The internet has made it easy and affordable to connect with your customer base and advertise your small business, but online your construction company could be at risk without a strong website security plan. That’s where SSL encryption can help.
The rising popularity of website building, hosting and management services (like WordPress, Drupal, and Wix) has simplified the process of creating a digital storefront for your construction business. With seemingly unlimited options, many business owners have found it difficult to prioritize their online customers’ security needs.
Why Cyber Criminals Target Small Construction Companies
The truth is, cyber criminals frequently target small construction companies because they seem like easy marks. Many business owners manage their own websites through platforms like WordPress or Drupal, and because the process is streamlined it’s easy to overlook the need for strong website security. In most cases, hackers are looking to exploit the limited technical knowledge of small business owners who use Content Management Systems (CMS) to administer their own websites.
Cyber criminals are hoping to access any data they might be able to use or sell. Their goal is to steal as much sensitive information about your business and customers as possible–everything from phone numbers and addresses to credit card numbers and purchase orders. Knowing how to secure this private information is a major part of running a commercial website.
Without some form of online protection, your website is vulnerable to exploitation and data theft. Large companies have the budget to hire expensive web security firms, but cheaper alternatives like SSL encryption do exist.
Why Construction Companies Need Strong Website Security
When a customer visits your website, information is transferred back-and-forth between their web browser and the server your website is hosted on. This data is transmitted as clear text if you do not have some type of encryption, allowing cyber criminals to easily locate and read any sensitive information they obtain. Hackers are generally targeting two kinds of information: personal data and financial data.
- Financial data: credit card info, banking numbers, and payment ledgers
- Personal data: first and last names, home addresses, emails, and phone numbers
This private information is extremely valuable, and would likely be used to commit identity theft and credit card fraud if stolen. Even small businesses that do not process sales through their website should be concerned, as newsletter services and customer logins gather and store a lot of sensitive information.
Do you have a personalized company email address administered through your website? Cyber criminals also want to compromise the security of your inbox. Without SSL Encryption your contacts, email history and attachments are vulnerable to unauthorized access and theft.
How SSL Encryption Can Secure Your Construction Business Online
The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) prevents unauthorized users from accessing any information traveling between your website and the customer’s web browser. Think of it as a padlock for your personal data. SSL encodes the sensitive information flowing to-and-from your website through a process called encryption. This process scrambles the transmitted info, preventing cyber criminals from easily obtaining and exploiting your website data.
Even if an unauthorized user was able to gain access to sensitive information, they would not be able to read or use any of the stolen data. SSL encryption protects personal info, digital transactions, and even secures sales and marketing data housed on your website’s server.
It’s important to demonstrate that you take your customers’ data privacy seriously. Visitors to your business’s website will feel more secure engaging with your online content and services if you have strong web security. SSL technology can help you protect the integrity of your website and build credibility with online audiences.
How Construction Companies Safeguard Their Websites
The goal of basic website security is to maintain a safe browsing environment for customers that want to learn more about your products or services. When a visitor sees that your website is protected by SSL encryption they are more likely to share their private information.
Purchasing a SSL certificate for your website is the first step to securing your online construction business. However, it’s important to understand that these certificates do expire, and must be updated to prevent a lapse in your web security. Staying up-to-date and managing your security certificates can be confusing if you don’t have much experience running a commercial website, but there are plenty of free online resources that can help you with the process. You’ll know your website is secured if you see the padlock icon in the “https” address bar of the web browser.
Some small construction companies prefer a more hands-off approach to their website’s security. Many business owners partner with website design and hosting firms to supply professional web security without the hassles associated with self-administration. Through our Let’s Encrypt SSL hosting service, Interactive Palette provides our clients with FREE SSL/TLS certificates–spend more time connecting with customers and growing your small construction company online, and let us focus on keeping your website secure.
To learn more about Interactive Palette and how they can help improve your online presences, click here.