Addressing Cybersecurity Threats: How to Safeguard Your Website

Michelle Greger,
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Industry analysts have recently highlighted the growing threat of cyberattacks on both a local and international scale. While major organisations may have to worry about state-sponsored actors, even small businesses should be just as concerned. What steps can enterprise-level companies take to ensure that their sensitive information never falls into the wrong hands. We will examine a handful of relevant strategies immediately below.

Domain Name Optimisation

Website addresses are not only associated with brand identity and customer recognition. They also provide a critical firewall against third-party attacks. This is when the help of trusted third-party firms comes into play. The advanced domain checker from IONOS provides additional amenities such as ample storage space, dedicated customer support, and the automatic inclusion of an SSL Wildcard Certificate. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Constant Vigilance

Cybercrimes are not associated with a specific time of the day or evening. While it is true that nefarious entities will often try to target sites during times of high traffic (to potentially mask their presence), attacks can take place at any time. Experts therefore recommend partnering with a service that offers 24/7 protection. This can help to free up your in-house resources, and threats will be immediately identified.

Antivirus Services

It is crucial to remember that threats might not always come from the outside. The operations of a business can be just as easily compromised through internal actions (such as an employee unwittingly uploading an infected file into the sales system). The best way to avert this type of scenario is to download trusted antivirus software that can be shared across the entire network. In the event that suspicious activity is detected, it will be immediately quarantined pending a review. It is also prudent to select platforms that offer a paid subscription. These tend to be extremely comprehensive, and their software is updated on a regular basis.

Employee Awareness

Website security is not only associated with technical aspects such as coding. It instead involves a collective effort. For instance, let us assume that your portal is accessed by dozens of employees daily. Assuming that these individuals all have similar permissions, they should be taught about cybersecurity risks. Here are some recommendations to consider:

  • Flagging different types of suspicious activities.
  • Only downloading proprietary data to their devices when permitted.
  • Being sure to use two-factor authentication when transmitting important information.
  • Knowing who should be informed if a threat is indeed detected.

These simple steps can work wonders, and they should be a part of any onboarding programme. Employees who understand their responsibilities are much more likely to remain vigilant, and to notify stakeholders in the event of an incident.

Unfortunately, there is still no way to completely eliminate the threats that cybercrimes currently pose. Even multinational organisations are constantly grappling with how far this technology has come. The main point is instead to ensure that the proper protocols are in place so that your business remains one step ahead.