In today’s digital world, your website serves as more than just an online address – it is your business’s digital first impression for current and prospective customers and often a key source of conversions. While the design and content of your site help to enhance your brand’s image and voice, security and where your site is hosted is a vital foundation for your website. Maximizing your website’s security measures sets the stage for your business, organization or institution’s reputation against cyberthreats.
Choosing the right hosting provider and investing in a robust and highly available security solution ensures that your website is a safe, reliable space for you and your users. Cyberattacks are on the rise, so whether you choose to manage your site in-house or work with an experienced managed hosting partner like ZAG, there are key features that should be considered to keep your website protected.
Basic Security Features Your Site Should Have
In this era of sophisticated cyberattacks, financial institutions, businesses and organizations are often the prime target for threats as attackers look for ways to expose vulnerabilities to steal data. This is why website security is not just an important feature, but an essential first-line defense against potential attacks.
A secure website protects sensitive information, ensures that the day-to-day operations of your site remain uninterrupted, and, most importantly, keeps the trust of your customers or members intact. When looking for a trusted, managed hosting provider, here are some basic things you should expect.
- Support 24/7/365: Security threats do not always stick to regular 8-5 business hours, and neither should your response team. Having security support that is readily available to combat threats as they happen in real-time should be non-negotiable.
- Reliable Uptime: While you might be out of office, your website should not be. Look for a company that offers an uptime guarantee and SLA to back it up, which means your website is always there when your users need it.
- Regular Backups: Let’s face it, the unexpected can happen. Having regular backups of your website ensures that your website and its valuable information are protected, and if necessary, can be restored in the event of an issue. Test the backups regularly.
- DDoS Mitigation: Not all visits to your website are with good intent. Advanced DDoS mitigation tools help protect your website against malicious traffic, while letting real business carry on as usual.
- Website Security Headers: The bare minimum. Does your website have the appropriate security headers enabled? Content Security Policy (CSP)? Strict transport Security (HSTS)? Others? What grade does your site have?
With these basic (but very necessary) features, you are not just creating a secure space and positive experience for your website visitors, you are also building confidence in your brand.
Additional Security Options Many Businesses and Organizations Should Consider
Let’s be honest: your hosting solution should be as unique as your business or organization. Each business has its own security priorities, and it is seldom that a one-size-fits-all solution meets all your needs. When selecting a hosting and security partner, look for a comprehensive security solution that is scalable and customizable to meet your needs through top-tier security add-ons such as:
Advanced Bot Protection
Not all visitors to your website are human – some are bots, and not the nice kind. Having advanced bot protection (like the service provided through Cloudflare) protects your website from automated attacks like credential stuffing (using stolen login details) and screen scraping (stealing sensitive data). By leveraging machine learning and behavior analysis, this proactive technology identifies and reduces harmful bots, while ensuring that real users can use your website without interruption.
OWASP Web Application Scanning
Vulnerability management for your web site goes much deeper than basic vulnerability scanning. Web application scanning looking at OWASP Top 10 categories, provides in depth scanning that interrogates the website based on URL rather than simply the IP address. The information provided on cross site scripting, SQL injection, outdated jQuery libraries etc., are invaluable tools in preventive security.
24/7 Monitored Web Application Firewall, Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention
A monitored detection system works around the clock, scanning your site for suspicious activity and addressing threats in real time, as they happen. This proactive approach reduces your website’s downtime, protects your customer’s data, and keeps your site running smoothly. With this process, you are not just reactive to problems, you are preventing them from becoming problems in the first place.
Protect Your Business Proactively
The technical approach of cybersecurity is fluid and complex. Having a partner that keeps your site current and protected in this dynamic environment is important for the safety of your customers/members and your website. Choosing the right hosting and security partner means investing in more than just a hosting solution. It means partnering with a team committed to protecting your business and its valuable reputation.
ZAG’s expertise and tailored hosting and security solutions empower you to focus on your business goals, knowing your digital presence is in good hands. If you are ready to improve your website’s security, ZAG is here to help. Let us show you how our industry-leading hosting and security solutions can protect your business and promote trust with your customers or members. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.