Summary
43% of cyberattacks target SMBs. This guide shows how to protect your website with SSL/TLS, WAF, OWASP Top 10, and GDPR compliance. Start now – the average cost of a breach is 200,000 EUR in Europe.
- 30,000 websites are hacked daily – 60% of affected SMBs close within 6 months
- A Web Application Firewall (WAF) blocks 70-90% of automated attacks like SQL injection and XSS
- 56% of successful hacks exploit known vulnerabilities for which patches already exist
- GDPR violations can result in fines up to 20 million EUR or 4% of annual turnover
- 2FA for all admin access reduces credential stuffing risk by 99.9%
Cybercrime is the greatest threat to businesses in 2025. 43% of all cyberattacks target small and medium businesses - and 60% of these companies close within 6 months after a successful attack. The average cost of a data breach has risen to 200,000 EUR in Europe. In this guide, we show you step by step how to effectively protect your website.
Current Threat Landscape 2025
Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated. AI-powered attacks, automated exploit kits, and organized cybercrime groups make website security more important than ever. The threat landscape has fundamentally shifted - it is no longer a question of if you will be targeted, but when.
Alarming Statistics 2025:
- 30,000 websites are hacked daily worldwide
- 64% of companies have experienced a cyberattack
- 200,000 EUR average damage per attack in Europe
- 277 days average time to detect a breach
- 95% of attacks exploit human error
- 11 seconds - a ransomware attack happens this often globally
Most Common Attack Vectors
Automated Attacks
Bots scan the internet for known vulnerabilities. Within hours of a vulnerability disclosure, the first attacks begin. No business is too small to be targeted - bots do not discriminate.
Phishing and Social Engineering
Fake emails and websites steal credentials. AI makes these attacks increasingly convincing - deepfake voices and personalized spear-phishing are now common.
Ransomware
Encryption of all data with ransom demands. Average demand: 50,000-500,000 EUR. Many attackers now also threaten to publish stolen data (double extortion).
Supply Chain Attacks
Compromised plugins, themes, or dependencies. One hacked npm package can endanger thousands of sites. The SolarWinds attack showed even enterprises are vulnerable.
Industry-Specific Threats
Different industries face different threats. E-commerce sites are targeted for payment data, healthcare for patient records (worth 10x more than credit cards on dark markets), and professional services for client confidential information.
| Industry | Primary Threat | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Ransomware, Data Theft | 424,000 EUR |
| Financial Services | Credential Theft, Fraud | 359,000 EUR |
| E-Commerce | Payment Skimming, Account Takeover | 256,000 EUR |
| Professional Services | Client Data Theft | 198,000 EUR |
| Manufacturing | IP Theft, Ransomware | 186,000 EUR |
SSL/TLS Encryption: The Foundation
An SSL/TLS certificate encrypts communication between browser and server. Without HTTPS, your website is penalized by Google and marked as "Not Secure" by browsers. This warning immediately destroys user trust.
SSL Certificate Types:
- Let's Encrypt (DV): Free, auto-renewable, sufficient for most websites. Validates domain ownership only.
- Organization Validated (OV): 50-150 EUR/year. Validates your organization exists. Good for business sites.
- Extended Validation (EV): 150-500 EUR/year. Full business verification. Recommended for e-commerce and financial sites.
- Wildcard Certificates: Cover all subdomains (*.yourdomain.com). Useful for complex setups.
Essential SSL Configurations
- Enable HSTS: HTTP Strict Transport Security forces HTTPS for all future connections. Add to preload list for maximum protection.
- Use TLS 1.3: Latest protocol with improved speed and security. Disable TLS 1.0/1.1 completely.
- OCSP Stapling: Speeds up certificate verification by caching OCSP responses on your server.
- CAA Records: DNS records that limit which Certificate Authorities can issue certificates for your domain.
- Certificate Transparency: Ensure your certificates are logged in CT logs for monitoring.
Important: Mixed Content
One HTTP resource on an HTTPS page breaks the secure connection indicator. Audit all images, scripts, fonts, and iframes to ensure they load over HTTPS.
Testing Your SSL Configuration
Use these free tools to verify your SSL setup:
- SSL Labs Server Test: Comprehensive analysis with letter grade (aim for A+)
- Security Headers: Checks HSTS and other security headers
- Mozilla Observatory: Holistic security assessment
Secure Authentication
80% of all data breaches result from weak or stolen passwords. Robust authentication is your first line of defense against unauthorized access.
Password Policy Requirements:
- Minimum 14 characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, special characters
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) mandatory for all admin access
- Password manager for teams (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass)
- No password reuse between services - unique passwords everywhere
- Passkey support where possible (WebAuthn/FIDO2) - passwordless future
- Breach monitoring - check passwords against known breach databases
2FA Options Ranked by Security:
- 1. Hardware Keys (YubiKey, Titan):
Most secure option. Phishing-resistant, cannot be intercepted. Required for high-value accounts.
- 2. Authenticator Apps (TOTP):
Google Authenticator, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator. Good security, widely supported.
- 3. Push Notifications:
Duo, Okta. Convenient but susceptible to push fatigue attacks if users approve without thinking.
- 4. SMS Codes:
Better than nothing but vulnerable to SIM swapping. Use only as fallback.
- 5. Email Codes:
Only acceptable if email itself is protected with strong 2FA. Weakest option.
Admin Access Best Practices
- Principle of Least Privilege: Only grant the minimum access needed for each role
- Separate Admin Accounts: Do not use daily email account for admin access
- IP Whitelisting: Restrict admin access to known IP addresses where possible
- Session Timeouts: Auto-logout after 15-30 minutes of inactivity
- Login Attempt Limits: Lock accounts after 5 failed attempts
Keeping Software Updated
56% of all successful hacks exploit known vulnerabilities for which patches already exist. Regular updates are not optional - they are mandatory for any business that takes security seriously.
WordPress
- Enable automatic core updates
- Minimize plugins - each is an attack surface
- Only use plugins from wordpress.org official repository
- Delete unused plugins completely (not just deactivate)
- Keep themes updated - vulnerabilities in themes are common
- Use a managed WordPress host for automatic security patching
Custom Code (Node.js, PHP, Python)
- Run npm audit / composer audit / pip audit regularly
- Enable Dependabot or Renovate for automatic updates
- Critical security updates within 24 hours
- CI/CD pipeline with automated security tests
- Commit lock files (package-lock.json, composer.lock)
- Pin major versions, auto-update patches
Vulnerability Management Process
Discovery
Subscribe to security advisories. Use automated scanning tools. Monitor CVE databases.
Assessment
Evaluate severity (CVSS score), exploitability, and impact on your specific setup.
Prioritization
Critical (CVSS 9+): 24 hours. High (7-8.9): 1 week. Medium (4-6.9): 30 days.
Remediation
Test in staging, then deploy to production. Document the change.
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF filters malicious traffic before it reaches your website. It blocks 70-90% of all automated attacks, providing a critical security layer between attackers and your application.
What a WAF Protects Against:
SQL Injection
Attackers inject SQL commands through forms to manipulate databases, steal data, or bypass authentication.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Malicious JavaScript is injected to steal user data, session cookies, or redirect users to phishing sites.
DDoS Attacks
Server overload through millions of simultaneous requests. WAFs with rate limiting and bot detection are essential.
Bot Traffic
Automated attacks, content scraping, credential stuffing, inventory hoarding on e-commerce sites.
Remote File Inclusion (RFI)
Attackers inject remote files containing malicious code through vulnerable file include functions.
Zero-Day Protection
Virtual patching provides immediate protection against new vulnerabilities before official patches are available.
Recommended WAF Providers:
| Provider | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Most websites, easy setup, global CDN | Free tier available, Pro from 20 USD/mo |
| Sucuri | WordPress sites, includes malware cleanup | From 199 USD/year |
| AWS WAF | AWS-hosted applications, highly configurable | Pay-per-use |
| Imperva | Enterprise, highly sensitive applications | Custom pricing |
Understanding the OWASP Top 10
The OWASP Top 10 represents the most critical security risks for web applications. Every website owner and developer should understand these risks and protect against them.
OWASP Top 10 (2021 - Current):
- A01: Broken Access Control - Users accessing data they should not. Most common and critical vulnerability.
- A02: Cryptographic Failures - Insufficient encryption, exposed sensitive data, weak algorithms.
- A03: Injection - SQL, NoSQL, OS Command, LDAP injection attacks through untrusted data.
- A04: Insecure Design - Flaws in design and architecture that cannot be fixed by implementation alone.
- A05: Security Misconfiguration - Default credentials, unnecessary features enabled, missing hardening.
- A06: Vulnerable Components - Using components with known vulnerabilities, not updating dependencies.
- A07: Authentication Failures - Weak passwords, missing 2FA, session management issues.
- A08: Software/Data Integrity Failures - Code and data from untrusted sources without verification.
- A09: Security Logging Failures - Insufficient logging, no monitoring, no alerting on attacks.
- A10: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) - Attacker makes server send requests to unintended locations.
Quick Wins Against OWASP Top 10
- Parameterized queries: Prevents all SQL injection attacks
- Content Security Policy: Mitigates XSS attacks
- Proper access controls: Check permissions server-side, not just UI
- Dependency scanning: Automated alerts for vulnerable packages
- Security headers: X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy
GDPR Compliance
Data protection is not optional in Europe. Violations can result in fines of up to 20 million EUR or 4% of annual global turnover - whichever is higher. Beyond fines, breaches damage reputation and customer trust irreparably.
GDPR Compliance Checklist:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all pages (not just checkout)
- Current, comprehensive privacy policy in plain language
- Cookie banner with genuine opt-in (no pre-ticked boxes, no "consent wall")
- Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with all service providers
- No analytics or tracking without explicit consent
- Data deletion concept and documented procedures
- Records of Processing Activities (RoPA)
- Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) where required
- Appointed Data Protection Officer if processing at scale
Warning: Google Analytics
Using Google Analytics without consent is not GDPR-compliant in the EU. Several data protection authorities have issued rulings against it. Privacy-friendly alternatives: Plausible, Fathom, Matomo (self-hosted), or Simple Analytics.
Data Subject Rights
Under GDPR, individuals have specific rights you must support:
- Right to Access: Users can request all data you hold about them
- Right to Rectification: Correction of inaccurate data
- Right to Erasure: "Right to be forgotten" - deletion on request
- Right to Portability: Provide data in machine-readable format
- Right to Object: Opt-out of direct marketing
Incident Response: When It Happens
Early detection is critical. The faster you detect an attack, the less damage it causes. Organizations that detect breaches within 200 days save an average of 1.12 million EUR compared to those taking longer.
Implement Monitoring:
- Uptime Monitoring: Pingdom, UptimeRobot, StatusCake - know immediately when your site goes down
- Security Scanning: Sucuri, Wordfence, Detectify - automated vulnerability detection
- Log Analysis: Centralized logging with alerts for suspicious patterns (failed logins, unusual traffic)
- File Integrity Monitoring: Detect unauthorized file changes - critical for detecting backdoors
- Web Traffic Analysis: Identify unusual patterns like traffic spikes from specific regions
Incident Response Plan:
Detection and Isolation
Take the website offline immediately to prevent further damage. Document the attack indicators. Preserve evidence.
Evidence Preservation
Secure logs, modified files, access records. Create forensic copies before any changes. You may need this for legal proceedings.
Cleanup and Eradication
Remove malware, find and remove backdoors, restore from clean backup. Do not just remove visible malware - attackers often plant multiple access points.
Hardening
Close the vulnerability that was exploited. Change all passwords. Apply all pending updates. Review access controls.
Notification and Documentation
Data breach? GDPR requires notification to supervisory authority within 72 hours. Document everything for compliance and future prevention.
GDPR Breach Notification Requirements:
- 72 hours: Notify supervisory authority if breach poses risk to individuals
- Without undue delay: Notify affected individuals if high risk to their rights
- Documentation: Record all breaches even if not reported, including facts, effects, and actions taken
Complete Security Checklist
- SSL/TLS certificate active with HSTS enabled
- Strong passwords + 2FA for all admin accounts
- All software, plugins, and dependencies updated
- Web Application Firewall (WAF) active and configured
- Automatic daily backups following 3-2-1 rule
- GDPR compliant (privacy policy, cookie consent, DPAs)
- Security headers configured (CSP, X-Frame-Options, etc.)
- Monitoring and incident response plan in place
Frequently Asked Questions: Website Security
How do I know if my website has been hacked?
How much does an SSL certificate cost?
How often should I create backups?
Is WordPress secure?
What is a Content Security Policy (CSP)?
Do I need a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?
What do I need for GDPR compliance?
How do I protect against DDoS attacks?
Sources & References
This article is based on the following verified sources:
Documentation
- 1. OWASP Top 10 Web Application Security Risks External SourceOWASP Foundation • 2023
- 2. GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation External SourceEuropean Union • 2018
- 3. Let's Encrypt - Free SSL Certificates External SourceLet's Encrypt • 2025
- 4. NIST Cybersecurity Framework External SourceNIST • 2025
- 5. Cloudflare Web Application Firewall External SourceCloudflare • 2025
Research
- 1. Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 External SourceIBM Security • 2023
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