Cyber security And WordPress – Stay Safe!

Cyber security And WordPress – Stay Safe!

WordPress security is often referred to as “hardening.” Makes sense. After all, the process is like adding reinforcements to your castle. It’s all about bolstering the gates and putting lookouts on every tower. But that term doesn’t always allow you to realize the details that go into improving site security.

Even if you’ve done next to nothing to improve your site’s security, it’s likely that you have at least a cursory familiarity with some popular tactics. It’s also likely you’ve heard of a plugin or two that can get the job done. We’re not going to be talking about those things today, however.

This article is going to focus more directly on why you should secure your WordPress and the ways you can secure your site’s admin, and more specifically than that, the ways that aren’t discussed over and over in every list out there. Because security is seriously important.

Risks of Open-Source Softwares

The security of open source software is a key concern for organizations planning to implement it as part of their software stack, particularly if it will play a major role.

The main concern is that because free and open source software (Foss) is built by communities of developers with the source code publically available, access is also open to hackers and malicious users. As a result, there could be the assumption that Foss is less secure than proprietary applications.

Another concern is that the Foss community might be slower to issue critical software patches as vulnerabilities emerge.

Foss proponents claim these anxieties are unfounded and open source can match shrink-wrapped and proprietary software for security and, in some cases, offer greater security.

 

Cyber-security is an ever present worry.

Cyber security should not be based on fear, but on data and having a measurable effect, according to Dr. Hazem Ali, IT Security Officer at Cisco Inc, CEO of Skytells Inc.

“We should be able to measure the impact of what we do,” he told the 2017 IT Security Interview in Cairo.

WordPress itself is designed to keep your website safe, but there is always more you can do to protect your website.

In an ideal world your WordPress site is already completely secure.  In order for that to be true in, there are a few factors that need to be in place.  First, you must have your WordPress completely updated.  Wordpress is constantly creating updates, bug fixes, and security improvements to protect you.

They won’t work if you don’t have the most up to date version of WP!  Even with a fully updated WordPress site you should keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfectly secured site. If your site is online, there is always a risk.  Most security issues are caused by external factors, such as user inexperience, insecure servers, maintenance from unsecure wifi or compromised computers, and badly coded 3rd-party plugins and themes.

Since most security risks are preventable we wanted to share some tips on how you can reduce your security risk.

  • Secure Hosting – It is incredibly important to host your website on a secure server.  In terms of server security, you get what you pay for.  Avoid discount or “cheap” web hosting such as Shared Hosting, where multiple sites are sharing the same server space.   If your websites is sharing hosting with many other sites, your site will be vulnerable to attacks coming through every site that shares the same server.  Consider Dedicated Hosting for you sites so the security of your website is not dependent on the security of your neighbors.
  • Password Strength – The use of  strong passwords can never be underestimated.  Wordpress sites are designed with a simple way to login. This makes them incredibly user friendly.  Unfortunately, this also leaves them open to blunt attacks where hackers try to break weak passwords.  WP has a feature that will tell you the strength of your password as you create it, so you can be assured of it’s strength.  When choosing a password make sure that it is a random combination of letters and numbers.  The more random you make it, the more secure it will be.  If you think there is any possibility that your password has been compromised, or if you have recently shared your password for any reason, don’t hesitate to create a new one.
  • Plugins – WordPress sites can be greatly improved by the various plugins available to you on the marketplace.  They can provide features and customizations across a broad scope of functions.  The use of plugins is essential and encouraged on WP but for security purposes you need to consider the quality of your plugins.  You can determine the quality of a plugin by considering a few factors.  Are they current with latest version of WordPress? Look for positive ratings and feedback, as well as signs of active support.
  • Continuing Education – If you know what you are doing as opposed to guessing, you will ensure that things are done properly. Educate yourself as much as possible to gain an understanding about how WordPress works, and how it functions.  This is the best way to make sure everything is secure and there are no vulnerabilities in your website.
  • Use a Security Plugin –It might be obvious, but there are plenty of reasons for making the extra effort to protect your clients’ websites. Bulletproof security should be a part of your overall service. After all, your reputation is at stake. And as for your methods, there are two main options:
    1. WordPress Security Plugins — This is an easy strategy to implement, regardless of your level of expertise. Many plugins are ready to protect a website straight out of the box. However, they usually won’t be tailored to a website or server’s unique needs, meaning there might be some work involved.
    2. Manual coding — This is where your knowledge pays off, and you can also bill the extra hours it will take to implement bespoke security. However, you’ll also have to offer ongoing support, which could eat into your available time.

    On the whole, the plugin approach is straightforward, but some clients may be averse to it. In these cases, you’ll want to know what your options are to provide a well-rounded security solution.

Skytells Guard – All in One Security Plugin!

Skytells Guard  WordPress security plugin provides the best protection available for your website. Powered by the constantly updated Threat Defense Feed, Skytells Firewall stops you from getting hacked. Skytells Scanner leverages the same proprietary feed, alerting you quickly in the event your site is compromised. Skytells Guard Live Traffic view gives you real-time visibility into traffic and hack attempts on your website. A deep set of additional tools round out the most comprehensive WordPress security solution available.

Skytells Guard Comes with
  • AI Firewall which protects your WP with HL of Security
  • Advanced Web Scanner – Say goodbye to Web Viruses.
  • Exploits Detector – With ability to fix exploits automatically
  • Security Analyzer to analyze your security and optmize it
  • Brute-Force Protection – which prevents BF Attacks
  • Enterprise Anti-Spam – Say goodbye to spamming
  • Content Protection – No one can copy your content
  • CloudFlare Integration – Syncs all rules with CF
  • And More..

GET Skytells Guard for FREE

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