Security should be your primary concern while planning your custom CMS development. An off-the-shelf content management system is always more vulnerable than a custom CMS in terms of security issues. In addition, security enhances the brand reputation of a business. As a result, you are on the right track if you have already started building your own CMS with massive customization.
In today’s world, many organizations are adopting state-of-the-art security measures to protect their digital system. So, we have also formulated a few key tactics regarding this.
In this article, you will understand how you can implement the strategies for securing your custom CMS development efficiently.
Infamous Security Threats Responsible for Disrupting the Custom CMS Development
In custom CMS development, you must remember that online hackers are active 24/7 to attack your custom content management system. They have been using different traps to lure innocent developers into their dark webs. As a result, you must first understand how they could harm your system from the digital atmosphere. Below are some common ways they might attack your CMS:
Brute Force Attacks
In custom CMS development, one of the most common threats is Brute Force Attacks, which target CMS user accounts and login pages. Hackers use the ‘hit & trial’ method, generating millions of counterfeit usernames and passwords to exploit system vulnerabilities. This relentless process continues until they gain access. To protect your system, it’s essential to establish strong passwords and implement robust security measures. Additionally, customized brute force attacks like dictionary attacks and credential stuffing are becoming more prevalent, making it crucial to stay vigilant in custom CMS development.
Malware & Ransomware
Malware is another common cyber threat. Attacks can be carried out with this by global hackers who may activate harmful software in secret. This software initiation is done without the actual site owner’s authorization. A malware attack is very significant as it can harm the entire system’s vulnerability within the software framework.
On the other hand, ransomware may be executed by seizing control at the time of a cyber attack and performing the victim’s data encryption. Then the data becomes unreachable for the host and they cannot enable it until a certain ransom is not paid. Here, the ransomware may remove the protected data permanently if the demanded amount is not paid on time.
XSS or Cross-Site Scripting
In custom CMS development, one major threat to be aware of is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. Custom CMS platforms are highly vulnerable to these attacks, which can be extremely harmful. Hackers often target popular websites by injecting malicious pages containing harmful code into the CMS. When users inadvertently click on these pages, the malicious code activates, potentially causing significant damage to your server. To protect your custom CMS development project, implementing robust security measures against XSS attacks is essential.
Attacks by SQL Injection
Sometimes, your custom content management system may face different sophisticated attacks from SQL injections. This attack may come from several SQL queries inside your system. If your system is not protected properly then the SQL injection may change the CMS front end secretly. This is very harmful as it can enable the attackers to inject malicious SQL queries inside the text-accepting spaces where users can get involved directly.
Proven & Best Security Practices for Custom CMS Development
You may have understood the types of security threats you may face when running the custom CMS development process. Now, we are going to describe to you the tactics by which you can safeguard your CMS from potential cyber-attacks:
Occasional Updating
In custom CMS development, regular updates are critical for maintaining a secure and stable environment. While it may seem routine, this task is essential for closing loopholes that could leave your custom CMS vulnerable. We recommend manually updating your CMS rather than relying on auto-updates. Doing so allows you to inspect for potential discrepancies or emerging threats. Before going live, always test updates in a staging environment to ensure smooth performance and uninterrupted user engagement.
Robust User Authentication
Besides regular updating, your custom content management system should maintain a powerful authentication method. This will help you to protect against impending cyber attacks. So, we suggest you activate a multi-factor authentication process for securing your website users and their valuable data. In addition, this will help them with extensive and secure access. Then again, this will remove their susceptibility to various harmful viruses.
Trusted Themes & Plugins
In custom CMS development, choosing the right themes and plugins is crucial for both aesthetics and security. It’s important to stay vigilant and avoid falling for marketing traps that could compromise your project. By selecting trusted plugins and themes from reliable web developers, you not only enhance the functionality and appearance of your CMS but also reduce its vulnerability to security threats.
Regular Backup
Another valuable tactic to secure your custom CMS site is backing up the necessary data regularly. During this backup process, you must be very careful about the significance of your data as not all data are worth backing up for the future. To sort out this aspect, you may initiate various filtering options by which you can identify the most important data easily for storing. With proper data backup, your website will be saved from various cyber attacks and increase the brand reputation of your users. Otherwise, your CMS will be open for hackers to impose various malware and ransomware into your system. Therefore, we suggest you work closely with your hosting provider to keep your site safe and sound from potential menace.
Secured Hosting
In custom CMS development, selecting the right hosting provider is critical for maintaining a secure environment. Your choice should be based on the type of security and stability the hosting server offers for your site. A secure hosting solution can protect your website from malicious threats and viruses, making it harder for outsiders to breach your system. Additionally, a safe and reliable hosting provider will improve your website’s SEO performance, ensuring both security and better search engine rankings.
Evaluate & Monitor Users
Evaluating and monitoring the user behavior will also help your custom CMS to get protected from potential issues. For example, you can implement UAM or User Activity Monitoring to track and identify various changing behaviors of your users in networks, devices, and other IT resources. This is also useful for lessening the threats and mistakes from inside your system. Another important feature is that this tool often uses user credentials for tracking total activities within the business. During the monitoring, admins can review properly and take necessary steps to eradicate problems simultaneously.
Vigorous CMS Activation
Often it turns out to be very complicated for the custom CMS owners to maintain their platform with proper security. Therefore, hardening the custom CMS activation can give you a better and more secure solution. To make your CMS sturdy and efficient, you may follow the below steps:
- Deleting unwanted plugins.
- Developing all files in read-only mode.
- Installing a CMS-compatible firewall.
- Changing login page location.
Regular Auditing of Security
In custom CMS development, regular vulnerability scanning is essential for preventing cybersecurity breaches. These scans help evaluate and identify potential vulnerabilities that could expose your applications, systems, and networks to attacks. By conducting frequent scans, you can uncover and address any security loopholes within your custom CMS, ensuring a secure environment for your website and minimizing the risk of breaches. Regular checks are a crucial aspect of maintaining robust security in custom CMS development.
How does Dhorony Ltd. help You Ensure the Best Security Practices for Custom CMS Development?
At Dhorony Ltd, we have a team of expert and experienced custom CMS development professionals who have been serving our global clients with dedication and sincerity for the past few years. Every member of this team is punctual and respectful to their jobs. You will not feel distant while working with us; you will feel at home. So, take our service and grow your business successfully.
Give us a shout to learn more about our Custom CMS Development Services.
Summary
The importance of security measures must be noticed while establishing a custom content management system. It should be your primary concern as many things depend on it. Moreover, you will get more advantages if you use a custom CMS as off-the-shelf CMSs are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, you should learn the above strategies to make your CMS look more secure and functional. However, we urge you to seek third-party assistance if you need clarification on any step in this process.