Vulnerability Assessment is related to PCI Scanning in the fact that they both serve basically the same purpose.  They both scan over a subject in order to find any holes in the system that would let any intruders in.  They not only help to find any viruses or bugs you might have in your system now, but their main purpose is to scan your system and find any problem areas and fix them in order to prevent any security issues from happening.

While I was learning about vulnerability assessment I found out how important it is to have something that will find these vulnerabilities for you.   In this day in age it is important to have a third party helping to protect your online business.  There are so many ways to hack into your server and corrupt all that you have worked for and if that isn’t scary enough these hackers are constantly scanning your business looking for holes, and they are constantly finding new ways to get a hold of the sensitive information that is stored on your site.

If you have an online business I would definitely look into getting some type of vulnerability assessment tool such as PCI Scanning to help protect your business.  It would be very beneficial to protect yourself from hackers who are constantly changing their tactics by using a third party who can keep up on the latest things that the hackers are doing and scanning your business in order to prevent any security problems.

Website security is constantly changing and evolving.  Hackers around the world are figuring out a way past your current website security method as we speak and so we are always trying to stay one step ahead of them by finding better website security methods. A security breach is always possible with the way hackers work these days, but you are definitely on the safer side with your business if you are always in the know about the current website security trends.

Because we are always having to improve our website security methods, there are a lot of simple ways to keep up to date on any new trends that may come out.  One of my favorite ways to stay on top of things is to read on social networking sites such as hubpages, squidoo, gather, zimbio, and many others.  Just search for website security and you can read a lot of great new articles on the subject and keep up with any new information out there.

It is so important if you have an online business, not to just get your website security into place, and leave it at that.  You must be vigilant about keeping up to date on all the latest information about website security.  This will keep you, your business, and your customers better protected from hackers and the ongoing battle of website security!

Going with a service such as Hackersafe will provide a great benefit to your business. Not only will you increase your security and have a constant eye on your business looking for any weak spot where a hacker could get through, but you are also protecting your customers as well. It you make it known somewhere on your site that you are protected by a service such as Hackersafe, your customers will feel a lot better about buying from your site and you will see an increase in your conversion rate. Many businesses like Hackersafe even offer a money back guarantee if your conversion rate does not increase.

Although website security services such as Hackersafe are a commitment because of the cost, the pros definitely outweigh the cons and it is definitely worth it and it will make a big difference to your business as well as to your customers. It can be a scary world out there if the right security precautions aren’t taken and the internet is no exception. Using a service such as Hackersafe will take the security for your business to the next level and give your customers a business they can count on!

Anti-virus Software:  This is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Such programs may also prevent and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware. This can be purchased or downloaded via the internet.  Special care should be taken when choosing your anti-virus software, as some programs are not effective as others.

Manage Your Website Over Encrypted Connections: Make it a habit to use proven encrypted protocols like SSH to securely access resources and transmit data. When registering new customers for your site, always use maximum encryption.  You must give your customers a guarantee that you won’t share their data with any third parties.

Verify That Your Website Is  A “Legitimate” Business – Display Trust Marks: Some things that a website should included that show security and trust, are a privacy policy, terms of use, refund policy, testimonials, FAQ/sales support section, digital certificate/data security page, copyright statement on every page, well written “about us” page, and address and phone number contact page.  Also, display trust marks or trust seals on your website showing that the site has been verified by a third party. It is important for your customers to know that your website is legitimate and can be trusted.

Have current vulnerability assessments and PCI scanning performed: You should have your website scanned by an approved scanning vendor at least quarterly, but preferably daily.  This is important to do, so that any vulnerabilities that are found on your website can be corrected quickly and you won’t suffer any security breaches or downtime, which means lost sales.

Be Proactive and Keep Your Website Updated With New and Changing Security Solutions: Even the most well maintained and antivirus solutions packed into a small business website can have a problem or two from time to time.  Protect important information by hosting data backup systems.  Keeping your business website secure requires a certain degree of diligence. You may even want to consider hiring a company to help you.

These are just a few of the most important website security measures to get you started.  There are more you should think about. Some of these tips make seem like commonsense, but you would be surprised at how many small business owners neglect some or all of them, if for no other reason than just because they are so tied up in the other business priorities.  Just remember it is super important.  Hopefully this checklist helps.