Website Vulnerabilities: Don’t Let Them Slow Your Business Down

Internet safety is more important now than ever. And if you want to keep your business running smoothly, you’ll take note of recent discoveries about major website vulnerabilities.

And what are these website vulnerabilities? They are serious flaws in some of the world’s most popular software, including Intel and Google Chrome. Currently known flaws are dubbed “Meltdown” and “Spectre.” These flaws could potentially be extremely damaging. That’s because, by exploiting them hackers can steal data and sensitive information from both individuals and businesses.

In this article we look into these website vulnerabilities so that you can take steps to reduce your risks.

 

Browser

Hackers aim generally to disrupt service, steal or compromise personal information, or distribute malicious content. They target vulnerabilities in web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox so that they can modify settings in your browser’s security system without your knowledge.

They can then steal your information. Often they will even display a compromised version of your browser, causing a multitude of problems for you.

 

Server

When an attacker looks to exploit a well known vulnerability in a web server, they’re generally attempting to gain root access to your domain. From there, they know they will have access to any data you have stored within your website.

Once they gain control over your site, they will then go on to modify your current setup or corrupt it with malware. Then they transfer their harmful content onto your visitors’ computers. As you can well imagine, this poses a serious threat not only to your own and your visitors’ data, but also to your online reputation as well.

 

 

Web Applications

Website vulnerabilities are one of the most common avenues that attackers use, because websites are open to large numbers of Internet users. What’s more, as web applications become outdated, the risks increase.

Therefore, be sure to take advantage of regular updates. These updates tighten security and minimize your risks.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WHICH CYBER SECURITY PROCESS IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

 

How to Minimize Your Risks

You may not be able to completely eradicate all risks. However, you can take preventative measures to tighten security and protect yourself from an attack. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions:

 

1. Switch to HTTPS

Making the switch to HTTPS is one of the best things you can do to increase your website security. This will ensure that all your connections and the data you send and receive will be secure. That’s because all of the exchanges between your browser and your website will be end-to-end encrypted.

You’ll need to purchase and install an SSL certificate in order to do this. However, this is highly recommended for all sites, especially those that gather data submissions.

 

2. Host Your Website with a Reputable Provider

Another way to reduce the risk of attack to your website is to ensure that you host your site with a trusted and reputable provider. Make sure that the provider you choose offers a good level of support and minimal downtime.

Most hosting companies offer shared hosting plans as their standard offering. However, your website will be more secure with a dedicated plan instead. A dedicated plan will help to localize your website to its own unique space. Therefore, it will be less likely to be affected by other sites should those sites become compromised.

 

3. Regularly Update Software

Lots of users fail to update the software they use every day. This can be a serious mistake.

Software developers deploy these updates not only to improve performance, but also to eliminate the vulnerabilities that they know about. Make sure that you’re always running the latest versions of popular software and web applications to reduce your risks.

 

4. Utilize Anti-Malware and Firewalls

Anti-malware and firewall tools are your first line of defense. These tools will help to flag any untrustworthy sites as well as sites that might have become compromised. Additionally, they will alert you when an attacker has attempted to install malware onto your site. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to take preventative action.

 

Summary

In short, a number of popular software systems and platforms have known vulnerabilities. However, you can reduce the risks of attackers gaining control over your website, browser or server by taking preventative measures.

While you might not be able to eliminate all risks, you can make it much more difficult for an attacker to exploit these vulnerabilities.

The post Website Vulnerabilities: Don’t Let Them Slow Your Business Down appeared first on Business Opportunities.

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