If you are a website owner, you will also be skeptical about data breaches in today’s tech-savvy world.
Unfortunately, there is no universal solution to cybercrime. That is why websites have to implement security strategies that can help protect their database.
But data breaches do not seem to be stopping. In 2021, the average cost of a data breach rose to $4.24million. These stats show that businesses need something better than just expensive tools and tactics to minimize the risk of a data breach.
Businesses need to strengthen their basic website setup. And to help you do that, we are going over seven strategies that you must implement in your website.
So, let us take a look at them:
7 Easy Steps to Minimize the Risk of Data Breaches in 2022
- Review what data you collect
Here is a point that not many intellectuals seem to talk about, i.e., data collection.
Every business is keen on collecting as much customer data as they can. They do not seem to bother its actual use. Therefore, it comes at a price.
If you have a plethora of customer data like their names, usernames, residential address, and financial information, you are a sweet target to cybercriminals.
So, review what data standards you are maintaining, and are they worth maintaining in a business context?
- Is your website encrypted?
No business in today’s world intends to be in a danger zone. That is why an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate is needed.
An SSL is a security technology used to encrypt communication between a web server and a browser. SSL handshake ensures that data gets passed through a safe passage over a secure network.
But what if you have multiple domains?
Well, even in that case, installing an SSL will be a budget-friendly affair. In case your business is running on multiple domains. A cost-effective SSL like Comodo SSL for Multidomain or any other branded SSL certificate can protect up to 250 domains (depending upon the provider).
For example, if you want to protect both www.domain.com and www.domaintwo.com, then a single multi-domain SSL can protect them. Therefore, you do not have to buy a separate SSL certificate for securing multiple domains.
So, purchase an SSL today if you have not already.
- Restrict admin access
It would help if you restricted people from entering your admin panel.
The admin panel is the powerhouse of every website. If that gets compromised, cybercriminals can tear down the entire infrastructure.
Therefore, you need to ensure that only a few people can access your database.
It would be best never to randomly share admin passwords on public mail. Moreover, they must be changed every six months to eliminate any chance of a cyberattack.
The stronger your core is, the better governance you can provide to all the domains and subdomains attached to it.
- Fortify your passwords
If you are wondering whether we are out of our senses while writing this, well, we are serious.
Yes, passwords fortify an account from outside intervention, but we have seen cases where passwords have been breached over time.
Therefore, it is essential to bring in two-factor authentication. This tool allows you to fortify your passwords by enabling another level of login verification.
If users want to log in to a 2-factor authenticated website, they must enter the PIN sent on their registered device or email address.
Users can enter only after the correct PIN entry. Hari Ravichandran, a CEO of a leading cybersecurity company, stated in his interview on wsj.com that not using a 2-factor authentication is like locking your door, but keeping your windows open.
- Create a response plan
Today, no tool or trick can guarantee your safety. Therefore, a response plan is inevitable.
A response plan is nothing but a step that a business should undertake in a data breach.
There can never be one-plan-fits-all. That is why you need to delve into your business functioning and weigh your options for data retrieval.
For example, you must always be in touch with a cyber expert who can guide and update you about the latest security threats that prevail in the market.
They can also run a website audit to figure out system vulnerabilities.
Even things like IT asset relocation require you to have a plan of action that is pre-determined from before. Make sure that you are enlisting the services of experts that are proficient in carrying this out.
- Backups are must
Since we discussed a responsive plan in the previous step, backups are integral to the response plan.
Without data backups, you are never safe, regardless of how good your website security is. Backups help you weather the storm.
Therefore, you must backup everywhere you can. It is best not to rely on hard drives use cloud-based storage systems instead.
The best part about the cloud is that you can access them from anywhere at any time. Moreover, you do not have to worry about its theft either.
- Educate your co-workers
If the people working alongside/for you are ill-educated in cybersecurity, then the chances are that at some point, cybercriminals will use them to compromise your website.
Therefore, you must educate your staff about hackers’ latest techniques to compromise websites.
If possible, arrange guest visits for them where you can call on cyber experts to tell them about hacking.
Your staff must have a clear idea about how MITM, phishing, and brute force attacks happen so that they can repel them if necessary.
The better trained they are, the safer your overall business environment.
Final Thoughts
The safest websites are the ones that employ all essential security tools and keep their staff updated about the latest internet crimes.
This 2022, website owners must realize that they cannot be accepted without SSL certificates and strong passwords. Single domain, wildcard ssl, and multi-domain ssl cert a few options from which a site owner can choose.
Techniques like 2-factor authentication, strict admin access policy, and backup creation collectively contribute to the business’s betterment.
To always be prepared, you must put together a response plan to know what you need to do to counter a data breach.
So, follow these seven tips given above to protect your website against data breaches.