Having a secure website is important for a variety of reasons. For businesses, it reduces the chances of cyberattacks; for individuals, it offers assurances that their details are protected.
What is a website security scan?
A website security scan is an assessment of a website that looks for potential vulnerabilities, the presence of malware, and a range of other threats. When it comes to conducting a website security scan, the process can vary depending on how the website has been built/which CMS it uses.
For WordPress sites
If, like around 62% of website owners, you use WordPress, you will be aware that it offers many advantages; however, it is also a popular target for cybercriminals/hackers. Luckily, scanning for and addressing vulnerabilities is fairly simple by following these steps:
- Choose a scanner such as Wordfence, WPScan, or Acunetix.
- Install and configure it to scan your site.
- Run the scan.
- Patch the vulnerabilities based on the results.
For Joomla sites
To scan a Joomla-powered website, follow the approach below:
- Identify which version of Joomla you are running.
- Use a scanner such as OpenVAS to check for known vulnerabilities/weaknesses.
- Use a scanner such as JoomlaVS to check whether the website is associated with malware or spam.
- Analyse the scan results and identify any high-risk issues.
- Implement fixes and add MFA, WAFs, and intrusion detection.
Website security professionals
If you feel unsure about carrying out these checks yourself or want a more comprehensive check, specialists such as www.etempa.co.uk/website-security-checks/ offer a variety of options when it comes to website security checks.
For custom-built sites
For custom-built websites, follow the steps below:
- Use a scanning tool such as WhatWeb to gather information on frameworks, programming languages, and versions.
- Use a security scanner such as ZAP, w3af, Skipfish, or Burp Scanner to check for vulnerabilities.
- Manually review the code, server logs, and configuration files to identify vulnerabilities, weak authentication, and misconfigurations.
- Implement fixes and patches as needed.
What vulnerability scanners can and cannot do
A vulnerability scanner is a program that checks software and systems for flaws that an attacker could exploit. It can look through files, folders and websites for weaknesses or exposed information that could be used to break in, so the problems can be dealt with before anyone takes advantage of them.
Many scanners also report which programs are installed and where they sit on the system. That makes it easier to spot software that should not be there or that could be malicious.
Scanning is not a guarantee, though. Not all tools are equally good, and even the best will miss some problems. It is worth choosing scanning software with a strong track record, running it regularly and treating its results as a starting point for fixes rather than proof that everything is secure.