You make an investment in a website and it truly IS an investment. Most likely, you’ve hired a professional and have put a lot of resources and thought into the design and content of the website. Then along comes the hacker version of the Tasmanian Devil and destroys your hard work. If you have a WordPress-based website there are some 3 simple things that can help protect your site and it starts with BASIC MAINTENANCE.
The Version Mother – Keeping up with those WordPress versions
WordPress is an open source platform that is updated pretty frequently to roll out new features, fix problems and address security issues. In addition to WP, your site also uses a theme and plugins that have updates in versions as well. It’s very important to stay on top of those updates in versions. First, because they address known security weaknesses and second, because if the jump in versions becomes too great, trying to catch up can break your website.
Let Those Passwords Pump YOU Up!
Flex your security muscle by setting STRONG passwords. No recognizable words. Use a random string of letters, numbers and symbols. And, please, for the love of all that is good, DO NOT set “admin” as your username. Also, don’t use the same password for several sites/logins and change the password periodically. Even better, use Two Factor Authentication (2FA). See more about 2FA.
Proactively Scan for Problems
Lots of problems can be bubbling underneath the surface that aren’t showing on your site… yet. Outdated php versions on the server, malware inserted, plugins that have been cited as a security risk are just a few of the issues that can be identified by a scan of your site with a reputatable security plugin. Finding these issues early means you have a better chance of fixing them before they become an insurmountable problem.
Back It Up
Even with the best of intentions and proactive efforts, hackers can still get into your site. Or, you can have a serious conflict between your theme and an updated version of WordPress that wreaks havoc. ALWAYS best to have a backup copy of your entire website stored off-site in case of problems.
Plan Ahead
Staying current with version updates, performing security scans, looking for proactively for problems and running regular backups are all part of a good maintenance program and something strongly recommended and offered by Skipjack Web Services. Talk to us about how we can help protect your website investment!
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