Cyber attacks on your website can seriously harm your business health. Even if you think
your website has nothing to attract the hackers, you can be compromised in unexpected
ways. The hackers may not be interested in stealing your data or defacing your website but
may try to use your server (if you are hosting your own) as an email relay for spam, or to set
up a temporary web server to serve files of an illegal nature. Your business, just like the
NHS, could be hit by ransomware at any time!

At Allott & Associates we work with all our clients to make sure that their websites are as
secure as possible. It is imperative that defences are strong and vigilance is constant.
Although a detailed list of actions is not ideal content for this newsletter, our technical
department would like to share ten website tips that will help to minimise your propensity to
be hacked.

1. Be hosted on a dedicated server.

2. Run an https-only website.

3. Manage your users – grant only as much access as is needed.

4. Enable auto-updates on software wherever possible to keep it up to date.

5. Only download software from trusted sources.

6. Require strong passwords for all users.

7. Back up your files and database at least weekly.

For more information and further guidance or a bespoke quotation, please call Allott and Associates today: 01423 867264

8. Install a security plugin – for example, Wordfence for WordPress.

9. Never cache website administrator passwords.

10. Use a reputable virus scanner.

Vigilance is key. It will pay if you can spot the signs of hacking as early as possible. We
recommend you take the following steps: visit your site often, search for your website on
Google frequently, use a malware scanner and set up email alerts, use a source code
scanner to verify site integrity and watch out for unexplained spikes in site traffic. This list is
not exhaustive but is certainly a good starting point.

If you would like to learn more about improving the health and safety of your website then
please give us a call on (01423) 867264 and we’ll help put you on the right track.