WordPress security is an often-overlooked necessity for bloggers, even though blog hacking is a surprisingly common event and it is a problem that can affect just about anyone.
Believe it or not, the most important part of blogging with WordPress will be to secure the overall blog and keep out the bad guys. Many people think the chance of a hacker getting into their blog and causing havoc is slim to none. A hacker will not only steal data from your database, but also modify and delete it. The problem isn’t specifically with WordPress – as everyone knows, no software is immune to security problems. However these security problems can be exacerbated when the application is very popular and open-source.
In this article, we’ll show you some useful tips to protect your WordPress-powered blog.
1. Before you download and install WordPress, always make sure you have a reliable hosting company with great support. In the event that your site does get compromised by hackers you need an expert team of technicians who can solve the issue as quickly as possible. More importantly, many good Web Hosting companies will be constantly updating their server software to deter hackers from hacking sites that are hosted by them, so your hosting provider is your first defence against hackers.
2. Keep your WordPress software updated all the time by installing the latest version from the official website. This is important because the developers work to solve security issues for all new versions, and it’s easier for hackers to exploit security vulnerabilities in older versions. The same applies for any themes or plugins you may have installed.
3. As of version 3.0, WordPress gives you the option to easily change the default admin username and password to whatever you like (without having to go into your database – another good reason to update your software if you haven’t already). You must change this username as any hacker worth his salt will first try the default username ‘admin’ that’s automatically defined when you install WordPress for the first time.
4. Regularly check your other web applications. WordPress isn’t the only application hackers can use to get in to your blog. Many blogs also have forum software, helpdesk software and other applications installed. Security holes are regularly discovered in these applications, so hackers can scan your site and find out what other apps you have to see if any of them are old versions with known security problems.
5. Last but not least, keeping regular backup copies of your entire WordPress blog is as important as keeping the site safe from hackers. If the latter fails, at least you still have the clean backup files to revert to – but only if they are up to date. Start a regular back-up routine so you can quickly upload it in case of problems.
As you can see, a few easy steps will protect your WordPress blog. There are many more, so please share any other useful tips in the comments section below.