Sites get hacked every day. Security is an important concern for any database-driven website (and that would include any blog). WordPress is no exception. Hackers gonna hack–and they are totally non-discriminate–they will hack any vulnerable website. The good news is that there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk of your site being compromised by hackers.
1. Use a Secure Web Host There are hundreds if not thousands of web hosts to choose from, but you’ll need to do your homework to ensure the host you choose has has a good reputation for strong security. Some very popular web hosts are notorious for security problems, so be careful and do your research. Bluehost, HostGator, and WP Engine are well established companies with a record of strong security and excellent customer service at affordable prices for small business.
2. Keep WordPress Updated WordPress issues updates regularly, especially when a new vulnerability comes up. Just like keeping clean oil in your car to keep it running smoothly, you’ll need to keep WordPress, your themes, and your plugins updated to their latest version to stay safe. Also be sure to delete any plugins and themes you are not using entirely from your blog. You will see messages on your Dashboard notification area that let you know when it is time to update WordPress.
3. Keep Your WordPress Blog Backed Up It is vital to make regular backups of your blog. Something unexpected can happen at any time in the online world, so give yourself the piece of mind of knowing you have a recent backup of your blog just in case. The WordPress BackupBuddy plugin is a powerful backup tool for your blog. Every WordPress blog should have this plugin to keep your site safely backed up and ready to be restored.
4. Don’t use the Admin User Name Last year Tech Crunch reported that hackers had launched an attack against WordPress blogs to find passwords for sites using the Admin username that WordPress sets up by default. It is easy to change your username to something other than Admin by selecting Users and then Your Profile from your WordPress Dashboard to help prevent your blog from being vulnerable to attack. When you are editing your profile, also check to ensure your username is not set to show up for your blog posts, but give yourself a nickname (such as your first name) and select that name to be shown in the byline of all your blog posts.
5. Use Strong Passwords Most people use weak passwords that are easy to remember. This is a HUGE mistake when it comes to keeping your WordPress blog secure. You need a strong password that includes numbers, capitals, and special characters. It should be unique (don’t use it in other places), and at least 12-18 characters long. Use a free password generator such as Last Pass to help you create and store strong passwords. Weak passwords are one of the primary ways hackers are able to take down websites.
6. Limit Login Attempts The WordPress plugin Limit Login Attempts helps prevent brute-force hacker attacks by blocking access to the login page after a specified number of bad login attempts have been made.
7. Malware Scanning – WordFence is a free WordPress plugin that scans WordPress core files, themes and plugins against the WordPress.org versions, allows you to see files that have been changed with the option to repair changed files, and scans for outdated plugins, themes and WordPress versions, and malware. This plugin also includes login security and gives you the option to block ip address from accessing your site, so if you use it, you won’t need to use the Limit Login Attempts plugin mentioned above.
Questions or need help with this? Give me a shout and ask away!
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The post Keeping Your WordPress Blog Safe
7 Essential Steps appeared first on Connect Interactive.