Ask the Expert: What Are the Risks of an Unsecured Website?

One of the most significant threats we encounter and strategize to defend against is cybersecurity, especially an unsecured website. The risks associated with an unprotected site can be critical, causing not just financial damage but also irreversible harm to brand reputation and customer trust.

In this blog, you'll learn how to tell if your site is secure, review the consequences, and get tips on securing your website.

How Do You Know if Your Website Is Unsecure?

To determine if your website is unsecure, check the communication protocol it uses. If it's HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) instead of HTTPS (HTTP Secure), then it's not secure. 

The extra 'S' in HTTPS indicates that the website is protected by an SSL certificate. This certificate encrypts data, making it unreadable to anyone except the intended recipient, ensuring safe transmission.

Read more about website security in our blog >>

What Can Happen if Your Website Is Unsecure?

When your website is unsecure, you expose yourself and your users to several hazards, some of which include:

1. Data Breaches

Unsecured websites are frequent targets of data breaches, where hackers steal sensitive user data, such as contact details, Social Security numbers, credit card information, healthcare details, and more. This can result in financial losses and a violation of user privacy.

2. Malware Infections

These viruses can be injected into your website through malicious code, negatively impacting your website's performance and potentially leading to site shutdown or control seizure by hackers.

3. Loss of Trust

User trust is crucial in the online world. Failing to secure your website can harm your credibility, driving potential customers away, especially in the event of a data breach.

4. SEO Ranking Drops

Search engines like Google prioritize secure websites. An unsecured website may rank lower in search results, reducing visibility and click-through rates.

How Do You Secure Your Website?

Understanding the risks of an unsecured website is the first step. The next step involves implementing measures to secure it.

• Purchase an SSL certificate: An SSL certificate encrypts information received and sent from your site, keeping it secure from third parties. Adding SSL to your site also adds the 's' to your HTTP, turning it into HTTPS, indicating to visitors that your site is secured.
• Schedule regular updates: Keep your website platforms and scripts updated to the latest versions. These updates often contain security enhancements that protect you from newer forms of threats.
• Secure forms: If you collect sensitive data from customers, ensure your forms are secure to prevent the information from falling into the wrong hands. 
• Install security plugins: Various security plugins are designed to prevent cyber threats. They provide regular security scans, offer firewall protection, and sometimes even give automated updates and backups.

Kickstarting the process of securing your website may seem daunting, but switching from an HTTP to an HTTPS is the best place to begin. This not only secures transmitted data but also positively contributes to SEO rankings.

Need Assistance with Website Security?

Marketing Essentials can help! We can run a website security audit to evaluate your current site security, address concerns, and identify the next steps to protect your website and customers from data breaches and privacy concerns. Contact us today to schedule your free website security consultation!