The internet is growing each day. Many years ago, all the data on the internet would fit in a singular hard drive. But today, that is near impossible. Trillions of data pass through the data stream of the worldwide web each day. Websites are being built each minute, and a new social media account is being made every second. Everyone is part of the internet. This is why the internet today has over one billion websites, each representing a company, a person, or a product. However, this massive growth means an ever-growing security risk.
The number of data breaches and records exposed each year amounts to more than a million. In 2018, there were 1,257 data breaches and 471 million records exposed for everyone to see. In 2019, there were 1,506 data breaches and 164 million records exposed. It seems that these numbers aren’t stopping, and if you think that way, you are most probably right. The internet is too big for just a singular entity to monitor. So if you’re planning to start a website for your company on the internet, you should be prepared for the risk. Because if you don’t prepare, it’ll cost you millions of dollars for a singular data breach on your site. So here are some ways you can protect your start-up company from digital threats.
Make Your Website HTTPS
Let’s start with something simple. If you’re planning to just have a website mainly to post products and a blog for your company, you’re not going to need anything complicated. In most cases, you’re only going to need a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) website.
HTTPS has various security measures for your website. An HTTPS website is primarily encrypted in nature, so it would be hard for any malware or hackers to breach your website. Additionally, these kinds of websites excel if you’re planning to store some sensitive data on your website or if you’re planning to transition into an online store.
A great compliment to your HTTPS website is a security incident reporter. This particular software can report incidents where there is unauthorized access to your website. It comes in various forms, and the ServiceNow security incident response is one of the better security systems out there. Its tailored-fit for your company, and it keeps an eye out for potential threats that aim to penetrate your network. Additionally, it also has a faster response rate than any other software in the market.
Restrict Access To Your Website
Once you’ve started the website for your company, it’s time to manage users who have access to it. Thankfully, you’re only starting, so there would only be you and your website manager who should have access to it. However, as your start-up company grows, more and more people will have access to your website.
Additionally, once you’ve transitioned to an online store, almost everybody will have access to some parts of your website. This is when you should hire a security team to keep an eye out for potential external users who want to access various aspects of your website in malicious ways. A security team can help update user access and delete those that seem to be suspicious.
Test Your Network
If you’re worried that certain hackers might find some interest in your website, your best solution for this is to test your network.
Network penetration testing is a type of ethical hacking that aims to fix individual holes in your network. During this process, you hire a group of ethical hackers to penetrate the defenses of your website. While they do this, they look for certain areas that are breachable by hackers and malware alike. After they do this, they file a report so that you can see the different areas where your network can be penetrated. They will also offer various solutions so that you can keep your website secure from potential invaders.
Network penetration testing can be quite costly. It depends on the reach of your website, its contents, and the size. So if you’re planning to build a considerably big website for your start-up company, prepare to pay the costs for penetration testing. But, worry not, the cost is usually worth it because you’ll gain access to the knowledge hackers have since you’ll be working with some of them. Moreover, you’ll also have an expert look into data breaches and hacking, and this is information that only a few business owners have.
The security of your start-up website is in your hands. But remember that if you don’t implement these measures, you’re taking a gamble that could cost you millions. So it’s better to play it safe and not take your chances in the ever-expanding world of the internet.
