Reports show in 2024, the average cost of a data breach was $4.48 million. So, is your website secure? If not, purchase a SSL certificate for website for secure encryption. A security breach leads to data loss, reputational damage, and even financial loss. Therefore, having a comprehensive security checklist is crucial for protecting the website. 

This guide will pave the way through various to-do website security measures. It includes different tips—from backups to firewalls. Along with essential protection steps, don’t miss out on domain transfer offers that often come with added security benefits and cost-saving options. So, get ready to explore different to-do pointers for your website security.

The Must-Use Website Security Checklist

Regular Backups

Regular backups are the digital safety net. Don’t ignore it despite the 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) and other systems deployed on it. In this, there is always a chance of data loss due to hacking, human error, or server failure. Having updated backups ensures if something goes wrong, you can restore the website without losing customer data, valuable content, or sales information. 

Schedule automatic backups daily or weekly, depending on how often you update the website. To protect those backups, save them in redundant locations, such as an external hard drive, cloud service, or remote server. Regularly run a backup test to ensure they will work, because a corrupt backup is the same as having no backup.

Install an SSL Certificate

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate encrypts the sensitive information of your website. It encrypts data like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information from being intercepted by malicious activities. The padlock symbol, along with “HTTPS” appearing in the browser, indicates that your site has an SSL certificate. This boosts user trust.

In most cases, not having an SSL certificate will show “Not Secure” next to your website URL. This affects user traffic as well as your search ranking. A lot of hosting providers offer free SSL certificates. You can also check out Let’s Encrypt. Just remember to redirect any traffic from HTTP to HTTPS, keep renewing your certificate, and make sure to maintain continuous protection.

Keep Software Updated

Outdated software allows cybercriminals to exploit the system. They are vulnerable to data breaches. Whether it is your WordPress CMS, themes, plugins, or scripts, outdated versions contain loopholes where attackers actively look to exploit. Updates often include patches for these security flaws.

Install updates and regularly monitor your CSM platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal along with the extensions or themes you use. If an update includes a critical security fix, apply it immediately. Also, uninstall any unused plugins or themes, as they can also become potential entry points even if they're inactive.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are a simple yet powerful defense against unauthorized access. A weak or commonly used password can be cracked within seconds using automated tools. That’s why your admin and user accounts should use unique, complex passwords that combine uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Don’t use personal information, predictable patterns, or reuse passwords across multiple websites. You can opt for different password generator tools like LastPass or 1Password to generate strong passwords safely. Changing your passwords regularly also adds an extra layer of security, especially for high-level accounts.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

The second form of verification gives additional protection to the account. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) enhances account security by requiring a second verification factor in addition to a password. Even if someone gains access to your password, they won't be able to gain entry without first passing a second verification step, such as receiving an SMS text message with an access code sent directly to their phone or email.

Implementing two-factor authentication (or 2FA) on your website's admin panel, hosting provider and any user portals adds a strong security measure. Apps such as Google Authenticator, Authy or Microsoft Authenticator generate time sensitive codes; encourage team members and users with access to sensitive data to enable 2FA on their accounts too!

Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF). A Web Application Firewall (WAF) protects websites by filtering out suspicious traffic before it reaches your server and filtering out attacks such as brute-force, SQL injections and Cross Site Scripting (XSS), keeping them away and your site secure 24/7. It protects from attacks like brute-force attacks, SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS).

Cloudflare, Sucuri or Wordfence can offer real-time protection of WordPress sites through cloud-based WAF services such as Cloudflare or Wordfence (for WordPress only) with their dashboards that help track threats in real-time. A properly configured WAF not only protects but also increases performance by blocking unwanted bots or traffic to improve overall site protection and increase performance.

Conclusion

Ignoring website security means you invite website hackers and cybercriminals to steal data. Sensitive information about your website is at stake, and you need to ensure that to shield the data. Data protection is not just about installing a plugin or two. Instead, you must deploy and implement tips that are mentioned in this blog. 

Follow these best practices and protect your business data to build customer trust. In the era of cyber threats, investing in the right security resource is a smart move.