There can’t be any two opinions about significance of securing a web server since it the single most important support to keep maintain online presence of any business. Hence implementation of multiple security measures is an important function of an enterprise that depends on performance of its web applications for its own survival.
Importance of type of web server
From the point of view of website’s security as well as control, it would be advisable to choose the most robust server such as a dedicated server. It enables website owners to exercise total control and also allows unlimited freedom to install security related applications to protect their mission critical business processes.
Another vital aspect of security applications is to make sure that these are always updated to the latest version by way of updates. The most critical component of a dedicated web server is its operation system such as Windows and Linux. Updating operating systems is therefore an essential security measure.
Stringent password strategy
Modern technologies do not only help web hosting services and website operators. Hackers and other cyber criminals also leverage advanced tools to break into security environments of websites. This necessitates adoption of uncompromised security practices by creating strong passwords to prevent hackers from gaining access to digital assets such as personal credentials of customers and their transaction history.
In addition to maintaining strength of passwords you should also make sure that these are frequently changed from time to time. Password allocated by service provider of web server is only a default password and it can be a source of vulnerability because hackers can easily gain entry into the server environment by hacking such password.
Generous use of upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numerical should be the highlight of your web server account’s password. It would be blunder to coin a password that reflects personal identity such as name, date of birth, vehicle registration number and so forth because these can be easily guessed by hackers.
Security tools and patches
Thanks to a plethora of security tools offered by Microsoft that provides additional security layer although the process of configuration is usually a time consuming one. Any software which is not updated regularly is home to multiple vulnerabilities. Patches and updates are aimed at securing your system by upgrading their ability to thwart intrusion attempts.
First and foremost, you need to go for the latest version of any application that is going to be installed. This way, your web server would not be exposed to hacking events. Additionally, routine patching will further protect your server from new types of malware attacks. Another important tip for maintaining security potential of your system is to perform scheduled server scans to prevent any possibility of security breach.
Recent attacks of Ransomware and WannaCry have highlighted the need to backup mission critical data by way of copying the same at on-premise or remote locations. The backed data files can be accessed whenever there is any malware attack for ensuring continuity of business processes.
On site data website owners due to the convenience and economy of the backup process have traditionally used backups. However, one can never predict hardware failure particularly if the data is being restored to a pen drive, or an external hard drive. This underlines the importance of plan B to restore data.
This brings us to implementation of data backup plans at offsite locations. Off-site data backup facilities should not be perceived as replacement of on-site data backup plans. This should be rather a supportive measure to maintain data integrity. Location for remote data storage should be selected by considering several aspects including the security potential.
The place should neither be too far away nor be in close proximity to the on-site location. If it is at a long distance then physical access would be difficult. Remote location of data backup isolates the critical information from any threat of natural disaster.
Protection of databases
Security of databases assumes greater significance if the website is aimed at collecting important or personal information of visitors. This includes online stores, healthcare providers, and insurance portals. Recent cyber attacks involving SQL injection have made sever impact on the databases of mission critical websites.
You are advised to keep database users to bare minimum in terms of the privileged ones and make sure that every byte of data that is not relevant is deleted. There should be no scope for customer interacting with databases unless required.
In conclusion
In case your enterprise is short of expertise and other resources such as time, then you need to seek an expert professional assistance to make sure that your web server is secured against an array of cyber threats. Third part service providers can depute highly experienced professionals to remove vulnerabilities and monitor web servers by prioritizing security aspects.
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