No matter how big or small your website is, there are people out there who want to take advantage of it. Hackers will find exploits wherever they can, exposing your users and their data.

It’s important to follow the proper steps to keep malicious hackers from your data. Fortunately, most of these are easy to do and are commonplace. All you have to do is learn how to use them.

Block Traffic With A Firewall

An efficient way to keep malicious traffic out of your site is with a firewall. Simply put, this programme sets parameters that visitors to your site have to meet. If they don’t, they don’t get in.

Firewalls are specialised depending on the environment your website operates in. There’s no one-size-fits-all firewall, so it’s important to find one that meets your needs.

Firewalls are very common, and all modern operating systems include them. You may also find hardware firewalls useful. Hardware firewalls include routers and appliances to filter unwanted traffic. However, you will likely only need firewall software to protect your website.

Implement HTTPS protocols

Enacting HTTPS protocol may come across as a high-tech security measure. It encrypts the data between your website and your user’s web browser. Encryption scrambles the data based on a key that hackers can’t access. When it gets to the user, their browser decrypts the data. When the data is in transit, that’s when most hackers try to access it. However, without the encryption key, it will be completely unreadable.

HTTPS protocols are widespread. They are essentially required to earn a good SEO ranking for your site, and it let users know your site is trustworthy. These security protocols are also the norm for heavy traffic websites including online casinos, e-commerce sites, and even bigger sites like Google and Facebook. Your website should have it too, no matter what size it is.

Limit The Data You Take In

Speaking of encrypting data, the only thing better than encoding it is not having it in the first place. One of the best ways for you to protect your users is by not taking more information than you need.

Before you ask your user to fill out personal data, ask why you need to use it and if it is required. If it isn’t absolutely necessary, don’t ask for it. More information about a person means they are less secure. If a hacker can access unnecessary info, they may be able to bypass security questions and expose a user’s password or credit card information.

You can even go a step further and move payment to a payment gate. These sites handle sensitive credit card information away from your site, and their main focus is keeping payments secure. Many sites opt to use PayPal as a payment gate, and Amazon uses their own system as well.

Update Your Software Often

This one may seem obvious, and that’s why it’s so important. Hackers will look for the easiest way into your site, and using outdated software is like leaving the door unlocked and hoping no one tries to open it.

The developers behind your software work hard to make your website’s base code secure. They’re constantly looking for exploits, bugs, and other vulnerabilities to fix so you get the best experience on their platform.

For this reason, you should always update your software whenever a new version is available. Not only will weak points be fixed, but new security measures may be added. It’s best to set up auto-updates so you never miss the next one.

Use Strong Passwords

Like software updates, maintaining strong passwords seems like an obvious solution. But there’s a good reason it turns up on every list of how to improve security for your website.

Many people use weak or repeated passwords for various accounts. Weak passwords can be hacked by home computers in a matter of seconds, while some strong passwords wouldn’t be hacked for centuries.

Encourage your users to follow strong password protocols. Eight or more characters, special symbols, and numbers all help strengthen security. You may even recommend users find a password tracker for added privacy across their accounts.

These tips should go some way in helping you safeguard sensitive data, but it’s always prudent to keep up with the latest web security innovations to ensure those with malicious intent have their work cut out when trying to access your data.