The Mandatory Website Security Checklist for Your Business (2025 Edition)

A Practical, Actionable Guide for SMEs in Southeast Asia
Cyber attacks continue to rise in 2025 — and the majority of victims are SMEs, not large enterprises.

Why? Because SME websites are often:

• Poorly maintained
• Using outdated plugins
• Missing basic security controls
• Never scanned for vulnerabilities
• Lacking security reports for tenders or procurement

To help business owners stay ahead, here is the 2025 Website Security Checklist — simple, practical, and actionable even if you’re not technical.

Why This Checklist Matters in 2025
Government agencies, enterprises, and procurement teams increasingly require:

• Vulnerability reports
• CVE summaries
• Basic security controls
• Proper SSL/HTTPS configuration
• Routine monitoring
• Risk documentation

If your website is missing these fundamentals, you are exposed to:

• Data leaks
• Malware injections
• Website defacements
• SEO poisoning
• Tender rejections
• Failed procurement onboarding

This checklist ensures your business is ready — both for security and compliance.

Below are the essential steps every business website must follow.

1. Update Plugins, Frameworks & Dependencies
Outdated components are the #1 cause of website breaches.

This includes:

• WordPress plugins/themes
• Laravel / Node.js / React packages
• PHP / Python / Ruby dependencies
• CMS extensions
• E-commerce add-ons

Action:
Update everything once per month or during each release cycle.

2. Disable Unnecessary Server Ports
Common risky open ports include:

• 22 (SSH)
• 3306 (MySQL)
• 5432 (PostgreSQL)
• 8080 / 8000 (Development servers)

Most attackers begin by scanning for these ports.

Action:
Only allow essential ports (80/443) and close everything else.

3. Use a Valid HTTPS Certificate
HTTPS ensures:

• Encrypted communication
• Protection against injection attacks
• Better search engine trust
• No “Not Secure” warnings

An expired or misconfigured certificate hurts both security and user experience.

Action:
Enable auto-renew and monitor certificates weekly.

4. Run Monthly CVE Scans
New vulnerabilities appear every week.

If you don’t check:

• Outdated components
• Exposed endpoints
• Misconfigurations
• Known CVEs in your tech stack

…your website becomes an easy target.

Action:
Run CVE scans monthly or before tender submissions.

5. Enable a Basic Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF protects your site from:

• SQL injections
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)
• Malicious bots
• Brute-force attacks
• You don’t need an expensive enterprise WAF.

Action:
Use Cloudflare and set Security Level to Medium–High.

6. Configure Automatic Backups
Backups protect your business from:

• Ransomware
• Accidental data deletion
• Server crashes
• Malware damage
• Plugin/theme failures

Action:
Schedule daily incremental backups and weekly full backups.

7. Maintain Routine Security Reports
In 2025, many organizations require:

• Security reports
• Vulnerability summaries
• Risk assessments
• Proof of patching
• Tender-ready documentation

These reports help you:

• Speed up procurement
• Pass enterprise onboarding
• Win government tenders
• Build trust with clients

Action:
Generate monthly security reports automatically.

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