The world is quickly moving towards a digitized world today. For example, people no longer have the mindset that just a physical store will be enough to run their business. Instead, they understand that in order to keep up with the competition; they have to create a fully functional eCommerce website. Unfortunately, as the world has become more digitized, online theft and security issues have also come to the surface. For that reason, you must know how to do website security audits.
After all, who doesn’t want to protect his website today? In today’s day and age, it is very easy to create a website. However, it is very difficult to maintain it and keep it protected from malicious activities. Therefore, a website audit is necessary that can remove all the irregularities within your website and boost your online sales. As a website owner, it is your responsibility to protect your website from hackers.
What is a Web Security Audit?
If you want to maintain your brand equity, you must understand all the elements of a website security audit checklist. A website audit is defined as a method for observing a particular website system. It includes the evaluation of website extensions, security controls, deficiencies, and threats that may harm your website’s critical data and other assets. The website audit checklist usually contains complete static and dynamic code analytical reports, errors, and configuration tests. Regardless of whether your website is for desktops or mobiles, the audit has become a necessity and it shouldn’t be ignored at all costs.
Image taken from GitHub
Strikingly fully believes in website security and makes it easy for website owners to verify their website’s credentials. The best way to check whether the website has any deficiencies is by checking Google page speed insight score. For Strikingly websites, this score averages around 90. When a website has a high Google page speed insight score, it means that the website audit has gone as per the plans, and it is getting maintained as per the standards. The audit of a website includes the following aspects:
- Cores
- Website extensions
- Emails, website themes, and software
- Various server settings
- Configurations
- SSL configurations
Importance of Web Security Audit
1. Protects Brand Image
The importance of website security audits can be seen because it helps you to preserve your brand image. It saves your website from getting bankrupt or shutting down. Cyber-attacks provoke malicious activities that leave a significant impact on business websites. Before you even realize it, all your hard work of the last decade would be destroyed in front of your eyes. Data breaching may also destroy your reputation as nobody will come to your website even if you decide to make a new one for your business.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
If you want to create and maintain your brand website, you don’t need to look any further than Strikingly. Make sure that you create a powerful website logo and integrate it alongside your website title. Once you are done with the website design, include all the relevant content and create categories as website navigation elements, which get displayed on the homepage. Afterward, you can implement all the relevant marketing strategies to support your brand.
2. Protection Against Hackers
Hackers are the biggest threat to the IT world today. If you want to protect your website from malicious activities, you must know how to do website security audits. Hackers take advantage of the security vulnerabilities that you show regarding your website. A website security plan is a combination of security layers that the hackers have to get past to get to your critical details. If you remain strict with your security, they won’t do anything to harm you.
If you have a reliable and robust website at your disposal, it is likely to prevent your website from all the security vulnerabilities. Another big factor regarding the website audit is that it helps you to identify all the deficiencies and misconfiguration ahead of time. Once you have identified them, it is important to take necessary action and safety precautions before the attackers try to find a way into your website.
3. Identifies System Threats
This point overlaps with the previous point, but this point is mostly concerned with website scanning. A website security audit checklist gives the authority to the companies with efficiency on the severity of the malicious attacks. If the threats are found related to the system, necessary steps are taken to remove them. This is extremely important because every company and every individual should be concerned about the threats that are found in a system.
If the companies have a proactive approach related to the website threats, they will resolve the security issues before the hackers even come to the website. It is basically like a game of chess in which you try to be one step ahead of your opponents (or in this case, hackers). Therefore, the website audit comes to the rescue for both the website development and the management team. It gives them a sign of the high risks connected to their website and recommends them an appropriate plan to fix those issues.
Elements Included in Website Audit
1. Password Protection
It is a common thing that when you read about website security, the first thing that comes to your mind is the password. Passwords are very common for mobile phones as people can afford to put passwords on certain applications. However, websites are also necessary for you to perform website security audits. If your password is small, it is very easy for it to get manipulated. If you add passwords as part of your website security audit checklist, it will ensure that your company’s employees and users go through the best precautions related to password protection.
Image taken from Strikingly
When you create a password, make sure that you choose a strong one. For example, a password like “abc123” is easily identifiable. Therefore, you must use a password that contains both the small and large characters, numbers, and a special character (*,#, %). Strikingly provides you with a facility to secure your website through password protection. In fact, you can even set passwords for different web pages. If your customers have a membership status, you can put passwords on certain products or blogs that can only be accessed by them.
2. SSL
When you perform website security audits, you shouldn’t miss out on an SSL certificate review. SSL certificates are an important part of the website building process. If your website doesn’t have this certificate, you and your business are in the hot water. SSL certificates ensure that the entire communication panel within your business website is encrypted. Business websites are better equipped to manage the sensitive data delivered by the customers.
3. CMS Settings
Content Management System (CMS) settings are another element why you shouldn’t ignore the importance of website security audits. It is a necessity and you must check if your CMS settings are updated. Pop-up notifications are displayed on your screen to inform you about any potential updates. CMS settings are crucial to maximize the security walls of your website.
4. System Permissions
Internal factors are the biggest reasons behind the potential data breaches. How you handle certain files and allow permissions will give a better idea about how you perform website security audits. User permissions are critical in creating a quality website security plan because it helps you in protecting sensitive data. When a user has the authority to make changes within the system, he can do anything in the world on that website.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Therefore, necessary steps must be taken to protect the website from potential attackers. There are two types of permissions related to users i.e. user permission and public permission. User permission allows those users with credentials who want to make changes on a website. Public permission categorizes users into groups while allowing permissions.
Conclusion
When we talk about the importance of website security audit checklists, we don’t just talk about detecting your security vulnerabilities. Ever since the concept of website security has come to the floor, it has enabled many websites in the world to maintain good system conditions. It has helped business owners to maintain a good connection with their customers. If you have hired someone for website development, it will be easier for you to understand the importance of website security. Sometimes, as a professional, it is hard to do too many tasks at once.
Image taken from Strikingly
Strikingly is one of the few website builders that have connected all the dots related to website security. It possesses built-in analytics and quality password protection features to ensure that nobody accesses your website for no reason. Apart from that, we also have an internal security system to deal with all the technical side of your website. If you have any concerns related to your established website, you can contact our Happiness Officers today. If you partner with Strikingly, you don’t have to worry about keeping your website secure.
