Website Security & Maintenance: The Essential Checklist

In the digital age, your website is more than just a window to your business — it’s a mission-critical asset. Having a public-facing site means you are exposed to threats: hackers, bots, vulnerabilities, outages, compliance issues. Without proactive maintenance and security, you risk data loss, reputational damage, downtime and lost revenue. In this post we’ll walk through the essential checklist for website security and maintenance — what you must do, regularly.

1. Keep Software, Plugins & Frameworks Updated

One of the most common breach paths is outdated software. When you allow your CMS, framework, plugins or libraries to go unpatched, you invite attackers. According to web application security guides, “regularly update web servers, libraries, and frameworks to protect against known vulnerabilities” is a core requirement. Legit Security+2SiteGround+2
So, on your checklist:

Monitor for updates for your CMS (WordPress, Drupal, etc), or your custom framework.

Remove unused plugins/modules.

Apply security patches immediately (or schedule maintenance windows).

Keep your PHP version, MySQL version, web server (Apache/Nginx) current.

2. Use SSL/TLS and Strong Encryption

All traffic to your site must be encrypted. Use HTTPS with a valid certificate, ensure HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) is enabled so browsers only connect securely. Wikipedia+2UpGuard+2
Checklist items:

Ensure valid SSL certificate, monitor expiry.

Redirect HTTP to HTTPS.

Enable HSTS header.

Where applicable, encrypt sensitive data at rest (e.g., database backups).

3. Use Strong Access Controls & Authentication

Weak credentials remain one of the easiest ways into a site. Follow best practices: unique strong passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), least privilege access. CISA+2valencesecurity.com+2
Checklist:

Admin accounts with strong passwords + MFA.

Remove default accounts/users.

Limit privileges: e.g., an editor doesn’t need full admin access.

Periodically audit accounts and remove unused ones.

4. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) & Monitor Traffic

A WAF helps block common attack vectors (SQL injection, XSS, etc). Wikipedia+1
Checklist:

Deploy a WAF (cloud or server-based).

Enable logging of HTTP requests and errors.

Setup alerts for unusual activity (high login failures, spikes in traffic, unknown IPs).

Regularly review logs for anomalies.

5. Secure the DNS, Hosting & Backup Strategy

Your website depends on hosting, DNS and backups. If any of these fail or are compromised, your site is at risk. From recent guides: choose a secure DNS provider with DDoS/detection capabilities. SiteGround
Checklist:

Use a reliable hosting provider with security features.

Use a DNS provider that supports security features (DNSSEC, anycast, etc).

Maintain frequent backups (daily/weekly) of both database and file system.

Test your backup restore process — a backup that doesn’t work is no use.

6. Routine Maintenance & Health Monitoring

Just installing security tools is not enough — you must monitor and maintain. This is the “maintenance” part of “security & maintenance”.
Checklist:

Regular health checks (uptime, performance, broken links).

Clean up unused files, plugins, databases.

Validate site speed and performance (slow sites often attract bots or abuse).

Update content and remove stale pages — this also helps SEO.

7. Compliance, Privacy & User-Data-Protection

Even a site that’s technically secure but ignores user-privacy, cookies, accessibility and regulation is at risk. For 2025, website compliance remains a key part. CookieYes
Checklist:

Display a clear privacy policy and cookie banner if required.

Handle user data properly (secure collection, encryption, retention policy).

Ensure your site meets accessibility standards (WCAG) if your audience demands it.

Stay aware of local regulations (e.g., India’s data-privacy laws, GDPR if serving EU users).

8. Develop an Incident-Response Plan

No site is immune to risk forever. Having an incident-response plan means when something goes wrong (breach, defacement, downtime) you act quickly.
Checklist:

Define roles/responsibilities for when an issue arises.

Keep a current contact list (hosting provider, security vendor, domain registrar).

Have backup of logs, evidence gathering process.

Define communication plan for users/customers if data is compromised.

Summary

Website security and maintenance are ongoing. The threat landscape evolves. As one report notes: “AI-driven threat detection… Zero Trust Architecture … must be adopted”. sisainfosec.com+1
Use this checklist as a baseline: stay current, stay cautious, keep your site clean and monitored. Your website may run smoothly today — but tomorrow’s threats are always evolving. Make security & maintenance part of your routine.