Protecting DNN website content

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how vital it is to be able to communicate online.

Today's technology has allowed businesses to function by remote working - and broadcast information to target audiences and the public - through a variety of channels. Restrictions on movement and face-to-face contact have reinforced in particular the importance of corporate websites. These are the communication hubs through which companies can showcase their products, services and news updates. Unfortunately, periods of restriction and lockdown have also increased opportunities for cybercrime.

Back in September 2020, Metro reported that the City of London Police, which is responsible for running the national Action Fraud service, said that it had received: "3,916 reports of online incidents during the first month of lockdown alone – the equivalent of £2.9 million in reported losses and an increase of almost 72% compared to the previous month."

Front end security measures

There are actions that go further than the useful advice, such as the use of strong passwords, provided by the Metro article we have referred to. For instance, add some sort of 2-factor authentication value (2FA) to your DNN website to create a second step in the login process, which will offer added protection to data. The 2FA could be Captcha, reCaptcha or Google Authenticator. 

Secondly, it is important to keep your DNN infrastructure up to date. The DNN content management platform is based on a modular structure, with a basis of core modules as part of the DNN framework, to which can be added bespoke modules or off-the-shelf modules from third parties. Over time, modules - from any supplier - can be found to contain vulnerabilities which hackers can exploit. If it is discovered that a module contains an opening through which hackers can gain entry to the backend of a website, the module vendor will usually release a new version of it to plug the vulnerability. Therefore it is vital to keep your DNN modules updated. However, it is important to note that the newest versions of modules often require the latest DNN framework in order to function, which makes it vital to keep the version of DNN on which your website is built, up to date.

DNN version upgrades

In our web page on DNN Upgrades we explain that: "New upgrades of DNN are released on a regular basis by the DNN Corporation. These may be introduced to improve performance, add additional core functionality, take advantage of modern browser behaviour or to patch the older version against unwanted attacks."  

Keeping abreast of these upgrades and getting the maximum value out of them can be difficult and time-consuming. As expert specialists in DNN, DyNNamite an assist businesses in undertaking all the procedures required in an upgrading process. Finally, it is worth remembering that there is a worldwide network of DNN developers and experts that can be accessed through dnncommunity.org. Through this remarkable asset, businesses can obtain advice from DNN developers as well as the news about the latest hacks and sources of vulnerability at any given time. 

Please contact the DyNNamite team at any time to discuss the security of your DNN website, especially as this is a time when it could be at significant risk from cyber-attack.