Build websites securely: What steps should you take to protect your website?

Getting Started

If you’re building websites, it’s crucial to understand web security.

Not only does it protect your website from hackers and malware, but it also ensures that your visitors’ personal information is kept safe.

This guide is for anyone who wants to learn about web security, regardless of their level of experience.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this guide will provide you with the knowledge you need to build secure websites.

Use HTTPS: Use HTTPS instead of HTTP to encrypt data between the user’s browser and your website. This ensures that any data transmitted between the two is secure.
Keep software up to date: Keep your website’s software up to date to ensure that any security vulnerabilities are patched. This includes your content management system, plugins, and themes.
Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords for all user accounts on your website, including your own. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Implement two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your website by requiring users to enter a code sent to their phone or email in addition to their password.
Regularly backup your website: Regularly backing up your website ensures that you can quickly restore it if it’s ever compromised. Backups should be stored in a secure location.

Let’s say you’re building a website for a small business owner who wants to sell products online.

You’ll need to ensure that the website is secure to protect the business owner and their customers.

You start by implementing HTTPS encryption using an SSL certificate.

This ensures that any data transmitted between the user’s browser and the website is encrypted and secure.

You also implement strong password policies and two-factor authentication for the website’s user accounts.

This ensures that only authorized users can access the website’s backend and make changes.

To further enhance security, you regularly update the website’s software, including its content management system, plugins, and themes.

You also regularly backup the website and store the backups in a secure location.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that the website is secure and protected from hackers and malware.