Cyberattacks, such as hacking, data breaches, and malware, can cause immense damage, potentially putting some companies out of business. Keeping hosted environments secure is critical to minimising the risk. In this post, we look at the security measures businesses need to implement, including those available from responsible service providers, to protect their systems from attack.
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Implement access control, authentication and spam filtering
Unauthorised access to systems and data is often the result of weak passwords, poor authentication processes and a lack of access control. It can also happen when employees fall victim to phishing emails. To counter these issues, businesses should:
- Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) – With 2FA, users have to input additional information during login, such as a one-time code sent to a smartphone. To gain access to user accounts, hackers would need both the stolen credentials and possession of the phone.
- Enforce strong passwords – By requiring users to have longer passwords containing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, it makes it much harder for brute force tools to crack passwords.
- Enable IP whitelisting – This zero-trust approach ensures access is only allowed from trusted IP addresses, reducing the risk of attacks from unverified locations and devices.
- Restrict user access – Using access control, businesses can limit access based on a user’s role. These restrictions can minimise the potential damage caused by internal bad actors and hackers with stolen credentials.
- Activate spam filtering– Today’s anti-spam tools intelligently detect and block phishing emails, reducing the potential for employees to give away their usernames and passwords.
Cloud user? Read: Why User Authentication is Essential for Cloud-Based Systems
Keep software updated
Hackers deliberately seek out websites and systems that use outdated software. Many of these have vulnerabilities which are easy for experienced cybercriminals to exploit. To reduce this risk:
- Remove unnecessary software – If plugins and themes are not needed, uninstalling them reduces the ways a cybercriminal can attack.
- Keep apps and website software updated – Developers regularly release software updates to fix bugs and security issues. By enabling auto-updates, new versions can be installed promptly, eradicating existing vulnerabilities.
- Keep operating systems updated – Ensure that your server’s OS is also kept up to date with the latest security patches. On shared hosting accounts and managed hosting solutions, the hosting provider will usually install updates for their customers.
Strengthen server security
Poor server configuration can also create vulnerabilities that allow cybercriminals to gain access. To protect against this, implement the following:
- Use a web application firewall (WAF) – A WAF acts as a filter, blocking malicious traffic before it can reach a website. These powerful tools protect against a range of common cyberattacks, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Carry out regular vulnerability scans – Regular scanning enables poor misconfiguration and security weaknesses to be quickly identified so they can be fixed before cybercriminals take advantage of them.
- Limit root access – The only people who need root access are server admins. Using access control, no one else should have this privilege. Aside from protecting against cyberattacks, it also prevents inexperienced staff from accidentally causing major issues.
- Use encrypted protocols – Instead of using FTP, encrypted protocols like SSH protect data and files from interception and theft.
- Disable unnecessary services and ports – By limiting the number of open ports and disabling unused services, hackers have fewer ways to gain unauthorised access.
Managed web hosting providers often implement many of these measures for customers as part of their services.
Protect data
Data breaches can result in reputational damage, financial losses and legal action. To strengthen data security and improve compliance with regulations like GDPR, consider implementing the following measures:
- Strong encryption – Stored data should be protected with AES-256 encryption. This makes it unreadable to cybercriminals and unauthorised internal users.
- SSL certificates – SSL certificates encrypt sensitive information in transit, including customers’ payment details and login credentials. This ensures sensitive and personal information cannot be compromised as it travels to and from the server.
- Protect databases – Databases should be protected with strong passwords and permissions restricted depending on role.
Responsible web hosts will provide robust encryption, as well as free and premium SSL certificates.
Store data in the cloud? Read: Why Cloud Data Encryption is Essential
Utilise firewalls, monitoring and intrusion detection
Hosting providers deploy a range of advanced security tools, some AI-enabled, to monitor their networks and infrastructure for threats in real time. This prevents network cyberattacks from affecting customers’ systems while enabling other forms of attack to be swiftly detected and dealt with. The key measures implemented include:
- Intrusion detection systems (IDS) – These tools detect suspicious network activity and alert web host security teams so immediate action can be taken to prevent attacks from reaching customers’ servers.
- Network and web application firewalls – These advanced firewalls monitor and automatically block unauthorised traffic, preventing cybercriminals from exploiting vulnerabilities.
- Security log reviews – By monitoring various security logs, web hosts are able to detect the signs of cyberattacks, enabling them to intervene and prevent damage.
- Real-time monitoring tools – These tools can track file changes, detect failed login attempts and analyse system logs, enabling providers to identify and address security issues early.
Take automated backups
Backups are a critical form of insurance that protects businesses from the most severe consequences of data loss, enabling them to restore their data and systems swiftly.
Automated, cloud-based backups are ideal for digitally reliant companies, allowing them to schedule backups at required intervals, store them remotely, scan them for errors and encrypt them for security. Stored in the cloud, businesses can easily scale backup storage and implement custom retention policies.
For more information, read: Futureproofing Your Data with Backup Strategies
Conclusion
Robust security is essential for businesses that run digital operations and rely on data. By implementing the measures above, companies can significantly strengthen their protection from hacking, malware infections and data breaches. Crucially, as many of these measures are provided by responsible hosting providers, the choice of provider can have a significant impact on a company’s security posture.
Bolster your cloud security posture by choosing eukhost. ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certified and an authorised HM Government G-Cloud provider, we use the latest security tools and best practices to rigorously protect our customers’ digital operations. For more information about our secure cloud solutions, visit our Cloud Hosting page.
