Check website security: With these tools it works

Security plays an increasingly important role in the digital world, especially when it comes to websites. They are an indispensable part of the online presence of many companies and organizations and provide an important channel for interaction with customers and users.

At the same time, they are a popular target for hacker attacks and malware. Therefore, it is imperative that we regularly audit our websites to ensure they are as protected and secure as possible.

Identify vulnerabilities

An important first step in improving website security is to identify potential vulnerabilities. Various methods can be used to do this, such as penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and code reviews.

These methods help identify vulnerabilities in one's website before they can be exploited by hackers. Then, targeted measures can be taken to fix them and make the website more secure.

What types of threats are there anyway?

Website security is crucial to ensure both the integrity of your data and the trust of your users.

Unfortunately, there are a variety of threats that websites face today.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDos) attacks.

DDos attacks aim to overwhelm a website with an overwhelming number of requests, making it inaccessible to real users. Attackers often use a botnet in this process to massively increase traffic.

To protect yourself from DDoS attacks, you should use a reliable DDoS protection service that monitors traffic and detects suspicious activity.

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

In XSS attacks, attackers inject malicious code into a trusted website, which is then executed by visitors. This allows the attackers to steal personal information or perform malicious actions on behalf of the user.

To protect against XSS attacks, you should carefully check input fields and database queries to make sure that they cannot be used to inject malicious code.

SQL injection (SQLi)

SQL injections occur when attackers inject malicious SQL code into a website to access or manipulate sensitive database content.

To protect against SQL injections, you should ensure that all user input is properly validated and sanitized.

Using parameterized queries or ORM frameworks can also help prevent SQL injections.

General Website Security Tips

There are a number of best practices you can follow to improve your website security.

1. use strong passwords

• Use a unique and strong password for each user account.
• A strong password should be at least eight characters long and contain letters (upper and lower case), numbers and special characters.
• Avoid easy-to-guess passwords such as birth dates, names, or dictionary words.

2. Implement two-factor authentication (2FA):

• 2FA provides an additional layer of security by adding a second confirmation step, such as SMS verification or an authentication app.
• Enabling 2FA makes it much more difficult for potential attackers to gain access to your account.

3. Keep your software up to date:

• Regularly update your content management systems (CMS), plugins, themes, and other software you use.
• Updates often include important security patches that fix vulnerabilities and protect your website from known attacks.

4. Implement a firewall:

• Use a web application firewall (WAF) to block malicious traffic and protect your site from common attack vectors like SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

5. Secure your data with regular backups:

• Create regular backups of your website and databases.
• Store the backups in a secure location that is protected from unauthorized access.

6. use SSL certificates:

• Implement a secure connection (HTTPS) for your website by using an SSL certificate.
• SSL encrypts traffic between the user and the website, protecting against man-in-the-middle attacks and data leaks.

By implementing these best practices and actively monitoring your website, you can significantly improve your website security.

Online Website Security Checks & Tools

There are a variety of tools and technologies that can help test your website security. These range from firewalls and intrusion detection systems to content security policies and SSL certificates.

By using these tools and technologies correctly, websites can be protected from threats and ensure the safety of users and customers.

Google Safe Browsing 

Google Safe Browsing is a service from Google that checks websites for harmful content. It warns users about dangerous websites and helps you identify harmful content on your own website.

You can use the Google Safe Browsing API to automatically scan your website for potential threats and protect users from possible security risks.

OWASP ZAP 

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the security of software systems. OWASP ZAP is a free tool that helps identify and fix vulnerabilities in web applications.

It is very powerful and can also perform automated tests. OWASP ZAP is especially useful for developers who want to make sure that their applications are secure.

Qualys 

Qualys is a paid tool that can perform a variety of security scans for web applications. It is very comprehensive and offers a wide range of tools and functions. Qualys is especially useful for IT security professionals who want to perform comprehensive security scans.

SSL Labs 

SSL Labs is a free tool that examines the SSL/TLS configuration of web servers. It can quickly detect potential problems and gives clear instructions on how to fix them. SSL Labs is especially useful for web developers who want to make sure that their SSL/TLS configuration is secure.

Acunetix

Acunetix is a commercial tool that specializes in automated security testing. It provides a comprehensive security audit that can quickly identify and fix vulnerabilities. Acunetix is especially useful for companies that want to perform comprehensive security audits.

Conclusion

An insecure website can have serious consequences, including loss of customer data, financial loss or even complete collapse of the online business.

If there are no clean backups of the hacked website, a complete website relaunch is necessary. This can take months. The company cannot be found on its own website during this time.

This also results in ranking losses in search engines.

In order to gain and maintain the trust of users and customers, website security is crucial. In a world where threats from hacking and malware are on the rise, it is necessary to protect our digital spaces.

Using security tools to check website security is one of the best ways to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities in our websites.