7 Website Security Risks and How to Fix Them

Your website is often the first point of contact with your customers. While web design and performance matter, website security is a critical foundation that is often overlooked.

As a digital marketing agency, we know that cyberattacks can target any business, large or small. A single vulnerability can lead to serious financial and reputational damage.

We break down what website security really is, why it matters, and how you can take practical steps to protect your online presence.

What is Website Security?

Website security refers to the tools, practices, and protocols used to protect a website from threats like hacking, malware, phishing, and data theft. It’s not just about preventing attacks, it’s about safeguarding your customers’ data, your business continuity, and your brand reputation.

Why is Website Security Important?

Why is Website Security Important?

Website security is about more than just keeping hackers out. It’s about safeguarding the core parts of your business.

While high-profile attacks dominate the headlines, many breaches are caused by simple, avoidable issues like outdated plugins, weak passwords, poor access controls, or inadequate backups. Even major brands are not immune when basic security measures are overlooked.

In 2025, Marks & Spencer experienced a major ransomware attack after hackers exploited a SIM swap on a third-party provider. This allowed them to bypass authentication and access key systems, shutting down the website, online payments, and click-and-collect services for weeks. The incident cost the company an estimated £300 million in lost revenue and caused significant reputational harm.

To help you stay protected, here are some of the most common website security risks and practical steps you can take to prevent them.

1. Outdated Software

Many websites are built on content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Magento. These platforms rely on a combination of core software, themes, and third-party plugins to function, and each component needs regular updates to remain secure.

The issue is that updates are often delayed or ignored entirely, especially when everything appears to be running smoothly. Unfortunately, outdated software is one of the most common ways hackers gain access to a site. Known vulnerabilities in older versions are easy for attackers to scan for and exploit.

Keeping your CMS, plugins, and themes up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your website from being compromised.

2. Missing or Misconfigured SSL Certificates

An SSL certificate encrypts the data exchanged between your website and its visitors, helping protect sensitive information such as login credentials, personal details, and payment data from being intercepted by malicious actors.

Without HTTPS, browsers will label your site as “Not Secure,” which immediately damages trust with visitors and can deter them from engaging or completing transactions. On top of that, search engines like Google factor HTTPS into their ranking algorithms. This means a missing or expired SSL certificate can also harm your SEO and visibility.

3. Weak Passwords and Poor Access Control

Passwords are still one of the most common weak points in website security and one of the easiest to fix. Every access point to your website, whether it is your admin dashboard, cPanel, FTP, or server login, should be protected by strong, unique passwords. Reusing the same credentials or using easy-to-guess passwords significantly increases the risk of a breach.

Access control is just as important. Avoid giving full access to anyone who does not absolutely need it. For example, FTP users should be limited to specific directories rather than the entire server. Similarly, when working with freelancers, developers, or contractors, make sure they only have the permissions necessary for their role. This limits the chance of accidental changes or intentional damage.

Regularly reviewing who has access and revoking outdated accounts is a simple but often-overlooked step in keeping your site secure.

4. Vulnerable Authentication Methods

Passwords alone are often not enough to protect sensitive accounts and systems. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds an essential extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity using a second factor such as a text message code, authentication app, or biometric verification.

This additional step significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access even if a password is compromised through phishing, data breaches, or guesswork. Implementing 2FA for all critical access points, including website admin panels, hosting accounts, and email, is one of the simplest and most effective ways to strengthen your overall security.

5. Lack of Firewalls, Monitoring, and Malware Scanning

A firewall is a crucial line of defence that filters out malicious traffic before it reaches your website. By blocking common threats, a properly configured firewall significantly reduces the chances of a successful breach.

But a firewall alone is not enough. Continuous monitoring is essential to detect suspicious activity as early as possible. Monitoring can be implemented at different levels depending on your infrastructure. For example, at the server level or through security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri if you are using WordPress.

Regular malware scanning complements these measures by identifying any malicious code that might slip through, allowing you to act quickly to contain and resolve issues before they escalate.

6. Inadequate Backup Strategies

No matter how strong your security measures are, there is always a possibility that your website could be compromised. That’s why regular, reliable backups are essential. Backups act as your safety net, allowing you to restore your site quickly and minimise downtime and data loss in the event of an attack or technical failure.

However, not all backup solutions are created equal. Many low-cost hosting plans offer backups with limited retention periods. This can leave you vulnerable if a breach or issue goes unnoticed for longer than that.

It’s critical to choose backup solutions that provide regular rotation schedules and retain copies of your data for extended periods. This ensures that if your site is compromised or data is lost, you can restore it to a point before the incident occurred.

7. Unrestricted File Editing and Server Access

Many content management systems include built-in theme or file editors that allow users to modify critical files directly from the dashboard. While convenient for developers, leaving these editors enabled can pose a serious security risk. If an attacker gains access to your CMS, they could easily modify essential files like .htaccess, inject malicious code, or take control of your site.

To reduce this risk, it’s important to disable file editing within your CMS unless absolutely necessary.

Northern Media’s Website Security Checklist

No website is ever 100% secure, but by taking these steps, you reduce your risk dramatically and put yourself in a much stronger position to recover quickly if something does go wrong.

• Keep your CMS, plugins, and themes fully updated and remove unused or outdated plugins and themes
• Use strong, unique passwords for all access points
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all critical logins
• Limit FTP access to specific folders
• Remove old user accounts and developer access you no longer use
• Use a Firewall to block malicious traffic
• Set up regular malware scanning and real-time monitoring
• Install and configure security plugins
• Run backups regularly, ensure they have a proper rotation schedule and long enough retention and store backups off-site (not just on your hosting server)
• Install a valid SSL certificate and enforce HTTPS across your site
• Disable file editors within your CMS to prevent direct code changes
• Lock down sensitive files like .htaccess and wp-config.php

If you’re looking for a new website and want to discuss your options, we’re always here for a chat! Contact us or call 01924 367 105.