When setting up a website, most people understand that security is essential. However, once the website is up and running, it is easy to forget about it, leaving your site vulnerable. Instead, make sure that website security remains your top priority in website maintenance. This is important for a number of reasons.
Out-of-date security
As cybercriminals develop new threats, security has to continually update to keep ahead. Changes occur regularly, meaning that the security plugin that works perfectly when the website is launched may have been abandoned or developed a security flaw some months later.
If security is not being continually reviewed, you will not be clear on whether your website has had suspicious activity or even whether content has been modified with phishing links. If you are unsure of what website security checks you should be carrying out, seek expert advice from specialists like //www.etempa.co.uk/website-security-checks/.
Consequences of lax security
If your site is compromised or hacked, Google will not rank it as highly in searches. In the worst-case scenario, it may delist the entire domain and not restore it until you have addressed the security concerns. In the meantime, you will have lost business from people unable to find your site.
A compromised site is very bad for your brand’s reputation. If visitors to your site are issued with security warnings, they are likely to go elsewhere. And if they persist, they are likely to find that your site does not function as well as it should. A poor reputation is very hard to come back from, damaging your business for years.