7 Common Website Security Threats and How to Prevent Them

Your website is the heart of your digital marketing campaign. As a business, it’s a place where you can direct your customers to learn more about you, your products, and your services. It’s also where you can drive conversions and sales.

Your website is a valuable asset to your business. It’s important that you protect it. Website security is a critical component of running a successful site and business.

In this post, we’re going to cover some of the most common website security threats and provide you with some tips on how you can prevent them.

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages. The attackers then trick unsuspecting users into loading these pages in their web browsers. This allows the attackers to steal data, like cookies, from the users.

XSS attacks can also be used to deface websites, distribute malware, or perform other nefarious activities. There are three types of XSS attacks:

• Stored: This is the most damaging type of XSS attack. It occurs when an attacker injects malicious code into a web application, and the code is then executed when a user views the page.

• Reflected: In this type of attack, the injected code is reflected off the web server and then executed on the client side.

• DOM-based: This attack occurs when the web application’s client-side scripts write user-provided data to the Document Object Model (DOM). The data is then read from the DOM and used to modify the web page.

How to prevent XSS attacks: You can prevent XSS attacks by using an SSL certificate to encrypt data and by validating and sanitizing user input. You should also use a web application firewall (WAF) to filter and monitor HTTP traffic and to block malicious traffic.

In addition, you should use content security policy (CSP) headers to control what resources your website can load and where it can load them from. Finally, you should use the “HttpOnly” flag on cookies to prevent client-side scripts from accessing them.

2. SQL Injection

SQL injection (SQLi) is an attack in which cybercriminals insert malicious code into your website’s database by way of a form or URL parameter. This code can then be used to access, modify, or delete data within the database.

SQL injection is a popular choice among hackers because it’s relatively easy to execute and can lead to a large-scale data breach. In fact, it’s the most common way that websites suffer from data leaks.

Preventing SQL injection is all about keeping your website’s database secure. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Use a web application firewall (WAF) to monitor and filter your website’s traffic.

• Use an SQL injection scanner to identify and fix any vulnerabilities in your website’s code.

• Use prepared statements and parameterized queries to help reduce the risk of SQL injection.

3. DDoS Attack

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to make a website or online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources.

Imagine having a real-life mob of people crowd your store, preventing real customers from entering. This is a similar concept, only in the digital world.

DDoS attacks can be difficult to differentiate from a spike in legitimate traffic, but the difference is that these attacks are often targeted and sustained. You can use Google Analytics to monitor your website traffic and look for any unusual spikes.

There are ways to mitigate a DDoS attack, such as contacting your web host and using a web application firewall. You can also set up a content delivery network (CDN) to help manage traffic and prevent an attack from overwhelming your server.

4. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack

You may be familiar with phishing attacks, where a cybercriminal tries to trick a user into sharing sensitive information. A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack is similar, but it’s more sophisticated.

In an MitM attack, a hacker intercepts communication between a user and a website. The user may not even realize they’re communicating with a hacker. The hacker then collects any sensitive data shared during the interaction.

To prevent MitM attacks, you should enable HTTPS on your website. An SSL certificate encrypts data shared between a user and your website. This makes it more difficult for a hacker to intercept and steal sensitive information.

5. Phishing

Phishing is a type of website security threat that occurs when a hacker impersonates your website in order to steal your customers’ personal information, like their names, addresses and credit card numbers.

Phishing attacks can take many forms. For example, a hacker might create a fake version of your website and use it to trick your customers into entering their personal information. Or, they might send emails that appear to come from your website and ask your customers to click on a link that takes them to a fake version of your site.

To prevent phishing attacks, it’s important to make sure your customers know how to identify your legitimate website. You can do this by using an SSL certificate to encrypt your website and display a padlock icon in the address bar, and by including your company logo and other branding elements on your website.

You should also encourage your customers to create strong, unique passwords for their accounts on your website, and to avoid clicking on links in emails that appear to come from your website.

6. Brute-Force Attack

Brute-force attacks are another common security threat that can give hackers access to your website. This is when a hacker tries to log in to your website by using a list of common usernames and passwords.

If your website is running on a content management system like WordPress, it's especially important to ensure that you're not using the default "admin" username and that you have a strong password.

To prevent brute-force attacks, you can use a web application firewall, like Sucuri, that will block any malicious traffic before it reaches your website. You can also limit the number of login attempts a user can make and use multi-factor authentication.

7. Malware

Malware is a catch-all term for any software that’s designed to damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer, network, or website. There are many different types of malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, and more.

Malware can infect your website in a number of ways. For example, an employee could accidentally download malware onto your network by clicking on a malicious link in an email. Or, a hacker could exploit a vulnerability in your website’s code to inject malware.

To prevent malware from infecting your website, it’s important to keep your website software up to date, use strong passwords, and install security plugins. You should also train your employees on how to recognize and avoid potential security threats, and use a firewall to block malicious traffic.

How to Protect Your Website From Security Threats

By now, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the potential threats to your website. However, there are many steps you can take to protect your site from security threats . Here are some of the best ways to keep your site safe:

1. Keep Software Updated

One of the easiest ways to protect your website is to keep all your software updated. This includes your content management system (CMS) , website builder, plugins, apps, and any other software you use to run your website .

New updates are released to fix bugs and security vulnerabilities, so it's important to install them as soon as possible. Many software providers will automatically update your software, but you should still check for updates regularly.

2. Use Strong Passwords

Using a strong password is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your website . Make sure your password is at least 12 characters long and includes a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using common words or phrases, and never use the same password for multiple websites.

You should also change your password regularly, and never share it with anyone else. If you have trouble remembering all your different passwords, you can use a password manager to keep them all in one place.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security that helps prevent unauthorized access to your website. It works by requiring you to provide two different forms of identification before you can log in.

The most common form of two-factor authentication is a code that is sent to your phone. You enter your password as usual, and then you enter the code that was sent to your phone. Some websites may also use other forms of two-factor authentication, such as a fingerprint or facial recognition.

4. Use SSL Encryption

SSL encryption is a technology that creates a secure connection between your website and your visitors' web browsers. It helps protect sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and login credentials, from being intercepted by hackers.

If your website doesn't have SSL encryption, visitors may see a "Not Secure" warning in their web browser. This can make them less likely to trust your website and more likely to leave without making a purchase or signing up for your email list.

You can tell if a website has SSL encryption by looking for the padlock icon in the address bar of your web browser. If you don't see the padlock icon, you should be cautious about entering any sensitive information on that website.

5. Use a Web Application Firewall

A web application firewall (WAF) is a security tool that helps protect your website from common security threats, such as hacking, data breaches, and DDoS attacks. It works by monitoring and filtering the traffic that comes to your website.

If the WAF detects any suspicious activity, it will block the traffic and prevent it from reaching your website. This can help prevent hackers from gaining access to your website and stealing sensitive information.

6. Monitor Your Website

It's important to monitor your website for any signs of a security breach. This includes checking for malware, viruses, and other malicious code, as well as looking for any unusual changes to your website.

You should also monitor your website traffic and look for any unusual patterns, such as a sudden increase in traffic or a high number of requests from a single IP address. This could be a sign of a DDoS attack.

7. Back Up Your Website

Backing up your website is one of the most important things you can do to protect it from security threats. If your website is ever hacked or compromised, you can use your backup to restore your website to its previous state.

You should back up your website regularly, and store your backups in a secure location. This will help ensure that you always have a recent copy of your website in case of an emergency.

Conclusion

Website security is a big deal, and it’s important to stay informed about the most common threats. This way, you can take the necessary steps to secure your website and ensure you're using the best ATS for small business to protect your recruitment process.

There are a variety of ways to secure your website, from investing in a security plugin to encrypting your website with an SSL certificate.