Technological advancement is incredibly dynamic which makes it more challenging by the day to keep data safe on the web. It is therefore important for you to conduct a website security check consistently.
A website security check exposes all the weak points that you need to work on. At the same time, it allows developers to remove these vulnerabilities and make your site data safe from any unauthorized action.
We shall start by discussing how to tell if a site is safe, methods to use in checking the security of your website, and then look into a few website security check tools that you can utilize to prevent hacking issues on your website.
How to tell if a website is safe
One of the responsibilities that come with owning a website is ensuring that it is safe for all your visitors. Unfortunately, not all website owners are keen on this.
On the other hand, you can learn simple ways of finding out if a site is legit. This will help you protect yourself from any unsafe website that can send spam, spread malware, or even steal information.
Therefore, it is important to know that the websites you open take your safety seriously. Here are some indicators to look out for:
- Check for a website’s privacy policy – this one communicates how your data is collected, used, and protected by the website. The privacy policy shows that the site owner cares about complying with data privacy laws.
- Verify their trust seal – most sites use the words “Verified” or “Secure” as a trust seal. The purpose of a trust seal is not only to indicate that a site has HTTPS security but also that it has other safety features, for example, the date when the last malware scan was done.
It is not enough to just look for the trust seal, but you also need to verify that it is legitimate. The best part is that you can do it in a matter of minutes! You only need to click on the badge and see if it takes you to a verification page. This will confirm that the site is working with a specific security firm.
- Look for the “S” in HTTPS – URLs that start with HTTPS instead of HTTP indicate that they are encrypted. This type of security is provided by an SSL certificate that protects sensitive information that is entered into that site as it travels to a server. Without an SSL certificate, the information is easily accessible by malicious internet users. It is key to note that SSL is not the only form of security a website can offer but it shows that the website owner cares about your safety.
- Find their contact information – a website that openly shares their contact information shows that they are credible. An ideal website should clearly display an email address, a phone number, and a physical address if they have one, social media accounts, and a return policy if it applies. A survey conducted on website visitors found that 44% of respondents leave a site that does not have any contact information. Contact details are not exclusively an indicator of security but it shows that there is someone you can reach out to for the assistance you need.
- Learn the signs of website malware – regardless of the site having an SSL certificate, contact information, a trust badge, and a privacy policy, it may be unsafe if it is infected with malware. The following are common signs of malware attacks:
- Suspicious pop-ups. – these pop-ups try to entice you to click on them by making outlandish claims. By clicking on them you can accidentally download malware.
- Phishing kits. – these are websites that imitate commonly visited websites, for example, banking websites, intending to trick users into handing over sensitive information. Sometimes these appear when one types a URL and then you are redirected to another site.
- SEO spam. – the appearance of unusual links on a site, mostly in the comment section is an indicator of SEO spam.
- Defacements. – you can easily point out this type of attack. Malicious users usually replace the content of a site with their personal logo, ideological imagery, and even their name.
- Search Engine warnings. – Some popular search engines scan websites for malware and send a warning on the site if it is infected with malware.
- Malvertising. These are also easy to catch since they have grammar or spelling errors, and appear unprofessional, and propagate messages that do not match your browsing history.
Website Security Check Methods
- URL Manipulation through HTTP GET methods
URL manipulation is the process that hackers control the website URL query strings and acquire sensitive information. It commonly occurs in cases where the site is using the HTTP GET method in passing information between a client and the server. Using a tester adjusts the parameter value in the query string to test if the server accepts it.
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
A tester checks the web application for cross-site scripting. For example, any HTML should not be accepted as it makes the application prone to attacks. The attacker uses this method to implement a malicious script on the victim’s browser. Attackers usually use scripts like JavaScript to steal user cookies and any information stored in the cookies.
During website testing, the tester should be incredibly careful so as not to modify the following:
- Existing customer data that is hosted by the application.
- The server or application configuration
- Services running on the server.
- SQL Injection
SQL injection attacks are critical because the attacker can acquire vital information from the server database. Looking for an SQL injection entry point into a website can be done by identifying the code from the codebase where direct MySQL queries are made on the database by accepting some user inputs.
Checking the SQL injection involves taking care of input fields like comments, text boxes, and more. To prevent these injections, you should skip the special characters from the input or handle them properly.
- Password cracking
This is the most important part of system testing. Hackers can easily access the private areas of a site by guessing a common password or using a password-cracking tool. Usernames and passwords can be accessed easily online along with open-source password cracking applications. This can only be prevented when the web application enforces a complex.
The Top 7 Website Security Check Tools
Entrust Datacard
They provide secure connections, transaction technologies, a safe identity, and access at any time from any location. They provide solutions for online and physical transactions and authentication.
You can always check out their news center to stay updated on all the benefits from Entrust Datacard. In addition, you can get help with financial, government, and corporate certifications.
AskSSL Certificate
This is one of the most trusted SSL providers. They aim at delivering quality service and constant support at the most affordable prices. Their cheapest SSL certificate has a $10,000 warranty.
Currently, they have unmatched deals in the market as they have made all their services seamless and readily available to all their customers at the most affordable prices. With AskSSL you can be assured of constant security to your website and consistent improvement.
Symantec
Symantec is available through Broadcom and is well-known for offering high-end encrypted traffic management solutions. The quality they provide is world-class and anyone would be willing to pay for the price that matches this considering the high-end security that they provide.
Network Solutions
This website security check tool has some of the most competitive pricing for the SSL packages they provide. Their basic plan is called Xpress and it costs $59.99 per year with a term running for two years.
In addition, it supports 256-bit encryption with excellent 24/7 support and 99% browser recognition. Who wouldn’t want to be served by one of the most popular trusted brands?
DigiCert
When talking about a trusted brand in the online world, DigiCert has to be among the ones on the top of the list. Multinational companies like Verizon, IBM, and the majority of the Fortune 100 use this website security check solution.
They provide up to 4096-bit SSL certificates at very affordable prices. this can look like using their Wildcard SSL certificate, which will protect your entire domain, at an amount less than $700.
RapidSSL Online
This is one of the most affordable SSL service providers with experience of working with over 400,000 websites globally. They provide different certificates that you can choose from based on your personal needs. You can choose between protecting one site or many sites, or all your subdomains, as well as searching out your desired SSL certificate according to your brand name or type of SSL.
Thawte
Do you need website security while still managing a tight budget? Thawte will sort you out with quality and affordable deals. Their cheapest plan goes at $149 per annum which offers up to 256-bit encryption. Their Extended Validation plan goes for less than $350 and can be lesser if you sign a longer-term contract.
In Conclusion
Website security check is the key to running a functional website. It is surprisingly affordable, and you can choose a need-specific package that will suit the type of website that you are running. Safety always comes first, and website security is key for your website to survive in the wild internet world.
