Recently, it has been found that Drupal websites of many top companies, are facing security issues due to outdated Drupal installations. In fact, a breach of security due to outdated Drupal modules, has already occurred with the website of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm which was at the centre of the Panama Papers data breach. This naturally raises concerns for Drupal website owners all over the world. Website owners must become alert and aware about the security issues which their sites face and how they can overcome them.
One must-know Drupal security issue is that of the bug Drupalgeddon. The twenty-months old security vulnerability was recently used to inject Drupal websites with ransomware, that blocks access to a web server unless some money is paid in return and SEO spam, that ultimately dwindles your website’s search engine rankings. In order to keep safe from such vulnerabilities, one must keep in mind the following security measures:
1) Keep Drupal Core And Other Modules Updated: Every Drupal version comes up with timely minor updates. If an update is a security release, then you must update your Drupal core as soon as possible. Apart from keeping the Drupal core updated, one must keep the contributed modules updated as well. To keep your Drupal modules updated, you must first check which modules are outdated and see if those requiring an update have any specific constraint or specification. A Drupal developer can help you check these specifications and update a module accordingly.
2) Install Security Specific Modules: There are several modules that can keep a check about your website’s vulnerabilities. For instance, the Coder module checks and fixes your website code and also helps find a SQL injection vulnerability, and the Paranoia module detects areas in the code which can be evaluated by potential hackers and then blocks access to these vulnerable areas. Another great module is the security review module, which performs several security tests, automatically.
3) Choose A Secure Server: Experts recommend that shared hosting is not safe and a secure hosting server is the one that automatically performs security fixes and regular backups. Thus, you must choose a well-known Drupal-specific server for your website.
With rising vulnerabilities in the codes that run the digital world, knowledge about the security issues that major website platforms face and ways to overcome them, can save the day for website owners.
