Importance of Threats & Vulnerability Management in CMS Web Development
In the early days of the World Wide Web, developers created only static sites using simple and flat HTML text files. As the popularity of the Web grew, new features, such as the ability to add images and upload or download files, were introduced. Every web development company understood that building or maintaining such sites was getting difficult.
To conquer this challenge, developers came up with the idea of a content management system (CMS) that can streamline and automate the entire process. Honestly, threats and vulnerabilities are present in every nook and corner of the internet. Such a growing threat and vulnerability scene requires a web development company to be aware of the security measures that can prevent these. This is where threats & vulnerability management in CMS web development comes into play!
Why We Need Threats & Vulnerability Management
To Secure Sensitive Data
Every content management system is known for containing huge data which are highly sensitive in nature. This may include sensitive data such as customer information, financial data, intellectual property, PII, and HII. Any kind of security breach on any of these data sets will lead to severe consequences for any business. It can also trigger reputational damage, legal liabilities, and extreme financial losses! In order to avoid any of these, implementing strong security measures to safeguard such data should be the priority.
What To Do
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The first thing would be to ensure that all plugins and CMS are up to date every time. The only reason developers keep sharing frequent updates and security patches is to prevent any vulnerabilities in the system. If you fail to update, the system remains exposed to potential risks lurking on the internet.
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Keeping a tab on login security is another major step for every web development company that has reduced threats to CMS platforms. Implement a strong password policy and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance login security. With MFA implementation, users cannot log in with only their password. They must provide additional credentials, such as an OTP, to login to the site. This practice from the top web development company on CMS projects has considerably helped reduce data threats.
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Make sure that the sensitive areas of the CMS are not accessible to everyone. Share access only with the concerned team of your partner web development company or your internal team. Review access regularly to revoke access from those not currently working on the CMS. Broken access control is one of the most popular vulnerability issues faced by CMS platforms as per OWASP Top 10.
To Prevent Unauthorized Access
Every CMS web development company will agree to the fact that restricting unauthorized access is a crucial step in threats & vulnerability management. With unauthorized access, a hacker can cause unwanted modifications, website changes, and even steal all the data. To maintain the high integrity of published content, implementing strict authorization measures is the need of the hour for a CMS web development company.
What To Do
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To prevent unauthorized access it is highly recommended to implement strong passwords. Apply password strength indicator to help users create passwords that are not easy to crack.
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File permissions should be highly secured to prevent unauthorized read, write, or execution actions. An optimized permission setting will help prevent unusual activity on crucial files.
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A secure server environment is a must. Ask your partner web development company about secure marks such as SOC2 or ISO27001.
To Foster Security Audits
Security audits should be a regular practice to ensure smooth functioning and zero vulnerabilities in the CMS. A CMS web developer working on your project will take all the steps needed to keep the site safe from threats. With security audits, you can find out if there are any vulnerabilities in the system that need your attention.
What To Do
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Perform security audits and vulnerability checks regularly to check whether there are any threats or weaknesses. Automated tools can help you with this or you can ask your partner CMS web development company to assist with the same.
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Logging and monitoring functionalities are the need of the hour if you intend to track and analyze the system activities. With this, you will easily understand if there is a threat in the system or any unauthorized access attempt on the CMS site.
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Intrusion Detection and Prevention System or IDPS offers tools that monitor all the suspicious activities on the site and block malicious ones. The best part is that the IDPS tools can respond to security threats in real time, further enhancing your CMS website’s security.
Are CMS Sites More Secure Than The Ones Built From Scratch?
Regardless of the popular opinion, it would be safe to say that CMS sites are at par with a site developed from scratch when it comes to security. Every web development company will suggest a popular CMS that already has popularity globally. This ensures that the CMS already has a robust security structure, which is why the mass adoption of the platform for all content-related sites. On the other hand, if you have a custom website developed by a freelancer, the security part will need more focus as there’s no maintenance coverage by them generally.
However, a CMS can potentially attract more security threats than others. They often are the target for hackers as masses use them, and hence, the chances of finding a vulnerability are higher. Many people who have a CMS website are not familiar with the security updates or patches required to keep their website running smoothly. As a result, their chances of being attacked by threats increase.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is apparent that you just cannot do away with the security aspect of a CMS site. While CMS sites will be targeted by hackers often, it is essential to take the security measures that can prevent such attacks. Be it a CMS web design company or a complete CMS web development company ask them questions about the site’s security in the long run. For many, the cost of maintaining security might seem like an investment with no returns. However, it is essential to note that such an investment holds the key to your business’s success and long run in the future.
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