Maintaining a WordPress blog is one of the best ways to connect with other people, whether you use it to communicate with people who have similar hobbies or you use it as a way to attract people to your business. However, hosting a blog on your website does present some special security issues you need to be aware of if you want to keep your site and your readers safe. Follow these tips to keep your blog safe from online harm.
Password Creation
One of the first steps you should take when creating your blog is making sure your password is not something that another person can guess easily. Avoid using common passwords like “1234” and “abc123,” as this make it easy for someone to log in to your blog and delete your content or make malicious changes to the site. Use a combination of symbols, numbers, capital letters and lowercase letters to make your password as strong as possible.
Regular Software Updates
If you use blogging software such as WordPress, make sure you download and apply updates regularly, or hire a consultant that will do that for you automatically. When you use outdated versions of a piece of software, your blog is more vulnerable to malicious attacks, viruses and worms. If a security issue exists when a new version of the software is not ready, some software developers will release security patches that can reduce the risk of infection.
Plugin Installation
Plugins help bloggers maintain better control of their blogs and make it less cumbersome to make changes. There are plugins for managing ad placement, optimizing each blog post for search engine placement, getting rid of spam and managing comments. Despite their usefulness, plugins can also be a security risk. Before you download a plugin, make sure you know where it is coming from and who developed it. If the developer does not have a good reputation, avoid downloading the plugin. If you receive any kind of security notification after downloading the plugin, do not install it. Ignoring these warnings increases the risk that you will end up with a virus, worm or other malicious file.
