Top Tips to Protect PHP Websites

The technology is advancing very rapidly. There is a good chance that one such advancement is going to make humanity amazed as did in the past. It is a fact that these advancements have numerous merits, have made our life easier but they curry some demerits also.

Different content management systems (CMSs) are being used for the development of public platforms which have made them an easy target for cybercriminals. Phishing and hacking are the most common cybercrimes faced by the owners of the websites very frequently.

You can not be safe from cybercrimes unless you have a properly formed defense mechanism against it.

A website can be made very attractive with the help of HTML coding and JavaScript but they can not make the website safe. PHP scripting is used by many popular websites like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.

All the PHP development companies in the world use some security solutions to protect their websites from the attacks of the cybercriminals. Some of the security solutions for PHP  based websites are:

HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) has always been the easiest and reliable way of securing the website. It is a trusted protocol that secures the websites from the attack of the outsiders. Including HTTPS in the domain address add-ons layers of security and keeps it safe from hackers.

It recommended that a PHP website should get a HyperText Transfer Protocol- Strict Transport Security (HTTP-STS) for the websites. HTTP-STS blocks all the vulnerable HTTP requests and blocks it for the complete website, making it even more secure.

Sounds confusing? Hire Dedicated PHP Developer to help make your PHP website more secure through HTTP-STS.Type a message

.PHP Extension

A proper address is while saving the code files in PHP. What is the value of a first name without the last name? So you have to add a .PHP extension. No one can access the website if you get a .PHP extension. So, add a .PHP extension for making the website more secure.

Regular Updates

You must update the website regularly. No need to add more plugins to the website but you should always update the PHP software. The website will be prone to hackers if the PHP software is not updated regularly.

There is a reason why most of the website development companies show importance to the PHP updation. If you have a self-hosting solution, then it is mandatory to update the PHP extension regularly.

Rooting The Document

You should always root the PHP application through var, www or HTML. By rooting the website, you can use it via any browser very safely. If you have developed the website using Laravel or Symfony or any other platform that uses API frameworks, then you have to root it to the public folder. You can hide all the sensitive files using var, www, HTTP or public folder.

Cross-Site Request Forgery

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a type of cybercrime on the websites. If any hacker becomes successful in CSRF then he can access and modify the website without your authentication. You can only undo the changes made after the CSRF attack, by sending an altered link in the HTML tag as the request can not be read under such attacks.

Protection Against Hijacking Session

Session Hijacking is a type of cyber attack through which the hacker can get access to the user Id of the website owners. The hacker gets the approval to access the storage of the $_Session as a report is sent to the hacker from the server. You can be safe from such attacks by adding a $IP=getenv (“remote_addr”) and bind the IP address to be secure from the session attacks.

Cloud Location

It is best for the PHP apps to be stored on a cloud. In general, PHP apps are stored on the PHP servers only, but you can save it on a cloud or any other server that shares hosting. The changes in cyberattacks are reduced as they are protected by SSL.

Storing the PHP apps on the cloud reduces the chances of phishing at any layer. You will need a good Linux operator to create web stacks of LAMP or LEMP.

SQL Injection Invasion

The SQL (Structured Query Language) Injection attacks are also a very common form of cybercrime in PHP scripting as any single query can damage the whole application. You can save your website from such attacks by manipulating the login data of the user as most of the websites can not defend themselves on their own.

Safely Uploading The Files

It is very easy to upload files on the website but it can create a problem sometimes. XSS attacks make the website and the files prone to more cyber attacks. The end-user can access the website without any authentication from the user.

But you can secure the website from such attacks by using a POST request form to validate the command in the tag <FORM>. You, as a developer, can also craft your own rules for validity by making them ultra-secure.

Other Security Tools

You need to check and test the website at regular intervals to maintain its security. You can do so by using the mimic hacking tools on the website and test the security mechanism of the module. You can use the following tools to test the security of the website:

• io- A free online tool to determine the functioning of the website
• NetSparkler- A free online tool to test XSS invasion and SQL working
• OpenVAS- A free online tool to test various security features

Conclusion

There are numerous other ways through which you can secure your website perfectly. All the developers around the globe use different ways to upgrade and modify the PHP based websites. Further advancements are being introduced regularly to improve the security of the websites and apps of all kinds.

It is very important to find the weaknesses and loopholes in the development of the website and work for their treatment. Only a professional developer can edit the website and make it more secure by indulging various security methods.

If you want to get a website developed or get your existing website even more secure then you should contact the professionals at SAG IPL. SAG IPL has decades of Hire experience Web development services.