Category: Business

Are you gambling on your data security?

Has your web developer left the back door open?

Your web developer has a responsibility to make sure that you receive the right advice about your data security. To make sure that your business does not inadvertently expose sensitive data. There are tens of thousands of so-called WordPress developers. They most often use WordPress because it is easy to build a site, and crucially you don’t have to know how to code, program or use a database. They just point and click. This is how nearly all WordPress websites are created. This is also where nearly all of the vulnerabilities creep in.

If your directories are not secured, then they will be accessible to anyone, including Google, a Hacker or even a competitor. If Google has not been specifically told not to index information it just sucks it up and makes it available to find in a search.

So is it data security protection ignorance or arrogance?

If you don’t know how WordPress works, under the bonnet, you can’t fix it, so it’s mostly ignorance. But, if you don’t even think it’s a problem, and you’ve never bothered to look into it, then that is perhaps arrogance. In what I do, I come up against the latter all too often. Developers with vulnerable sites are just not interested, they are not taking data security seriously, as I keep finding out. The new GDPR compliance should help, but only if developers take notice.

How do you check your website?

I have put together a handful of tests to help you. They are completely free to use and you’ll find them here: https://formapps.co.uk/wordpress-website-testing/

Or, you can drop me a line and I’ll take a look for you, in confidence of course.

How do you get it fixed?

Fortunately for most websites it’s not a massive job and can be secured fairly quickly, depending of course on the vulnerabilities. But don’t leave it to chance. Get secured now.

Please share this article and help raise awareness of these issues.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you stay safe and secure.

Filed under: Best practice, Business, GDPR, Security