12 Website Security Mistakes to Avoid
Website security remains a challenge for organizations of all sizes, with vulnerabilities potentially leading to breaches and data loss. We asked industry experts to share the most common website security mistake they see website owners make — and their one key recommendation for avoiding this mistake. Discover how to strengthen your website defenses against the increasingly sophisticated threat landscape.
- Deploy a WAF for Perimeter Defense
- Limit Employee Access to Essential Functions
- Secure Marketing Sites Like Core Applications
- Enable DNSSEC to Prevent DNS Attacks
- Enforce Phishing-Resistant Multi-Factor Authentication
- Build Layered Security for All Sites
- Automate Security Hardening Processes
- Establish a Complete Security Lifecycle
- Conduct Routine User Access Audits
- Maintain Security as Ongoing Responsibility
- Implement Role-Based Access Controls
- Change Default Admin Login Paths
Deploy a WAF for Perimeter Defense
As security consultants, we see a lot of different tech stacks with different configurations in different formats of resources/teams/service providers. Here’s our most useful tip or a most common mistake people overlook. The most common mistake is not utilizing a plug-and-play Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the site. Website owners over-invest in plugins or bespoke tweaks while leaving the perimeter open to the real day-to-day problems: bad bots, credential stuffing, DDoS and noisy scans. Plugins for common CMS’s are a problem because they are third party developed and after a while either support drops, freelancer quits and support halts permanently. There are loads of features probably I can’t fit them in this space, but hopefully you got the meaning.
My one recommendation: front your site with a WAF/CDN like Cloudflare or others. It’s quick to deploy (point nameservers, proxy traffic), low-cost (free or Pro is inexpensive), and it does more than web app security: managed rules block common exploits or you define your own if you want granular control, bot controls blunt automated abuse, rate limits protect /login and /api, geo blocks keep out regions you don’t serve, and network-level rules let you whitelist admin access to trusted IPs.
As a bonus, caching and TLS offload usually make the site faster and more resilient without extra headcount. But don’t mistake a WAF for a silver bullet. It’s a shield, not a cure. Your origin still needs secure coding and hygiene: keep the CMS/core/plugins patched, enforce MFA and least privilege on the admin panel, and use parameterized queries and output encoding in custom code. WAF + secure build practices in tandem deliver the best defense: the edge absorbs the noise while your origin remains hardened against anything that gets through. I hope that’s useful.
Harman Singh, Director, Cyphere
Limit Employee Access to Essential Functions
The biggest mistake I see is businesses treating employee access like it’s 1995. They give everyone admin rights and shared passwords, then wonder how ransomware spread through their entire network in minutes. Just last month, we had a medical practice call us after their receptionist’s computer got infected — but the real damage happened because that same login could access patient records, financial systems, and backup servers. One compromised account became a $50,000 recovery nightmare because they never implemented proper access controls.
My key recommendation: implement role-based access control immediately, where employees only get the minimum permissions needed for their actual job. The dental assistant doesn’t need access to payroll systems, and your bookkeeper shouldn’t be able to modify network settings. We’ve seen this simple change stop breaches cold — hackers might get into one account, but they hit a wall when trying to move laterally through your systems. It’s not sexy like AI-powered firewalls, but limiting user privileges prevents more real-world damage than any other single security measure.
Ryan Miller, Managing Partner, Sundance Networks
Secure Marketing Sites Like Core Applications
The most common website security mistake I see is that the marketing side of a company’s web presence is often managed separately from the core product and security processes. For example, I’ve worked on projects where the main application had proper penetration testing, security audits, and hardening measures — but the marketing site was running on WordPress with outdated plugins or weak default settings. This creates a weak entry point for attackers.
My key recommendation is to treat your marketing site with the same security discipline as your core application: keep components updated, enforce secure configurations, and include the site in regular security audits. I have recently noticed a positive trend, as some companies now protect their websites using web application firewalls (WAFs). This is a good step, but of course, it does not replace secure coding practices, regular vulnerability scanning, and ongoing monitoring.
Dzmitry Romanov, Cybersecurity Team Lead, Vention
Enable DNSSEC to Prevent DNS Attacks
One of the most common and costly mistakes website owners make is underestimating the importance of DNS (Domain Name System) security. DNS abuse is growing at an alarming rate. When your domain is compromised, attackers can silently redirect users to fake versions of your site — stealing credentials, spreading malware, or hijacking traffic. The cost of a DNS breach? The 2023 IDC Threat Report shows 90% of organizations suffered DNS attacks, costing $1.1M each. These aren’t edge cases — they’re happening to businesses of every size, every day. ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has established a DNS Abuse Mitigation Program.
We use our Abuse Prevention Program with a multi-level risk detection system, built with machine learning and powered by partnerships with registrars, ICANN best practices, and global law enforcement. We track and mitigate everything from botnet activity to phishing, pharming, and illegal content — before damage is done.
My top recommendation? Enable DNSSEC (short for Domain Name System Security Extensions). DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) authenticate DNS responses and protect against cache poisoning, one of the most common attack vectors. It’s not a silver bullet, but it dramatically improves your resilience against tampering and redirection attacks. Many website owners skip this step because it sounds “technical.” Don’t. If you own a domain, enabling DNSSEC is one of the simplest, most effective things you can do to protect your users and your brand.
Joe Alagna, CSO at it.com Domains, it.com Domains
Enforce Phishing-Resistant Multi-Factor Authentication
My rough estimate is that over 40% of issues we have identified in client security assessments relate to poor login protection (OWASP Top 10 A07: Identification and Authentication Failures). Common findings include absent brute-force throttling, missing or weak authentication, default credentials (e.g., admin/admin, root/root), and unencrypted credential transmission (e.g., over HTTP or in query strings). There isn’t a single recommendation to ensure strong login protection.
If you want one high-impact starting point, enforce phishing-resistant, multi-factor authentication (e.g., passkeys via FIDO2/WebAuthn, biometric authentication) for all interactive logins, prioritizing admins, remote access, and production/SaaS SSO. Here are supporting standards:
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NIST SP 800-63B defines phishing-resistant, multifactor cryptographic authenticators (e.g., FIDO2/WebAuthn) as the high-assurance option.
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Proposed HIPAA updates would make MFA mandatory in most situations.
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PCI DSS 4.0/4.0.1 requires MFA for all access into the cardholder data environment (CDE).
Dmitry Kurskov, Head of Information Security Department and Principal Cybersecurity Architect, ScienceSoft
Build Layered Security for All Sites
I’d say a major danger for growing SMBs is not taking website security seriously. Thinking of your static website as a marketing tool only can invite trouble. It doesn’t matter how small a business is; hackers use automated tools to scour the far reaches of the internet looking for vulnerabilities. The best defense is layered security measures. In particular, firewalls and cybersecurity monitoring (managed SIEM) to quickly spot and respond to threats like malicious software or code being added to your server/site, DDoS attacks, or unusual database activity.
But it also comes back to the basics — like strong passwords and MFA for accounts used to manage websites. Or regularly updating the software used to run your site, especially if you use a common CMS like WordPress that’s a draw for hackers. Web apps are also becoming more common — you might enable online transactions or orders, create customer portals, or members-only areas to share resources. These interactive web apps can create even more potential entry points for cybercriminals. It’s a mistake to not conduct regular web app security testing, which should include expert-led manual penetration testing to uncover risks that automated tools can overlook.
Aimee Simpson, Director, Product Marketing, Huntress
Automate Security Hardening Processes
The most common mistake I see in website security is the most silent: thinking that once you’ve installed some kind of firewall or WAF or endpoint solution, the job is done. Even in name-brand environments I’ve visited where someone “just launched a temporary AWS instance to test something,” the launch settings were left wide open. S3 buckets left with default permissions. Admin dashboards accessible from the internet. Error messages printed the full server version string. I’ve seen it all. The common thread is that there is NO repeatable hardening.
Tools are a set-it-and-forget-it solution to a problem that recurs when you launch new environments or iterations. And if the environment is spun up manually or from a checklist interpreted in someone’s head, you’re bound to get a delicious juicy default you can rely on to get you in. Plus you lose sight of problem sources that are perhaps as dangerous, because you copy your production environment to bake in a change or new feature, and give it to QA to hammer on, but you forget that this environment has the production database credentials. (Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report says 74% of breaches involve some sort of human misstep with credentials, and our own postmortems confirm the pattern.)
The single most important improvement web teams can make is to automate their secure hardening process, and make sure it applies to every environment. We use infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or Ansible to spin up new environments on demand. The policy enforcement is baked into the spinner: least-privilege IAM accounts, default closed ports, the server header trimmed, error documents customized, credentials rotated and environment-specific. We recently launched a new multi-brand B2B product using this process, and our QA tickets for misconfigurations were about 75% fewer than usual. Cross-environment traffic was caught before production. The spinner process can’t “forget” anything, no matter who’s running it. Automate web security, and take luck out of the equation. Anyone who wants to get serious about security, particularly if you have a distributed team or deploy software on the cloud, should approach it “process first, tools second.”
Steve Morris, Founder & CEO, NEWMEDIA.COM
Establish a Complete Security Lifecycle
The most common mistake website owners make is assuming that security ends with launching the site. Leaving outdated plugins, never updated admin passwords, or unpatched CMS versions is equivalent to creating predictable, easily exploitable entry points that attackers actively scan for. Many breaches that we have seen in recent years could have been prevented with basic maintenance and timely patching.
Security is an ongoing process and cannot be treated as a “set and forget” issue. My key recommendation is to establish a security lifecycle. Implement strong authentication, keep every component up to date, schedule regular vulnerability assessments or penetration tests, and protect source code with regular backups. Just like you wouldn’t drive your car for years without oil changes or brake checks, a website requires the same regular care to remain safe and reliable.
Daria Kulikova, Technology & Content Strategy Lead, GitProtect
Conduct Routine User Access Audits
Poor user management and access control, not using two-factor authentication, and sharing accounts are very basic and common missteps. The solution is routine user audits, which anyone can do — no identity management provider required. Then require 2FA and set down a security policy. Take time to educate users about it.
Dan Knauss, Sr. Solution Architect, Multidots
Maintain Security as Ongoing Responsibility
One of the primary issues we encounter is owners thinking security is a once-off project rather than an ongoing duty and responsibility. They go live, they put the SSL on the website, and they feel safe and don’t do anything else. The project goes into autopilot. Many times it is old plugins, weak passwords, or simply not updating things that are the vulnerabilities that the attacker is able to exploit to gain access. In one case, for instance, a client was sitting on dozens of old plugins, and it is those holes that are the weaknesses attackers are able to exploit to gain access. Our research shows that nearly all of the serious threats are avoidable. Things like SQL injection or cross-site scripting are examples of threats that can be avoided. Very few breaches are incidental. Regular updates, continuous backups, secure coding, and many other examples that we mentioned will significantly lessen the likelihood of a serious breach. Security does not have to be complicated; it just has to be regular. When companies do this, they are not only effectively avoiding costly incidents, but they are also showing their customers that safeguarding their data is a priority.
Sergio Oliveira, Director of Development, DesignRush
Implement Role-Based Access Controls
Misconfigured access controls remain a widespread and dangerous security lapse today. Granting excessive permissions exposes sensitive areas to unnecessary internal risk. We frequently discover accounts with admin rights far beyond operational requirements. Such privileges create opportunities for accidental or intentional data misuse quickly. Limiting access to essentials dramatically lowers potential attack surfaces instantly.
Our key recommendation is implementing role-based access with periodic permission reviews. We audit accounts quarterly to ensure correct privilege alignment across teams. Automatic alerts flag unusual activity, prompting immediate investigation and corrective actions. Employees receive training to understand and respect security boundaries consistently. Strong access governance provides lasting protection and operational confidence for businesses.
Marc Bishop, Director, Wytlabs
Change Default Admin Login Paths
Leaving admin logins at default URLs like /wp-admin. It’s an open invite for brute-force attacks. Change your login path, use 2FA, and lock it down. Don’t make it easy for someone to even try.
Travis Schreiber, Director of Operations, Erase Technologies
