A website security audit involves examining a website’s core, files, and plugins to identify security threats. It includes checking everything from the basic programme of your website to server settings, themes, extensions, and more.

It takes 276 days to identify and contain data breaches. This means that you may not even know if there are security vulnerabilities on your website until a significant data breach or threat happens.

This means decreased customer trust and heavy penalties.

But there’s one simple process you can follow to ensure website security.

Run a website security audit at regular intervals to identify and resolve security threats on your website.

Let’s explore how website security audit services work and create a quick checklist to assess your website’s security.

How to Perform a Website Security Audit?

You are following all the best practices and comply with the regulations, but it’s always better to stay vigilant.

A cyberattack happens every 39 seconds, with over 2200 attacks daily. A site security audit helps you maintain a reliable website by identifying potential threats.

Here’s how website security audit services work:

Backup Your Website

To ensure that you do not lose any data during the audit process, perform a full website backup. So, even if something goes wrong, you can restore the website.

Store the backup in an encrypted format.

Perform A Security Scan

Use a website security scan tool to look for vulnerabilities:

  • Malware hidden in the system
  • Out-of-date software
  • Weak passwords
  • Broken links
  • XSS, or cross-site scripting
  • SQL injection
  • Inadequate authentication methods

Check User Accounts And Permissions

  • Check who has access to the backend.
  • Limit administrative access to authorised people only.
  • Implement secure and strong passwords.
  • Remove accounts no longer in use.

Look For Software Updates

Software updates have security patches that address known threats. So, update third-party integrations, website platforms, and plugins.

Test Communication Security

  • HTTPS secures data transmission. Check if it is used on your website.
  • Install SSL certificates if not installed yet.
Also Read: How to Install an SSL Certificate? A Simplified Guide

Assess Firewalls And Security Configurations

  • Test firewall settings to ensure that it blocks suspicious and unauthorised traffic.
  • CDNs offer an extra layer of protection during DDoS attacks. So, check the security aspects of the CDN you are using.

Audit File Upload Features

  • Assess if file uploads only accept approved files and check for possible infections.
  • Add limitations to prevent attackers from uploading harmful files.

Check the Security Of The Database

Website databases store sensitive information, including payment details. To protect the data:

  • Use strong and unique login credentials.
  • Limit database rights.
  • Encrypt private information.
  • Monitor illegal access regularly.

Test For Downtime

Attackers may attack a website with high outages. To avoid outages:

  • Check website performance under different situations.
  • Use monitoring tools to track uptime and get updates for anomalies.

Check Plugins And Extensions

  • Ensure that you use dependable and secure plugins and extensions.
  • Update them regularly.

Assess Password Policies

  • Ensure that all the user accounts follow password guidelines.
  • Use special characters and a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters.
  • Encourage users to update passwords regularly.

Run Penetration Testing

During penetration testing, you mimic an attack on your website.

This helps you find hidden vulnerabilities.

Pro Tip: Hire a certified ethical hacker or a cybersecurity specialist to ensure efficient and comprehensive testing.

Monitor Website Logs

  • Check for odd trends, such as recurring unsuccessful login attempts or unexpected traffic surges.
  • Check visitors who come from untrusted sources.
  • Look for sudden drops in website traffic.
  • See if Google has flagged your website as malicious.

Check IP And Domain Security

  • Use tools to check IP and domain reputation.
  • If the domain or IP address is on the blocklist, request removal.
  • In case of shared hosting, report the issue to the hosting provider.
  • If your ISP issued a blocklisted IP address, contact the company.

Create A Security Policy

Create a comprehensive website security policy.

Here are some specifics to include:

  • Backup schedule
  • Modify protocols
  • Access management rules
  • Incident response plans
  • Train the team to follow the policy
Pro Tip: Opt for site protection services to run daily scans and get updated about any threats.

Security Checklist When Choosing Website Hosting

If your hosting account is not secure, it leads to downtime and security threats.

Here’s how to ensure the security of your website hosting:

Software Security

  • Firewall protection to block unauthorised access.
  • Malware scanning and removal to identify and remove malicious code.
  • Regular software updates and patches.

SSL Certificate

SSL certificates encrypt data between the web server and the browser to protect sensitive information.

Plus, with an SSL certificate, you can add HTTPS to your website. This also boosts SEO and website performance.

Backup And Restoration

Look for reliable backup and easy-to-use restoration. This helps you recover your website quickly and avoid downtime.

DDoS Protection

DDoS protection helps you avoid site overload attacks. Hosting with DDoS protection helps you avoid this and maintain website uptime.

With DDoS protection, the web hosting service uses algorithms to block malicious traffic.

With advanced filtering, they differentiate between genuine and malicious traffic.

Network Monitoring

  • 24/7 monitoring.
  • Advanced tools to secure web servers.
  • Positive reviews about detecting and resolving issues.
  • Service Level Agreements for uptime and performance.

CDN Support

A CDN helps reduce load times by retrieving the content from the nearest server location.

Plus, during DDoS attacks, they spread the traffic to keep the website running.

Also Read: 9 Cybersecurity Risks Your Website is Facing

Protect Your Website With Secure Web Hosting

Website security is essential to keep the data safe and avoid fines and reputation loss.

Comprehensive website security audit services help you detect and resolve issues more quickly. Make sure that you choose a reliable hosting provider, so your website stays secure and reliable.

When it comes to choosing a reliable hosting provider, Crazy Domains stands out for its high uptime. The experts offer personalised services to ensure that your website aligns with your requirements. Plus, with website security services, Crazy Domains helps you keep your website safe from threats!