Malware is a threat that many website owners face daily. In fact, according to research performed by Security Week, around 185 million websites are infected with malware at any one time. This isn’t something you want to happen to your business website, especially when the search engines actively blacklist websites containing security threats. But what can you do? Keep reading for some tips that should help to protect your website from malware.
1. Scan Your Website Regularly
The first thing you should be doing is scanning your website regularly for any signs of infection. There are a number of programs that can do this for you, with Security Check being a top choice for those whose sites are hosted via WordPress. Not only can you check for malware; you can also look for damaged files, potential vulnerabilities, and to see whether you’ve been blacklisted. If a problem is flagged, you can take steps to address it before your site is damaged further, and potentially taken advantage of by hackers.
2. Perform Regular Backups
Another thing you should do is perform regular backups. These should be hosted off-site and can save you a lot of time and hassle should your website become infected, as you can simply restore it to the way it was before it became infected. While most hosting providers do offer this feature as part of their plans, sometimes these can become compromised as well, so it’s best to have your own backup whenever possible.
3. Perform Updates
Content management systems like WordPress regularly release updates that are designed to rectify any problems associated with the platform itself, and with any plugins you have installed. Sometimes, vulnerabilities are present in the software, and it is through these that hackers can gain access. According to some statistics, just under 40% of WordPress sites infected with malware used an outdated version of the software. Ensuring you update the CMS and plugins often is a key way to prevent an infection occurring.
4. Enforce Secure Passwords
A lot of website owners are still using really easy to guess passwords. Unfortunately, if you do this, you’re making it really easy for hackers to gain access to your site and infect it with malware. Your password should be at least eight characters long and include a mixture of letters, numbers and special symbols. You should also have a separate password for your website, your hosting account, and your domain provider. Using a password manager is advised.
5. Hire an IT Support Company
Finally, it’s also worth having an information security management company on hand that you can call if you run into any problems with your website. These companies will respond quickly to any problems your website has, and get you up and running again as fast as possible. They can also advise you on how to improve your security to prevent future attacks from happening.
With malware being an ever-present threat for lots of businesses, it’s important to know what to do to prevent issues from occurring.