Protect Your Website with SSL, Malware Scanning, and Backups

Website security is not a single setting or tool. A secure website needs several layers of protection working together.

HTTPS encryption, malware scanning, secure backups, software updates, access controls, and ongoing monitoring each address different risks. If one layer fails, the others can help reduce the potential impact.

For businesses that rely on their websites for customer communication, lead generation, sales, or daily operations, these security measures are particularly important.

1. Protect Website Traffic with HTTPS and SSL/TLS

You will often hear the term SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) when discussing website security. Modern websites actually use TLS (Transport Layer Security), the successor to SSL, but the term “SSL certificate” remains widely used.

When HTTPS is correctly configured, TLS helps encrypt data exchanged between a visitor’s browser and the website. This is particularly important for information such as:

• Login credentials
• Contact form submissions
• Payment information
• Personal information
• Account data

A valid certificate also allows browsers to establish an authenticated HTTPS connection with the website.

For businesses setting up HTTPS, Let’s Encrypt provides free TLS certificates, while tools such as Certbot can automate certificate installation and renewal on supported server environments.

HTTPS Does Not Make a Website Completely Secure

An important distinction is that HTTPS protects data in transit. It does not automatically protect the website from malware, vulnerable plugins, compromised administrator accounts, insecure server configurations, or other attacks.

A website can have a valid HTTPS certificate and still be hacked.

That is why HTTPS should be treated as one layer of a broader security strategy.

2. Run Regular Malware Scans

Website malware can take many forms.

An attacker may insert malicious code into website files, modify legitimate files, create unauthorized administrator accounts, redirect visitors, or use the compromised website for other malicious activity.

Regular malware scanning can help identify suspicious changes or known malicious files.

Depending on the hosting environment, scanning may be performed using:

• Hosting security tools
• Server-level malware scanners
• WordPress security plugins
• Endpoint or infrastructure security platforms
• Managed security services

The frequency of scanning should depend on the website’s risk profile and how frequently its files and applications change.

For example, a business website with frequent administrator activity and multiple integrations may warrant more active monitoring than a rarely updated personal website.

What Should a Malware Scan Look For?

Depending on the security solution, scanning may look for:

• Known malware signatures
• Suspicious files
• Unexpected code changes
• Malicious scripts
• Backdoors
• Suspicious redirects
• Unauthorized modifications

However, malware scanning should not be your only security control. Prevention is equally important.

Keep your CMS, themes, plugins, server software, and other components updated, and remove software that is no longer required.

For WordPress sites, the official WordPress security documentation provides guidance on hardening a WordPress installation.

3. Keep Your Website Software Updated

Outdated software can create security vulnerabilities.

This includes:

• WordPress or another CMS
• Plugins
• Themes
• PHP
• Server software
• Libraries
• Frameworks
• Control-panel software

Updates can contain security fixes as well as performance improvements and compatibility changes.

However, updating everything immediately without preparation can sometimes create compatibility problems.

For important websites, maintain a current backup and test significant updates before applying them to production where practical.

Archer IT Solutions’ Managed IT Services can be relevant for businesses that need ongoing technical assistance with their broader IT environment.

4. Create Reliable Website Backups

Even with strong preventive security, something can still go wrong.

A website could be affected by:

• Malware
• Ransomware
• Server failure
• Human error
• Accidental deletion
• Failed software updates
• Database corruption
• Hosting problems

A backup gives you a way to restore the website rather than rebuilding everything from scratch.

A complete website backup may need to include both:

• Website files
• Database data

For a WordPress website, for example, backing up only the images and theme files would not necessarily provide everything required to restore the complete site.

Archer’s Essential Website Backup Tips provides additional guidance on creating and managing website backups.

5. Follow the 3-2-1 Backup Principle

One useful backup strategy is the 3-2-1 rule:

• Keep at least 3 copies of important data.
• Store them on at least 2 different types of storage or media.
• Keep at least 1 copy off-site.

The exact implementation can vary depending on the business and infrastructure.

The important principle is to avoid having every copy of your backup dependent on the same server.

For example, if your website and all of its backups are stored on the same server and that server fails, you could lose both the website and the backups.

An independent backup location provides another layer of resilience.

6. Protect Your Backups

A backup is only useful if it can be recovered and is protected from unauthorized access.

Consider:

• Restricting access to backup storage
• Encrypting sensitive backup data
• Using separate credentials
• Keeping backup systems separate from production where possible
• Monitoring backup jobs
• Retaining multiple backup versions
• Protecting backups against unauthorized deletion

This is especially important when considering ransomware.

If an attacker gains administrative access to both a website and its backup system, they may be able to compromise or delete the backups as well.

7. Test Your Backups

One of the most overlooked aspects of website backups is restoration testing.

A backup that has never been tested should not automatically be assumed to be reliable.

Periodically verify that you can actually restore:

• Website files
• Databases
• Configuration
• Media
• Required plugins or applications

A useful restoration test can answer questions such as:

• Can the backup be accessed?
• Is the backup complete?
• Can the database be restored?
• Do the website files work after restoration?
• Are important images and uploads present?
• Are configuration settings intact?
• How long does restoration take?

Knowing the recovery process before an emergency occurs can significantly reduce confusion during an actual incident.

8. Secure Website Administrator Accounts

Website security is not only about servers and malware scanners.

Administrator accounts are also important security targets.

Use:

• Strong, unique passwords
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Individual administrator accounts
• The principle of least privilege
• Regular account reviews

Avoid giving administrator privileges to users who do not need them.

When an employee, contractor, or developer no longer needs access, remove or disable the account.

For WordPress websites, the official WordPress documentation on hardening includes recommendations for protecting administrative access.

9. Protect Forms and Customer Data

If your website collects information through contact forms, registration pages, booking forms, or other applications, think about what happens to that data after it is submitted.

Security considerations include:

• HTTPS
• Strong administrator authentication
• Secure storage
• Access restrictions
• Spam protection
• Appropriate data retention
• Secure third-party integrations

Do not collect sensitive information simply because your website can.

Only collect information that is necessary for the service you are providing and handle it according to applicable privacy requirements.

10. Monitor Your Website for Security Problems

Security monitoring can provide another layer of protection.

Useful monitoring activities can include:

• Website availability monitoring
• Malware scanning
• File-change monitoring
• Login monitoring
• Server monitoring
• SSL certificate monitoring
• Security-event logging
• Backup monitoring

Monitoring can help you discover problems sooner rather than relying on customers to report them.

Archer’s server administration guide provides additional information about managing server infrastructure.

11. Keep Your Server Secure

Website security is closely connected to the hosting environment.

Depending on your setup, server security may involve:

• Operating-system updates
• Firewall configuration
• SSH security
• User permissions
• Secure authentication
• Malware protection
• Log monitoring
• Port management
• Backup systems

If your website runs on a VPS or dedicated server, you may have considerably more responsibility for these controls than you would with a fully managed hosting environment.

For businesses that need assistance with broader infrastructure, Archer provides Managed IT Services.

12. Use a Secure Hosting Environment

Your hosting environment is another important part of your website’s security.

When evaluating hosting, consider whether the provider offers:

• HTTPS/SSL support
• Regular backups
• Security monitoring
• Malware scanning
• Server updates
• Firewall protection
• Account isolation where applicable
• Technical support
• Recovery assistance

Do not choose hosting based solely on storage space or price.

The security responsibilities included in the hosting service can be just as important.

Archer IT Solutions provides web hosting services for businesses that need website hosting and related technical support.

You can also review Archer’s complete guide to web hosting to understand the different considerations involved when choosing a hosting environment.

13. What Happens If Your Website Is Infected?

If you suspect that your website has been compromised, avoid simply deleting files at random.

A better approach is to:

1. Identify what happened.
2. Restrict or remove unauthorized access.
3. Preserve relevant logs where possible.
4. Scan the website and server.
5. Identify affected files and accounts.
6. Determine whether credentials need to be changed.
7. Restore from a known-clean backup when appropriate.
8. Update vulnerable software.
9. Review administrator access.
10. Monitor the website after recovery.

The correct response depends on the nature and extent of the compromise.

If the website processes sensitive information or the compromise appears extensive, professional incident-response assistance may be appropriate.

SSL, Malware Scanning, and Backups Work Together

These three controls solve different problems.

None of these should be viewed as a complete security solution on its own.

For example, HTTPS will not restore a deleted website. A backup will not prevent an attacker from exploiting a vulnerable plugin. A malware scanner may detect an infection but cannot replace strong passwords and access controls.

The strongest approach combines multiple layers.

A Practical Website Security Checklist

Use this checklist when reviewing a website’s security:

• HTTPS is enabled and working correctly
• TLS certificate is valid and renewed
• CMS is up to date
• Plugins and themes are updated
• Unused plugins and themes have been removed
• Administrator accounts have been reviewed
• Strong passwords are being used
• MFA is enabled where available
• Regular malware scans are configured
• Website files are backed up
• Database is backed up
• Backups are stored separately from the website
• Backup restoration has been tested
• Server software is updated
• Firewall rules have been reviewed
• Website activity is monitored
• SSL/TLS expiry is monitored
• A recovery procedure exists

How Often Should You Back Up and Scan a Website?

There is no single schedule that is appropriate for every website.

Consider how frequently the website changes and how much data the business could afford to lose.

For example:

• A frequently updated e-commerce website may require frequent backups.
• A business website that changes occasionally may require less frequent scheduled backups.
• A website undergoing major development may need additional backups before significant changes.

Malware scanning frequency should similarly reflect the website’s risk and activity level.

The important point is to establish a consistent, automated process rather than relying on someone to remember to perform backups or scans manually.

Final Thoughts

Website security requires more than installing an SSL certificate.

HTTPS/TLS protects data in transit, malware scanning helps identify malicious activity, and reliable backups provide a way to recover when something goes wrong. These controls become considerably more effective when combined with software updates, strong authentication, access controls, secure hosting, monitoring, and a tested recovery process.

For businesses that rely on their websites, security should be treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time installation.

If you need help with web hosting, website security, backups, server management, or broader IT support, visit Archer IT Solutions or contact Archer IT Solutions.