Your website provides valuable visibility for your company, so it’s worth taking care of its security.
It’s always important to remember about online security, as there are numerous threats lurking on the internet. Cybercriminals know many different techniques and tools, like malicious software etc. Here are some valuable tips to help you maintain security.
One of the most serious internet threats is phishing – it’s the act of pretending to be trusted people or institutions in order to defraud data or money. Hackers can also gain access to your computer and carry out various harmful activities. Users are threatened with, among others, irreversible loss of files, unstable system operation or even inability to launch it.
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Don’t open emails from unknown/suspicious senders.
Cybercriminals can infect the victim’s computer even as a result of merely viewing graphics attached to an email. It is therefore worth deleting emails from unknown and suspicious senders. These could be messages sent from a foreign domain, and their content written carelessly. The subject of such messages is, for example, notification of winning. It’s better not to click on links or attachments in such emails.
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Don’t click on ads appearing in the browser or on the website.
There may be infection with a virus, spyware or malicious program by clicking on an ad. If we’ve opened such a window, scan the computer with antivirus software as soon as possible.
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Make it difficult for cybercriminals to decrypt passwords – e.g. for online banking, mail or router.
Remember not to use the same logins and passwords in different places. Passwords in the form of a date of birth, name or other short words are very easy to guess. Decrypting a password consisting of many different characters – numbers, lower and upper case letters, and special symbols – will take considerably more time.
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Internet security largely depends on how often the user updates the operating system, antivirus software and installed applications.
During updates, it is possible to continually remove security gaps, and these gaps could serve cybercriminals to carry out an attack. Consider activating the option of automatic updates.
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Use a network firewall.
A firewall is a system that protects a computer in a LAN network from unauthorized access from the outside. A firewall monitors network traffic and filters dangerous connections. It’s a barrier against various types of online threats.
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After using a service or website that requires logging in, it’s worth logging out.
Especially when using networks shared with other users – e.g. at work or in a cafe. Thanks to logging out, confidential data will remain safe.
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If you enter your data online – e.g. you register or shop online – check if the service, website has been secured with the https protocol.
Just click on the padlock symbol, it’s next to the site’s address in the browser. If the service has an SSL certificate, you will get the message “The connection is secure”.
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If you log in to the bank via the internet, security is particularly important.
The website must be secured with the https protocol. Apply two-step data verification, after logging in you will get a code sent to your phone number.
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Often, computer infection with malicious software occurs when we download files from illegal sources or illegal websites.
Don’t use torrent services to download movies, photos or other files. Download files from trusted websites and legal sources.
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During the installation of a legal and useful program, you can install harmful tools from third parties, which can be malicious software – e.g. a trojan horse or a rootkit.
That’s why we recommend reading the messages displayed by the installation wizard carefully.
A few additional words explaining important concepts in the context of security:
Proper hosting The level of security depends on whether it has features like a network firewall – WAF – or protection against a “denial of service” attack – DDoS. Loss of data or complete lack of access to the website can deter customers, so choosing a secure hosting is important.
Management of add-ons and plugins
An excess of plugins can expose the site to threats, additional plugins are usually a gateway for malicious software to nest. You have to regularly control the addition of plugins, this can reduce the likelihood of those faulty ones appearing. Regardless of whether the plugins come from our CMS system or via external suppliers, it is essential to check their reputation.
SSL certificate
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are a way to protect online customers. Remember that cybercriminals can collect unencrypted information or plain text. The SSL protocol effectively blocks the reception of confidential data, such as credit and debit card numbers, thanks to their encryption.