Website security checklist for small businesses
Twelve practical security measures, from SSL and backups to updates and access control, that prevent the incidents that actually happen.
On this page
Most small business websites are not targeted; they are found by automated scanners looking for known weaknesses. That is good news, because it means routine measures stop almost everything.
The essentials
- An SSL certificate on every page, with HTTP redirecting to HTTPS
- Automatic daily backups stored away from the live server
- A tested restore, because an untested backup is a hope
- Prompt updates for the CMS, plugins and themes
- Strong unique passwords and two-factor authentication
- Individual accounts per person, removed when they leave
- Least-privilege roles rather than admin for everyone
- Resource protection so a neighbouring site cannot affect you
- Hotlink protection to stop others using your bandwidth
- Monitoring so you learn about downtime before customers do
- A documented recovery plan with who calls whom
- Payment handling on PCI DSS compliant infrastructure
Why updates matter more than anything else
The vast majority of compromised sites were running known-vulnerable software with a patch already available. Attackers scan for versions, not for businesses. Keeping current is unglamorous and it is the single highest-return security activity available to you.
Backups: the only real safety net
Everything else reduces the chance of an incident. Backups reduce the cost of one. Keep them off the live server, keep several generations so you can go back past the point of infection, and restore one to a staging site occasionally to prove it works.
What certified hosting adds
Hosting with an ISO 9001 and PCI DSS certified provider means the processes behind your site have been audited, not just described. Every account sits behind resource protection so one compromised neighbour cannot take you down, servers are monitored around the clock, and SSL is included rather than sold as an extra.
Frequently asked questions
No. SSL encrypts data in transit, which stops interception and removes browser warnings, but it does nothing about outdated software, weak passwords or missing backups.
Daily for most business sites, and more often for stores where every hour represents real orders.
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