When we are told to cover our mouths when we cough, wash our hands frequently, and stay home if we are sick to prevent spreading germs, most people tend to listen. We regularly engage in measures to prevent undesirable outcomes: study for tests so we do not fail, wear our seatbelts in cars, brush our teeth to prevent cavities, and so on. The good news about website hacks is that there are proven ways to help prevent them, the same way we take steps to prevent many other things. More good news: These steps are simple to follow, much like buckling up in the car, brushing your teeth every morning and evening, and locking your car when you exit.
Preventing a website hack can be as easy as using a good password. The guidelines you are asked to follow when you are creating a password for an account are not there to frustrate you. The reason sites often ask for a variety of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is because it creates a better password. For example, “@bC_1209” is a better password than “abc123.” Many sites also have a strength indicator that tells you how strong your password is. If it is deemed weak, you might reconsider what you want your password to be. If you are worried about forgetting or losing your password, make sure to store it somewhere safe where you can access if the need arises. You can also protect your site by not opening attachments that you are not expecting. Some spam emails or virus attachments are easy to spot, but some are sneakily disguised as email that looks important or that you might regularly receive.
You should also keep your site current to prevent a hack. Staying up to date with plugin and software updates helps to keep your site secure. Run good security software on your website and monitor your site activity for suspicious activity, such as email bouncing back that you did not send, and abnormal amounts for traffic or traffic from other parts of the world out of the blue. A good backup of your site should also be stored securely. These are all things that are a part of Your Web Pro’s maintenance service. If you are looking for a good way to keep your site secure, contact us today to learn more about how we can help keep your site secure.