Just about everyone who knows how to use a computer knows what a computer virus is, and that they need to avoid sketchy websites in order to protect themselves. What website owners need to be aware of, however, is that hackers don’t generally put up their own websites to do their dirty work. Why would they go through the trouble of trying to drive traffic to a self-made infected website when it’s so much easier to infect a site that’s already popular? Unfortunately, the fact that this practice is so popular puts a lot of smaller, less-secured websites at risk. It’s estimated that 63% of data breaches involve companies with 100 employees or less.

That’s where HostPapa‘s SiteLock service comes in. SiteLock specializes in guarding websites against the constant threat of attack, and making sure everyone who visits the site knows it’s secure. It also works to prevent sites from being labelled as dangerous. SiteLock’s services can be divided into two major parts: protection and reputation.

When you first purchase SiteLock’s protection services, it will perform what is known as a SiteLock Deep 360 Scan. While other security services may ignore file types less commonly used in attacks, such as image files, this comprehensive scan leaves no stone unturned. Any files that could possibly be used in a security breach, no matter how unlikely, are checked. It also checks your ports–a technical term for the gateways used to transmit data–and makes sure none of them are open when they shouldn’t be.

After this initial scan, your site gets SiteLock’s Security Seal, letting your customers know that your website has met strict security standards and is danger-free. However, the Deep 360 Scan alone is not enough. New security threats are being discovered every day, and in order to maintain SiteLock’s high standards, scans are performed on a daily basis. They won’t all be as in-depth as the initial scan, but they’re enough to keep the hackers at bay.

Besides the obvious goal of keeping your sensitive information secure, SiteLock’s services through HostPapa can also boost customer opinion of your business. The seal on your website tells them you care about their security, as it prevents hackers from using your website to spread viruses. Beyond that, SiteLock monitors major search engines and web browsers to make sure your site isn’t put on their blacklists. If you’ve ever seen an alert pop up, warning you that a link you’ve clicked is unsafe, you know that these blacklists can deal a serious blow to a website’s traffic.

SiteLock also regularly checks spam lists. Websites on these lists will have their emails automatically sent to the spam folder without the recipient’s knowledge. This is usually a good thing, but if your site’s security is compromised, you may soon find your emails in the trash right next to scams and virus emails. Keeping your site clean and reputable helps ensure that your emails are actually being read.

HostPapa‘ SiteLock offers three plans, each for a different set of needs. Its Basic package protects small websites of up to 25 pages, and covers only the most basic content. Essentially, it’s good for view-only websites that don’t accept payments or allow customers to leave comments. The Premium package covers up to 500 pages, and is more suited to sites that collect personal information from customers and allow comments, but still doesn’t cover sites that allow customers to make payments. For that, you’ll need the Enterprise package, which can handle a whopping 2,500 pages. If your site has features such as shopping carts and the ability to save payment information, anything less than the Enterprise package is inadequate.

All things considered, running a website without some form of protection is a lot like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. It may not seem important at first, but if you crash, you’ll wish you hadn’t gone without it.

HostPapa can be found at www.hostpapa.ca