Just how important is website Security for your business?
The annual Government Survey on Cyber Security was published in March ’21. In it four in ten businesses (39%) reported having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months. Breaches and attacks included, 82% phishing attacks, 25% were impersonated and 13% had malware (including ransomware).
The average cost to businesses that have suffered loss due to lack of website security is estimated at over £8,000. But of course the direct financial costs can be insignificant beside consequential impacts:
- to your customers if their data is threatened
- the credibility and reputation of your business
- your online positioning – Google penalise low security websites. They may add “This site may harm your computer” messages to your listings, and can even blacklist your website altogether
- and the cost of rectifying a breach can be far higher than the costs of prevention.
So How Can M3SM Help?
At M3SM we work with customers to help secure their websites and online accounts. We create bespoke plans appropriate to their business. And there are several simple steps that we always recommend:
- keep your website platform and plugins updated. Outdated and insecure software is a major vulnerability that hackers exploit.
- ensure your login details are secure – passwords should be long, random and unique (not re-used on multiple sites).
- install an SSL Certificate to encrypt your data (this will give your website a ‘padlock’ symbol in your browser).
- apply a Website Firewall – a higher level of security preventing unwanted web traffic from accessing your site.
- install a Scanning & Monitoring tool to immediately warn attempted or successful security breaches.
- maintain backups so that if the worst happens, your website can be quickly restored.
M3SM partner with Sucuri, one of the world’s leading website security service providers to provide scanning, monitoring and firewall services.
Based in Northampton and Warrington, M3SM work with our clients to design and implement an online security strategy appropriate for their needs.
If you think we can improve the website security of your business, why not call us now for an initial discussion?
