Top 7 Cybersecurity Practices to Improve your Protocols in 2024

Last year, on average more than 30,000 websites get hacked every day. This brings us immediately to their security protocols. 

Did they not have the best security protocols in place? Do we even need to spend hundreds of dollars on robust security tools? 

The search engine giant, aka Google, does not want you to get fancy security tools. Instead, its Page Experience Update talks about the importance of an SSL or Secure Socket Layer certificate for in-transit data protection and optimum user experience. 

So, what are the cybersecurity protocols that you need to watch out for? 

Well, here are seven of them:

7 Must-Know Cybersecurity Practices to Improve your Protocols

1. Strong login system

Most hackers would try knocking on the front door first. Your front door is the password on your login page in a website’s context. 

It would help if you had a strong password protecting your admin panel. By a strong password, we mean the one that is at least twelve characters long, with both upper/lower case letters in use along with special symbols. 

You can choose to employ two-factor authentication to enhance its security. By integrating two-factor verification, users must enter an OTP sent to their mobile device or email address before logging in. 

2. Install an SSL certificate

Once you have your front door secured, it is now time to shut down windows so that nobody can spy inside your home. 

In other words, you need a security protocol that can help encrypt all the data that gets transferred between your website and the user. 

That is where SSL comes in. SSL is a robust security protocol that uses Public Key Infrastructure to protect a website’s connection. As a result, no hacker can intercept or see the data transferred between two communicating entities. 

An SSL certificate comes in various kinds and at different validation levels. You need to choose the right kind of SSL cert to suit your unique needs. If your website has unlimited subdomains that you need to secure, you can consider investing in a wildcard SSL Certificate. You can buy wildcard SSL certificates from reliable CAs or resellers at affordable prices.

3. Educate staff about phishing attacks

Now that you have a few technical grounds covered, it is time to look at the inner circle. 

Are your employees competent enough to repel email phishing attacks? 

A hacker may very well know that you have a robust security system in place, so they may refrain from attacking you from the front. 

In such a case, they can find your vulnerabilities and contact your staff by sending phishing emails containing unsolicited links. 

You will be doomed once your staff falls for those links and shares all the information. 

So, provide cybersecurity training to your employees. 

4. Use password generation services

Many service providers provide password management services wherein they generate a new password each time you log in. 

Those passwords are not ordinary. They are complex, so a human mind cannot recall, remember or guess them. 

Since your clients and customers bank their trust upon you, you have to keep their data safe. 

The same old password service might make you vulnerable to a breach, but password generators never allow hackers to breach your code. 

5. Disallow the use of personal devices for work

Public Wi-Fis are susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers can place themselves between the sender and the receiver and intercept what is transferred. 

To stop that, it is best to use a public VPN. 

A Virtual Private Network encrypts all data exchanged and disallows any third-party intervention. 

Having a robust VPN lets you stay assured that your data is getting passed without anybody reading it. 

Moreover, block all login attempts after three failures. It is highly unlikely that an employee of yours would repeatedly enter wrong passwords. 

6. Disallow the use of public Wi-Fi for website access

Public Wi-Fis are susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers can place themselves between the sender and the receiver and intercept what is being transferred. 

To stop that, it is best to use a public VPN. 

A Virtual Private Network encrypts all data exchanged and disallows any third-party intervention. 

Having a robust VPN lets you rest assured that your data is getting passed without anybody reading it. 

Moreover, block all login attempts after three failures. It is highly unlikely that an employee of yours would repeatedly enter wrong passwords. 

7. Keep your software updated

Outdated software is quite vulnerable to succumbing to a cyberattack. However, there is a strong and valid reason why developers work day and night to fix security bugs. 

They fix those patches by issuing updates for your system. 

Unfortunately, many people do not believe them to be important. It is only after websites get compromised, do website owners understand the significance. 

Some don’t make the same mistake in 2022. If your CMS platform permits, do not hesitate to turn automatic updates on. 

With a growing number of cybercrimes, you cannot go easy on cybersecurity. So, update your software regularly. 

Final Thoughts

This article will change your approach towards cybersecurity. Hackers are getting more competitive by the day. 

As business owners, we must brace ourselves for all types of situations. 

Cybersecurity must be a prominent part of business functioning, from practicing great password hygiene to educating your staff members about MITM and phishing attacks. 

With search engines like Google warning us about the consequences of not installing an SSL, it is high time we yield to it. 

Google isn’t doing it for its sake but the safety of our customers. So do not hesitate to integrate security protocols. Follow these seven tips given above and run your website securely in 2022.