Kenneth Henao is the founder of BCA IT Inc., a leading Miami IT support company. Today, BCA employs a team of full-time engineers and service staff that provides IT Support, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Backup & Disaster Recovery to 100+ companies in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. BCA has received several awards, including CRN’s MSP 500 list, Expertise, and MSP 501 Channel Future’s list. BCA was also recognized by the Better Business Bureau and ranking #1 on Clutch for IT Services and Managed Services in South Florida. Read on to discover our tips to make your website secure.
What is website security?
Website security refers to the protection of personal and organizational public-facing websites from cyberattacks.
Why is website security important?
Website security helps protect the information assets of an organization by monitoring and mitigating digital risks. It increases brand trust, eases business transactions, safeguards networks and information servers from cyberattacks and maintains customer confidence in a company’s product/service offerings. A secure web presence can also help keep vital records safe from natural or man-made disasters. Website security plays an important role in protecting data, integrity of information and availability of services.
The website security process can be summed up as follows:
- Developer or organization has website(s) online with regular business activities.
- Website is attacked by known or unknown cybercriminals via website or website-hosting infrastructure.
- Attacker’s malicious activity is detected and website is taken offline to mitigate damage.
- Intruder’s identity is confirmed and website is restored from a backup or rebuilt.
- Steps 1, 2…repeat in continuous loop until website security process has been perfected by the developer/organization and website has been hardened to withstand or prevent known and unknown cyberattacks.
What steps can my organization take to protect against website attacks?
In a website security program, the website developer/organization should focus on five key areas:
- Code development policy – Comprehensive website codes can help secure a website from common website vulnerabilities. Creating only simple website pages might reduce website attack surface and improve code integrity. It is essential to create website code that follows all best practices for security as defined in the OWASP website.
- Vulnerability management – An effective website vulnerability management system can detect website vulnerabilities at all phases of website development (e.g. brainstorming, design, coding and testing). According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a website vulnerability scanner is an automated tool that examines websites for known website vulnerabilities and indicates the website’s vulnerability level.
- Penetration testing – A website penetration test is a professional, independent and adversarial website security assessment that identifies website application/system weaknesses before cybercriminals do. It also evaluates how effective countermeasures (security controls, policies, procedures etc.) are in addressing website vulnerabilities.
- Security monitoring – The website security operation should be able to detect website attacks, intrusions and website downtime.
- Report management – website security reports can help identify website weaknesses at an organizational level.
In order to have a successful website security program that protects the interests of your company/organization and website users:
- Developers should focus on website security policies (i.e. website security culture), website-code integrity and website-security champion(s) at all phases of website development in order to mitigate website vulnerabilities and ensure a secure website is developed as quickly, efficiently and economically as possible.
- Website owners/users should perform regular vulnerability scans, penetration tests and website security monitoring in order to ensure website security procedures/processes are sound and website vulnerabilities are mitigated/prevented as effectively and efficiently as possible.
- Security tools should be taken advantage of by website owners/users in order to implement website cybersecurity best practices, identify website weaknesses at the right time before cybercriminals do and ensure website security.
In general, website code integrity, website vulnerability management and website penetration testing are the three main areas website developers, website owners/users and website security operation should focus on, in order to establish a comprehensive website security program that can effectively protect against cyberattacks.
If you need help with your website security or advanced cybersecurity protection for your company feel free to contact BCA IT Inc. for more information on their Managed IT Services in Miami.
