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Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving. It’s important to stay abreast of emerging trends to protect your insurance agency website. A secure website not only protects your customers but also protects your brand. Here are the top six tips to help you keep your insurance website safe.
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Be careful when creating your login credentials
Giving someone access to the backend of your website is a bit like giving someone the key to your business. Be careful when giving someone access and always keep access to the minimum number of people necessary to keep your website up to date. -
Update security patches, limit password attempts, use malware protection software
One of the most proactive ways to keep would-be hackers at bay is to keep all aspects of your website’s code up-to-date. When security patches, plug-ins, or dependency updates are released, install them as soon as possible. Hackers are constantly looking for exploits for popular encryption methods. When an exploit is discovered, it is usually fixed by the code developers as quickly as possible. The sooner you update your code, the sooner you remove a threat accessible to thousands of hackers. And all insurance websites should use a malware detection and prevention solution and limit password attempts. -
Create a “We’ve been hacked” response plan.
Even the best attempts to keep your site from being hacked can fail. It is absolutely imperative to have a response plan in place. Audit logs, backups, and IT support contact information should be included in the response plan. -
Collect detailed activity logs
Make sure you have access to log reports on all backend website functions, to help pinpoint problems when a breach occurs. Every login attempt, page change, code change, and plugin addition should be logged with user timestamps. -
Perform frequent backups and keep a copy of your recent backup data offsite.
Backing up your website should be an integral part of your response plan, and some hosting providers offer daily backup services. How often you need to back up your website will depend on how often you update it. When your insurance agency backs up your site, they save a copy of the backup from your server in easily accessible cloud storage. If your host is hacked and the server contents compromised, you will have an unaltered version archived by the hands of the hackers. -
Train users on how to stay safe
After enabling your cybersecurity plan, educate all users on how to stay safe and prevent attacks. Educate users on how to generate very strong passwords and keeping them secure using a password manager, recognizing email phishing scams, and how to encrypt emails that contain sensitive information. What is a secure password? Today, use at least 10 characters, with alphabetic (including an uppercase), numeric (random not a sequential string), and special characters (exclamation point, etc.) characters. Many website platforms like WordPress will generate and/or measure the strength of your password.
To secure your website, start with the basics above, then determine if you have the experience to continually stay abreast of potential cyberattacks. If not, consider outsourcing this initiative to a competent web hosting and debeleopment company or insurance marketing agency.