Cyber attacks became a little bit more personal in 2014.
That’s one of the feelings people may get upon reading SingleHop‘s blog post about data breaches from last year.
If you’re an employee of Sony, iCloud, Goldman Sachs, or any of these companies whose securities were breached by hackers, another prominent impression would be anger.
Hackers slipping through the security cracks and stealing sensitive information from employees and subscribers is frustrating, to say the least.
Worse, these cyber attacks have instilled a feeling of fear to people.
No one is safe from data breaches, despite the processes that ensure the alleged safety of information entered online.
The question now remains: what should you do?
As a site owner, should you stop asking for personal information from users to keep yourself from being a target by hackers?
Before doing anything rash, follow the tips below to secure the personal information of your online customers.
Enable two-step verification
This website feature requests users for a security code after signing in. Once subscribers enter their usernames and passwords, they will receive the code on their smartphones or mobile devices. The code must then be entered on the site to complete the sign-in process.
Example of websites with the two-step verification is Google, Facebook, and WordPress, among other sites.
The security code on top of their password should help increase the security of their online accounts.
Store data in encrypted database
Database encryption make your text-based data indecipherable. For mailing lists and user accounts on your website stored in your hard drive, you can refer to these free data encryption tools to provide stronger protection for your local file storage.
For those looking for a safe online storage, consider using these premium cloud services that aim to protect the privacy of your files.
Install malware detector
A site infected by malware is prone to harming visitors and corrupting their devices.
To prevent malware from getting into your website, install a detector software to your workstation (one of the best is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware) and server used for putting your site up (Sucuri being your top choice).
Beef up your servers
If you have been hacked before using the same server, it’s time to upgrade your server and increase your defense from hackers.
Dedicated servers cost more, but provide the extra protection that normal server options can’t. A committed IT group will oversee your website activity and neutralize possible threats coming your site’s way.
You may also consider going for cloud hosting, especially if you simply want to store all your files online for easy access.
You can even use a dedicated private cloud to get the benefits of using both secure dedicated servers and the easy access afforded by the cloud
Plan for the worst
If and when a data breach compromises your website, make sure that you have a backup of your files ready.
For those using a self-hosted WordPress CMS to run your site, install any of these plugins to automatically generate a copy of your website files sent to your preferred cloud storage.
For non-WordPress sites, you can still back up your files using these tools.
These tips and advice should help boost the protection of your website, encouraging online users to sign up on your site with confidence.
More on data breach:
PRISM , Big Data and the Future of Privacy
LinkedIn To Spend Big On Security Following Breach
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