{"id":8,"date":"2012-09-20T06:38:59","date_gmt":"2012-09-20T06:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siteuptime.com\/blog\/?p=8"},"modified":"2012-09-20T06:38:59","modified_gmt":"2012-09-20T06:38:59","slug":"5-ways-to-reduce-downtime-from-cyber-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siteuptime.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/20\/5-ways-to-reduce-downtime-from-cyber-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Reduce Downtime from Cyber Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know website downtime is a real drag. However, the situation can go from annoying to scary in a hurry when you\u2019re dealing with a malicious attack. A report published recently by KPMG called the Cyber Vulnerability Index<\/a>, found that a staggering number of global organizations have massive data leaks that create huge payload opps for virtual criminals.<\/p>\n

Sure, there\u2019s more of an incentive for hackers to go after the big dogs. There\u2019s also greater risk of punishment if they\u2019re discovered. In addition, huge corporations have more security features installed on websites that make hacking harder for cyber attackers. That\u2019s why owners of smaller websites and companies should be especially vigilant \u2013 they\u2019re not the juiciest target on the menu, but they\u2019re certainly considered some low-hanging fruit just ripe for the picking.<\/p>\n

Large companies and small-time webmasters alike would do well to employ a few best practices to reduce website downtime caused by cyber-attacks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

#1 \u2013 Size Up Your Security Situation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The KMPG study revealed a rather alarming stat: 75% of the top companies in the world are unwittingly leaving sensitive data exposed. This is info that would-be intruders would capitalize on in a heartbeat if given the right opportunity.<\/p>\n

HackerTarget.com and UnmaskParasites.com are among the rainbow of free tools you can use to size up your security situation, and they\u2019re just a Google search away. These free tools check things such as malicious injections on your website, domain profiling, SQL injection tests, Nikto server scans, and more.<\/p>\n

Although they\u2019re very handy and many quite thorough, they may still miss a carefully executed attack by a real pro. If you\u2019ve checked it all and you\u2019re still stumped, hire a freelance programmer to investigate your website line by line to find the offending code.<\/strong><\/p>\n

#2 \u2013 Do Some Housekeeping<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Checking your website for hacks and evil scripts is definitely an important activity, but routinely scrubbing your virtual tracks from the \u2018net is vital as well. This means reducing your website\u2019s current exposure level at all costs. Check everything published on your site, and clean up any extraneous metadata such as email addresses, application version information, and IP addresses. This will give hackers less information to go on if they try to attack your site.<\/p>\n

The less publically displayed information the better. Cyber attackers are, by their very nature, opportunistic. This means the harder you make it for the criminals to access data about your website, the harder it will be for them to find the goods on their own, and the greater the chance they\u2019ll move on to an easier mark<\/em>.<\/p>\n

#3 \u2013 Strong Passwords are Still King<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Symantec, the maker of the famous Norton Antivirus Software, published a study about Internet security with a few killer tips about locking down a website. Surprisingly, one of the simplest solutions is still the most effective: strong passwords<\/a>.<\/p>\n

#4 \u2013 Update, Update, Update<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve covered the fact that cyber attackers are opportunists. That\u2019s why one of the most common schemes involves exploiting known security holes before patches are made and webmasters apply them. There\u2019s yet another easy fix for this issue \u2013 check for updates for all software related to your website. If you have a blog, keep your plugins updated as well.<\/p>\n

For bonus points, keep an eye out for known security vulnerabilities and seek out patches before they\u2019re universally offered. The faster you update your website, the safer it will be.<\/strong><\/p>\n

#5 \u2013 Get the Whole Team on Board<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s no point in practicing website security if everyone\u2019s not onboard. If you\u2019re the sole webmaster in the house, then you have nothing to worry about. You can investigate, password-protect, and cruise for patches to your heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

However, if you have a website with multiple authors and\/or contributors \u2013 a graphics person, a coder, a social media guru, whatever \u2013 you need everyone on the same page about security practices to protect your site. Give everyone limited access that only allows them to perform their job. No more, no less. Instruct everyone to follow the same security guidelines and set up safe passwords as well.<\/p>\n

When you look out for your website\u2019s security, you\u2019ll not only experience less downtime, you\u2019ll also protect an asset you\u2019ve worked hard to build.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all know website downtime is a real drag. However, the situation can go from annoying to scary in a hurry when you\u2019re dealing with a malicious attack. Here’s how to beef up security for your site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[16,102],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways to Reduce Downtime from Cyber Attacks | SiteUptime Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We all know website downtime is a real drag. However, the situation can go from annoying to scary in a hurry when you\u2019re dealing with a malicious attack. 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