3 Common Security Mistakes Made by Site Owners

Security is vitally important to any ecommerce website. Since people trust these sites with sensitive financial information, the onus is on site owners and administrators to provide the best possible security. In the absence of comprehensive security measures, data theft can occur on a broad scale. It’s worth noting that not all security mishaps occur as a result of sheer negligence. More often than not, holes in a site’s security apparatus are the result of simple oversight, and in many cases, such issues are easily preventable. By understanding some of the most common security mistakes made by website administrators, site owners can begin formulating plans to combat them. 

1. Shrugging off Security Updates

In addition to outfitting your site with top-tier security software, it’s imperative that you stay on top of updates and install them posthaste. Some site owners have an unfortunate habit of putting security updates on the backburner and allowing them to pile up. Your site is at risk every second a security update remains uninstalled. Although some may view them as superfluous, each update serves a specific purpose. With cybercriminals constantly stepping up their game and finding ways around existing roadblocks, software developers are doing their best to keep up and update certain programs accordingly. Site owners in the market for top-tier security software should check out a recent SiteLock review or their social media page.

2. Failing to Keep an Eye on Backups

Many site owners seldom pay any mind to backups and fail to understand how they contribute to a site’s security apparatus. As it turns out, backups are far more vital to a website’s wellbeing than they’re often given credit for. Well-maintained backups ensure that owners are able to restore portions of their sites, if not the entirety of their sites, in a timely and stress-free manner. Owners should always keep a watchful eye on their backups, because in their absence, restoring a site after a hacker attack or malware infestation can be an incredibly difficult proposition. With this in mind, take care to watch your backups like a hawk and constantly back up your site’s database and third party applications. 

3. Forgoing Security Software

Some site owners are of the mistaken belief that hackers and malware developers never go after small-time operations. While it’s true that cybercriminals often go after high-profile targets, this is by no means an ironclad rule, and if they think there’s profit to be made from targeting a smaller site, they won’t hesitate to do so. Forgoing security software for a site that functions solely as a creative outlet is one thing, but doing so for a site that deals in ecommerce is another matter entirely. Regardless of how small your site is, reliable security software is an absolute must if people’s financial information is at stake.

In the digital age, no website owner can afford to take cybersecurity lightly. Even the simplest of oversights can open the door to hacker attacks and the spread of malware, so it’s imperative that owners and operators stay on their game. When taking measures to ensure your site’s security, remember to keep an eye out for the previously discussed slip-ups. In the fight against cybercriminals and malicious software, awareness is half the battle.