SMALL BUSINESS TIP #2: The First Step in Website Security

Investing just five minutes to read this post about the first step in website security will equip you to protect one of your biggest business investments.

Here’s a helpful analogy…

You hire a contractor to build you a new home.

After paying them a big deposit, the design planning begins. The two of you collaborate on the overall design and layout of your home over the next couple of weeks.

You shop for hours to find every faucet, door handle, knob, and light fixture.

You ponder paint colors for hours.

You choose the surface for every floor.

The contractor works on the project and finally the day that seemed as if it would never arrive is here—your home is complete!

After a final walk-through with your contractor—who you may or may not still like (and vice versa)—you hand him a check for the final payment and wave goodbye as his truck pulls out of your driveway.

You turn around and grab the front door handle…and realization hits.

The front door is locked and you never got your keys.

They were never offered to you and, in your excitement, you forgot to ask for them and now you cannot get inside your brand new home.

If you’re still on good terms with your contractor, this isn’t a big deal. You just make a call and all he’ll be right back to hand over the keys.

But, if you’re not on good terms or your contractor turned out to lack integrity, you’re now in a position of calling a locksmith to let you in and change all of the locks before they’ve ever been used.

Lessons in Website Security

This is clearly an exaggeration, but you get the point.

Your website belongs to YOU. You paid for it and you are entitled to have those “keys” so you can get in easily and get on with business.

First, an upstanding website designer will give you your website “keys” no later than the moment they take your last payment.

Whether or not you can get them to do so after this point wholly depends upon the state of your relationship and their character.

I have heard many stories about websites being held hostage by unscrupulous designers.  

Here are three lessons I want you to learn from this post…

• Lesson #1—If your website “keys” haven’t been provided to you before your final payment, hold tight to your wallet until you have them.
• Lesson #2: There are three website “keys” you must have in your possession:
  • The URL, username and password for the website where you purchased/registered the domain/URL. (GoDaddy.com, Domain.com, Register.com, etc.)
  • The URL, username and password for the company that hosts your website. (GoDaddy, HostGator, etc.)
  • The URL, username and password for your administrator level WordPress account.
• Lesson #3: If someone has “keys” to your website and is making you nervous, change the locks. Immediately.

It is totally up to you who has a second set of keys. I would suggest only professionals in good standing should have that privilege.

RELATED | WordPress Website Security Tips

Now, note the title of this post—this is just the “first” website security step.

There are several more steps you should take to avoid a malicious attack on your website—including the virtual equivalent of deadbolts, alarm systems, and security cameras.

Because WordPress is so popular, it is a prime target by hackers—which means YOUR WEBSITE is a target. You need to make sure it’s locked down, so your investment is protected.

Also, just like your home, your website needs regular maintenance to remain safe and secure. Here are the items that need to be updated on a regular basis.

If you need help getting into your website or installing a security system, contact me. Don’t let this be something you put off until it’s too late!