How ignoring security updates will seriously impact your business.
You might think that once you've had your website built, that's it. Kick back, relax and let the website manage itself. Unfortunately, you're setting yourself up for a rude awakening further down the line.
Whilst many sites may be reasonably secure at the time of their build, that isn't a given in the long run. Security updates on your CMS and server are a big factor in keeping your website secure, customer data safe, and your business compliant with a multitude of important privacy laws.
For that reason, keeping security patches up-to-date is not only important but essential. The legal risks associated with having an insecure website are huge. If you're a business owner, that sounds scary. And so it should be.
Why security updates aren't being done
More often than not, it's ignorance. That's not necessarily the fault of the business owner - but they'll be the one in trouble if something bad happens.
The owner or web developer of your website should have kept you in the loop, either by telling you that there are updates required or, more likely, doing them for you. But many business owners don't have open lines of communication with their web developers - that's a problem.
Some business owners don't understand the risks associated with having your site exposed to threats - or maybe they think, like their websites, they're invulnerable. Unfortunately, that's not true. What's more, your company's approach to data security is often an indicator of a wider issue surrounding compliance that goes far beyond the security architecture on their website.
What this says about your business
To a third party, not taking care of your website probably indicates you're not too bothered with protecting your customer data. That's not a good look.
It also indicates that you don't really care about your online presence, or maybe it's outdated. This is certainly going to give the wrong impression to people who visit your site and are warned by Google it may be unsafe.
All of that trust you've worked hard to build up? Up in smoke. And winning that trust back will be tough!
The bad news for businesses
The risks of not enforcing security updates are plenty. Many people think this is an IT problem, but it's actually a problem around people and processes.
If you've not invested in proper training, you're likely to suffer from a lack of compliance. And as these laws will only ever get tighter your problem is going to get worse. You'll be slipping further and further from being compliant as the months and years pass.
In the US, you can face fines of up to $7.5k per data violation. In the UK, you risk being fined 6% of your global revenue if you're found to be non-compliant with GDPR legislation.
Probably not worth the risk, right? We agree!
How we help
We are most often approached by businesses because they've been let down by their existing developer. Whilst this is disappointing for us to hear, it's no longer surprising.
When the relationship with your developer breaks down, it can cause huge issues for your customers and organisation.
It's really important to stay on top of these updates and work with a reliable company you can trust, who understands the implications of non-compliance and will always ensure you're on the right path.
So - what next?
We foster long-term partnerships with our clients and help them in every corner of their digital security, amongst many other web services. You'll benefit from a team who understand your business and help speed up your digital transformation.
