. Around 33.5% of customers share their negative experiences on social media, and 85% discuss the incident with others.

Security threats are constantly evolving, making it crucial to stay informed and proactive in defending your website.

Steps to Protect Your Website

Taking the right precautions can help safeguard your site against ever-changing cyber threats.

Set Up Strong Security Access

Strengthen access by enforcing strict controls. Use passwords with at least 12 characters, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), limit the number of login attempts, remove inactive accounts regularly, and assign permissions only when absolutely necessary.

While secure access reduces the likelihood of breaches, keeping your software up-to-date is another critical layer of protection.

Update All Software

Outdated software can leave your website vulnerable to attacks. To minimize risks, make sure your CMS, themes, and plugins are always current. Here’s how:

Turn on automatic updates for your CMS, themes, and plugins.
Conduct a manual update check monthly in a staging environment.
Delete any unused themes or plugins.

Add a Website Firewall

A website firewall acts as a frontline defense against threats. For example, Prompt Web Hosting offers Imunify360, a web application firewall that provides multiple layers of protection, including malware scanning and blocking suspicious IPs. Here’s a breakdown:

Feature	Protection Provided
IP Management	Blocks suspicious IPs and allows whitelisting trusted ones
Malware Scanner	Detects and removes malicious code automatically
Proactive Defense	Prevents harmful PHP scripts from running
DoS Protection	Shields against denial of service attacks
Real-time Monitoring	Sends alerts for potential security incidents

Set Up SSL Security

SSL certificates encrypt data and ensure secure connections. Every Prompt Web Hosting plan includes free SSL certificates, which provide HTTPS support, improve SEO, and display a browser padlock icon to build trust.

To secure your site, install your SSL certificate through cPanel and configure it to force HTTPS connections across all pages. This ensures all data is transmitted securely.

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Track and Stop Security Threats

Strengthening access controls, software, and firewalls is just the first step. Keeping an eye on potential risks through regular monitoring is key to staying ahead of security threats.

Run Security Scans

Server-side scans are crucial for identifying malware, backdoors, and phishing attempts. Tools like Prompt Web Hosting’s Imunify360 offer automated scans of your website files. Adding extra layers of scanning can provide even greater protection.

Focus your scans on detecting:

Malicious JavaScript
Cross-site scripting
Hidden iframes
PHP backdoors
SEO spam
DNS changes
SSL alterations

For example, outdated plugins can leave your site vulnerable to hackers, who may exploit them to gain admin access and inject harmful code.

Review Security Settings

Regularly reviewing your security settings ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Use a checklist to stay organized and address key areas:

Category	Items to Check	Frequency
User Access	Admin privileges, inactive accounts, login attempts	Weekly
Software Status	Core updates, plugin versions, theme updates	Bi-weekly
Server Configuration	PHP version, firewall rules, SSL status	Monthly
Backup Systems	Backup completion, storage capacity, recovery tests	Monthly

Monitor for Attacks

Effective monitoring can help you spot and stop suspicious activity early. Imunify360 offers real-time tracking of potential threats. To enhance your monitoring efforts:

Enable email alerts for critical events
Keep an eye on uptime and performance
Watch for unusual login patterns
Review server logs for anything suspicious

"Our malware monitoring identifies the following: Obfuscated javascript injections, Cross-site scripting, Website defacements, Hidden & malicious iframes, PHP mailers, Phishing attempts, Malicious redirects, Backdoors, Drive-by downloads, SEO blackhat spam." – Sucuri

To combat brute force attacks, set up automatic IP blocking after repeated failed login attempts. This simple step can help keep bad actors at bay.

Back Up Your Website

After securing and monitoring your website, having reliable backups is just as important. A recent survey found that 78% of respondents experienced data loss in the past year, even though they had backup solutions in place.

Schedule Auto-Backups

Automating backups ensures your website data is continuously protected. How often you back up should depend on how frequently your site content changes:

Website Type	Update Frequency	Recommended Backup Schedule
E-commerce	Multiple daily changes	Real-time or hourly
Business/Blog	Weekly updates	Daily
Static/Portfolio	Monthly updates	Weekly or monthly
Database-driven	Regular transactions	Real-time database backup

Many hosting providers, like Prompt Web Hosting, include automated backup features in their plans. These systems automatically save your website files, databases, themes, plugins, and content in secure off-site storage, making restoration simple and reliable.

Keep Backups Safe

Research shows that 90% of companies facing major data loss fail within two years. To safeguard your backups:

Encrypt your backup files to protect against unauthorized access.
Store copies off-site to avoid losing data during physical disasters.
Use access controls and multi-factor authentication to limit who can access backups.
Regularly check file integrity to ensure backups are complete and usable.

Check Backup Recovery

Nearly half of respondents admitted they’ve never tested their backup restoration process. Testing ensures your backups are functional when you need them most:

Schedule Regular Tests
Perform full recovery tests at least once a year, or more often for critical systems. Also, verify backups after major updates.
Document Recovery Procedures
Create a clear, step-by-step guide for restoring your site. Include contact details for key personnel and instructions for accessing backup systems.
Monitor Restoration Speed
Track how long it takes to restore your backups. Knowing this helps you estimate downtime during emergencies.

"Regular recovery tests confirm that your backups are not only complete but also free from corruption. This ensures that your data is intact and can be relied upon when needed." – AlincoIT

Conclusion

Main Security Steps

Keeping your website safe requires continuous attention and multiple layers of defense. Did you know around 30,000 websites are hacked daily? Here’s a breakdown of key measures to protect your site:

Security Layer	Purpose	Key Components
Access Control	Prevent unauthorized access	Strong passwords, two-factor authentication, limited login attempts
Software Security	Ensure system stability	Regular updates for core software and plugins
Active Protection	Block threats in real time	Web application firewall (WAF), SSL encryption
Recovery Planning	Restore quickly after issues	Automated backups, tested recovery plans

These layers create a solid security framework. On top of this, you can add specific measures tailored to your website’s needs.

Start Securing Your Site

It’s time to act. Nearly half of cyberattacks (43%) target small businesses, which are often underprepared. The financial impact can range from $826 to $653,587 for small and medium-sized businesses.

To enhance your website’s security, consider these steps:

Use Comprehensive Protection Tools
Prompt Web Hosting’s Imunify360 suite offers real-time malware scanning, proactive PHP protection, and automated patch management. This all-in-one solution has helped hosting providers grow 22% faster.
Prioritize Updates and Plugin Audits
Regular updates and plugin reviews are essential. Remove unused plugins, and ensure active ones are secure and supported.

Lastly, enable two-factor authentication – it significantly reduces the risk of account breaches. These actions will help protect your website, your business, and your customers.