As the internet continues to evolve and grow, so does the number of threats that internet users have to face. That’s why cybersecurity needs to be a high priority for anyone that’s operating on the Internet, as an unprotected website can easily fall prey to virus attacks or spam.  This blog was written by our good friends First Page Digital who are a Digital Marketing Agency in Singapore.

The only way to ensure that your site has solid antivirus and anti-spam defense is to work with a web host whose servers are protected by super-tight security.

While most of the web hosts in Singapore are secure, you should still do your part to improve your website’s security and not rest on your laurels when it comes to this issue.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Update the Software

The easiest thing you can do to protect your site is to update your software as regularly as possible. This includes all the software that’s incorporated into your site (CMS etc.) as well as the server OS. A regularly updated website will be much harder for hackers to get into because there will be no loopholes to exploit.

While your web hosting company will most probably make it their priority to update your site’s operating systems, it’s still important for you to take an active role by communicating with them and ensuring that it’s done periodically.

2. Be Careful of SQL Injections

An SQL injection refers to a rogue attack by a hacker who tries to access your database for malevolent purposes. They do this by going through your website’s URL parameter or web form field. Using traditional Transact SQL makes it easier for such attacks to happen and you’ll only notice it when your data has already been deleted or when you find leaked information.

The best way to prevent such attacks is to use parameterized queries, which is a web language that’s super easy to apply.

3. Protect Against XSS Attacks

XSS is short for cross-site scripting attacks in which malicious JavaScript is purposefully injected into your pages. The ensuing effects of such an attack include changes in your web content that will be seen by your website users as well as leaked information.

For instance, let’s say that users can comment on your page without any form of validation or background check. This opens your website to opportunistic XSS attacks that come through the comments section, which gives the attacker access to other users’ browsing information including login cookies. Therefore, it’s very important that you protect your users’ privacy and safety by putting measures in place that will help prevent the insertion of active JavaScript into any of your web pages.

4. Check Your Passwords

Whenever you’re asked to create a password online you’ll notice that the site will prompt you to use unique combinations that are difficult to guess. You should use the same approach when creating passwords for your web admin and server. A good password can go a long way in protecting your site against malicious attacks and you’ll do well to encourage the same practice among your users as well.

At the bare minimum, the password should have eight characters (or more), a combination of upper case and lower case letters and a number to make it super difficult for anyone to guess the combination.

5. Use HTTPS

Seeing the HTTPS sign beside a web address is always an indication that you’re entering into a safe and protected online space where sensitive transactions won’t be affected by phishing, spam or information stealing.

This means that the website owner has enforced security measures that will prevent any and all online attacks, and this is achieved by using HTTPS on each and every single web page on the site.