The Quickest Way to Find the Right (and Safest) CMS

7/12/2019

Content Management System

Before shopping for a content management system (CMS), credit unions need to decide several things: how much of a budget they have allocated, what kinds of functionality are needed, how the system will integrate with their existing third-party tools, whether the CMS comes with support for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and what levels of security it offers against hackers.

The quickest way to rule out the bad-fits and find the this-could-be-a-good-fits amongst CMS options is to create a checklist that tackles the following:

Security

This is so important, it deserves its own section!

Above all else, financial institutions need to ensure the security of their websites, which is one reason why many opt for a closed-source, proprietary CMS as opposed to open-source.

Open-source code’s greatest upside—being open to the public—is also its greatest downside. There are thousands of developers working with open-source CMSs—and many hackers as well. Open-source developers need to constantly stay ahead of cybercriminals when it comes to detecting and fixing flaws in the system, as weak points can be quickly found and spread through word-of-mouth. Outdated plugins and modules are especially vulnerable to malicious activity. According to WordPress security firm WordFence, more than 50 percent of security breaches on WordPress occurred due to a compromised plugin.

Content Management Security

What security factors should a credit union keep an eye on?

Credit unions looking to bring content management in-house should assign a role to familiarize themselves with the system. Additionally, IT should be aware of any new risks a new CMS may present over their previous system. But overall, thanks to increasingly user-friendly CMSs, credit unions of any size can effectively manage their own online content, whether they have a large, specialized marketing department or just a team of one.



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