This goes much deeper than making sure you use a reputable website builder. Blogs and business websites take on many forms and can have so many elements that it’s worth establishing a core set of rules and principles to guide every site, no matter its size, shape, or purpose.

Here are a few tips to do just that and ensure that you’re providing your clients with a sense of security with your business.

1. Start With Client Data

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of data in the modern world. Everything from bank accounts to entertainment experiences revolves around information.

Some of this is basic username and password stuff. The kind of data that provides access to a needed product or service. Other data personalizes experiences, such as user preferences. Data is also used to provide payments, conduct marketing, bolster customer service, and so on.

Regardless of its use, data is important — and customers know it. In fact, McKinsey reported in 2020 that it found that consumers don’t trust businesses to handle their data. The research company added that this isn’t just a negative reality. It’s also an opportunity for brands to take deliberate, positive measures to improve their data security as a way to win over clientele.

There are many ways to do this. Take password and username security as a good example. Simply providing a username and password to access sensitive information is a good start — but it isn’t enough anymore.

Security company Okta recommends using Customer Identity and Access Management solutions as a way to centralize and protect customer data. Customer Identity and Access Management solutions centralize customer information into a central databank. Businesses then use this to verify access to multiple company tools while simultaneously streamlining usability (two factors that are often considered opposites in the data world).

Whether it’s a CIAM platform or some other cutting-edge security measure, it behooves every modern business to start its security efforts by safeguarding its customer’s data.

2. Use the Right Tools

CIAM systems may be excellent tools to create overall data security, but your business’s use of safe and secure software shouldn’t stop there. You should also consider the tools that you’re using for your internal activities.

For instance, if you use a website builder, make sure to find one that offers secure tools and a safe end product. One common security element to look for is an SSL certificate. HubSpot explains that these small data files encrypt the information passed between a web server and a browser.

This makes a customer’s time on your website much safer. It also can give more informed web users a sense of security since they can see that your site is SSL certified through the “s” in the “https://” introduction to a URL.

3. Practice Digital Hygiene (And Get Your Customers in on It)

One of the necessities of cybersecurity is the need for you and your team to protect your modern business’s data and activities throughout your daily work. This is something called digital hygiene. If you’re unable to utilize it, it can undermine even the safest and strongest cybersecurity solutions.

SeaGlass Technology describes digital hygiene as a multi-faceted process that includes cleaning up and maintaining digital assets. The tech firm adds several suggestions for ways to do this over time, including:

• Using strong, unique passwords with at least eight characters that combine numbers, letters, and special characters.
• Cleaning up inboxes, desktops, files, and folder trees to keep information well-organized and at a minimum.
• Using tools like antivirus software, firewalls, and pop-up blockers to reduce threats and guard devices and networks from malware.
• Always updating operating systems with the latest software updates and patches to keep them from becoming weak links in your cybersecurity.

Digital hygiene isn’t just for your internal staff, either. Openly encourage website users to create strong passwords and use your tools in a safe manner. This sends the message that you’re on their team and want them to stay safe when using your products and services.

4. Be Communicative About Security

Don’t keep your cybersecurity measures a secret. There’s no reason to hit customers over the head with your security efforts, but it’s something that you should absolutely communicate to both existing and potential clientele.

For instance, if you use a CIAM solution or a tool that is particularly well-known for its security measures, make that a selling point. Include it in your marketing. Put it in your product descriptions. Let your customers know not just that you want them to be safe but how you’re turning that desire into reality.

From protecting data to using the right tools, practicing digital hygiene, and using healthy communication, there are plenty of ways to let your clients know that you’re invested in their online safety. 28% of business takes place online. Even with brick-and-mortar operations, 76% of consumers check businesses online before visiting in person. It doesn’t matter where you operate or what you do. Modern businesses are tethered to the internet. Make sure your customers feel safe every time they interact with you online.

The post Modern Business Is Tethered to the Internet. Here Are 4 Ways to Keep Your Customers Cyber Safe. appeared first on The Blog Herald.

What does the extra “s” mean?

In simple terms, the extra letter means that the website is encrypted, and your connection is secured. That “s” is SSL or Secure Sockets Layer.

In this article, we’ll talk about SSL and how it can be used to secure your site and its users.

What is an SSL?

As a user, you’ve probably encountered websites where you fill a form and hit submit. But where does all this information go?

When you have users that use and submit sensitive information on your website such as banking details, passwords, address, and contact numbers, security must be your number one priority.

SSL’s job is to safeguard sensitive data between web clients and web servers. Meaning, everything that you input on a website will be transferred over a secure connection to prevent hackers from eavesdropping and looking at sensitive information.

The evolution of the internet involves better protection and security of websites and its users.

But the bad news is that a lot of creative online criminals are also doing their best and lurking around various websites looking for their victims. Not having SSL can make you their target.

Why is SSL important?

Google, the top search engine, encourages website owners to install SSL or HTTPS protocol to ensure that your website is encrypted and safe to access.

SSL ensures that any of the sensitive data of your website’s users are transferred through a secure network.

However, despite the importance of SSL, the implementation of some websites are yet to be adopted.

It could be because of the price or even the process of installation.

Luckily, more and more hosting providers like Bluehost offer free SSL certificates and free installations when you host your website on their platform.

Why should you install SSL?

Having an SSL installed is vital and here are the reasons to convince why your site should have one.

Encryption

The main benefit of installing SSL is encryption.

This means that when you or your users enter information at your site such as username and email address, the data will go to multiple layers before it goes to its intended receiver.

In contrast, having no SSL means that these sensitive data will be sent as plain text and attracts malicious cybercriminals to use for their own accord.

Increase in credibility and customer trust

If you ever come across a warning of “your connection is not private” then that is the exact sample of how an unsecured website loads to their visitors.

If your website is like that, chances are, visitors won’t push through with their visit.

Having SSL is crucial from a customer perspective. They can easily see whether the data they will send is secured.

If they have this peace of mind, they are more likely to do business with you.

SEO benefits

Google gives secure websites a bit of a ranking increase compared to those that don’t have them. This will give you an advantage over your competitors that lacks better security.

Google has also rolled out warnings, and penalties for sites that do not have SSL certificates installed.

So it’s a win-win situation if you install one on your website.

How to install SSL

Installing an SSL certificate is a really simple way to secure your site and your users from hackers.

To install SSL, determine what type of certificate your blog needs.

Most of the time, the standard SSL is enough, but depending on your industry and the number of sites you own, you may want to look for paid SSL certifications and professional installation if you’re not familiar with such.

However, in most circumstances, using a paid Certificate Authority is a lot better especially if you have your own enterprise site or own multiple sites.

Check out these trusted companies that offer SSL to make sure yours won’t fail you and your users.

If you want to install the certificate yourself, you can do so by going to your web host control panel and pasting your certificate.

If your website runs on WordPress, you can also use a plugin like Really Simple SSL to configure your certificate automatically but you should buy your own certificate first for this to work.

Conclusion

Installing SSL is a really simple solution to add a layer of security to your website. So make sure not to overlook the added security you can do to your site and protect your users from being hacked.

Related posts:

How to Build a Popular, Trustworthy Blog

How to Protect Your WordPress Site From Hackers

The post How Does an SSL Work on Your Blog? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Security can be overwhelming. Even a user-friendly content management system (CMS) like WordPress is, when you look under the hood, fairly technically complex (at least for a layperson). At the same time, it’s not something you can afford to ignore,  even if you’re just using WordPress to host a simple digital portfolio.

According to research released by security firm Sucuri, WordPress accounted for nearly 90 percent of hacked CMS sites in 2018.  It’s not that WordPress is itself insecure. It’s a popular target because it’s a popular platform.

And it’s a popular platform because it’s easy to use.

The good news is that just as WordPress is easy to use, it’s also easy to secure.  A lot of WordPress security guides are clearly written by people who work in IT – and they aren’t necessarily written for laypeople. This isn’t that kind of guide.

This is one that won’t make your head spin. Because at the end of the day, securing WordPress doesn’t require extensive expertise in PHP, an understanding of existing vulnerabilities or knowledge of the techniques most commonly used by hackers. It just requires that you take a few simple steps. 

• Change your username. Your username should be both unique and different from your display name. Stay away from the default username assigned by WordPress, as this makes it a lot easier to crack your account.
• Use a strong password (or a password manager).  Per webcomic XKCD, start with at least four random words, completely unrelated to one another. String them together, and add characters, numbers, and symbols as necessary. Alternatively, you could simply use a password manager.
• Limit access. Generally speaking, you should only have one administrator account on your site. Most people don’t need to be able to install new plugins, change your theme, or add new users. 
• Keep things up to date.  The vast majority of attacks are not sophisticated. They exploit existing – and usually patched – vulnerabilities. Simply by updating your WordPress installation and plugins, you can stymie these attacks. 
• Pare down your plugins. Each plugin represents a potential avenue of attack. With that in mind, you should only use the plugins you absolutely need. 
• Only download from reputable sources. When in doubt, only download plugins and themes from WordPress’s official library. If a developer maintains its own website, do a quick Google search before downloading. Make sure they have a good reputation and look at what reviewers say about them. Additionally, if a plugin or theme normally requires a license or subscription, do not download from any sites that claim to offer it for free.  
• Install an anti-spam plugin. Most WordPress installations come with Akismet Anti-spam. Double-check to make sure that you have it in yours, and download it if you don’t. It’ll protect you from spam comments, which can often be a delivery vessel for malware. 
• Install a malware scanner. I recommend Sucuri Scanner. It’s free, and acts as an all-in-one solution that monitors file integrity, scans for malware, and detects failed login attempts.  It also adds a firewall for an additional layer of protection. 
• Install a brute force protection plugin. A plugin like Loginizer or Login LockDown can prevent attackers from trying to break into your WordPress site by guessing your password. 
• Enable SSL.  SSL adds another layer of security to your site, and it’s something I’d strongly recommend. Simply log in to your dashboard, click on Settings, then scroll to your WordPress Address (URL) field. Replace HTTP:// in your address with HTTPS:// then click Save Changes. 
• Secure your own connection.  A lot of people forget that securing their WordPress site means also practicing proper cybersecurity hygiene in their day-to-day. After all, even if you’ve done everything right with your installation, an attacker could potentially gain access through a compromised or unsecured network. With that in mind,  you should – as noted by Blog Herald – enable privacy settings in your browser, using a VPN to encrypt your traffic, and encrypting the data you store on your hard drive.  
• Safeguard your systems.  Just as a compromised network can provide an access point, so too can a computer or smartphone that’s been hacked. Pay attention to the software you download and avoid unsecured Wifi whenever possible.  Use security software as well, like Trend Micro, Kaspersky, or Sucuri. 

Securing your WordPress site doesn’t need to be some herculean effort that leaves you with a splitting headache. As I’ve shown above, it’s as simple as installing the correct plugins and practicing a bit of common sense. Follow the advice here, and you’re already more secure than most WordPress sites, and that much safer from cybercriminals. 

About the Author: Terry Cane is the COO at SEOHost.net, a reliable and supportive SEO hosting partner.

The post How to Protect Your WordPress Site From Hackers appeared first on The Blog Herald.

It also can’t be helped that the latest in data-mining and user-behavior technology collects information. Such information includes their name, email address, social media and online footprint, comments, and reader actions. Your blog privacy policy can help them understand why this may be necessary for your website’s growth or their benefit even.

Of course, all those are within laws and international regulations– all of which your blog should observe. Not all of your readers and users know of this which is why it’s crucial to inform them using your blog privacy policy. Think of it as a sure way for your readers to trust you while also keeping your blog or business insulated from copyright lawsuits. Here’s a list of what you should include.

Simple English

First thing’s first, communication is key to making your audience understand what they’re getting themselves into. That is, of course, whenever they choose to go to your website. Also, you’ll have to make sure that everything in your privacy policy is written in plain English; do minimize the use of idioms and forget about ambiguous terms.

You might even want to ask a lawyer for help when writing such a document. This can ensure as little misinterpretation on the readers’ part as possible. Do tone down the legal jargon though as that can be intimidating for a lot of readers. You still want to keep it friendly to earn the trust of your audience while informing them of how your website operates.

Information collection

Now that making your blog privacy policy readable is out of the way, you can focus on the important technical bits. The primary part of that is what kind of information your website collects from the users. Does your website collect their names, addresses, or other contact or financial details? Make sure to be clear about those, particularly if said information is sensitive.

Explicitly tell your audience of this practice and maybe even explain to them why this needs to be done. Surely enough, there will be some who you’ll turn off and away because of this but it’s a lot better than lying to them. In any case, the purpose of telling them this information is transparency and trust.

Information use

It’s not enough for your users to know what information from them you’re collecting; you also have to clearly tell them what you’re using the information for. If you’re actually sharing their information with a third-party or another business or website, then that’s all the more reason to keep them updated.

After all, it’s their information your using and the fact that they agreed to it means their privacy is in your hands. More often than not, the website or sometimes even Google will use their information for algorithm adjustments. This is to personalize recommendations among other things. Your audience should be aware of this, more so if you run an eCommerce blog or website.

Relevant Laws you abide by

If your website or the area it’s available on has a specific policy or law that you’re complying with, it’s also fair to inform your website users about it. It helps whenever some users find something different on your website whenever they’re changing areas; it will certainly clear up confusion why some content might be restricted in certain countries.

Such laws exist commonly in different states in the US for example. Therefore it’s also safe to assume that each country has a different internet privacy law. Informing your users of this is a welcome courtesy especially if you’re running an international blog or website.

RELATED: Your Email, Your Privacy and Your Blog

Cookies

You’ll eventually run by cookies in your blogging career sooner or later– unless you already have. By which case, you should also be using a separate privacy policy for cookies that asks for the users’ permission to collect their cookies. That’s because cookies are a whole different breed of information that better maps user behavior and preference.

As such, how some third-party services use them can be a privacy risk, something even Google is all too familiar with. Anyway, you might have already come across websites using such methods; some even ask if you’re alright with their cookie collection the moment you punch in their URL. If you’r using services like AdSense or AdWords, as well as other similar ones from Google, then it’s mandatory you include this in your blog privacy policy.

Partnership with other websites/ads

It’s not just your partnership with Google that you have to announce to your users but also with other websites as well. Be it your business’ sister blogs or having links that promote other websites’ products or content. Your users or audience has every right to know whom you’re conducting business with.

A quick and decisive clause in your main blog privacy policy or even disclaimer page should do the trick. If the partnership is a little to complex for a clause, then make sure to allot a whole sub-section for it. Not doing so would be shady and is generally considered a bad practice.

Effective date

If it’s your first time introducing a blog privacy policy, then you owe it to your users to inform them of when it will take effect. A simple phrase mentioning when’s the effective date of the privacy policy will do wonders for the legality of your blog.

Then again, you can also add that your privacy policy will take effect sometime in the future if you want a test run first. Regardless, including the date of implementation is a requirement you don’t want to miss unless you want your users to call you out.

Updates and changes

When all has been said and done, your blog is yours alone. That means you can do what you want with it as long as it falls within the law. By that we mean you can include a form of disclaimer on your blog privacy policy regarding updates and changes.

You do have to make it crystal clear which is subject to change or not. Additionally, any changes made effective also have to have their own date of implementation so as to avoid confusion. On a final note, some users might want to opt-out of their agreement with your privacy policy, if mostly about reciprocating trust.

RELATED: Blogging for Dummies in 2019: The Only Cheat Sheet You Need

The post 8 Things To Include In Your Blog Privacy Policy appeared first on The Blog Herald.

It may not be as simple as say, cleaning a malware on your computer, but it has to be done– urgently. If left unchecked, a WordPress malware infection might wedge its way into other aspects of your online operation.

Make sure to follow these steps in order to make your website clean and good as new again once your security plugins start informing you of a problem they can no longer fix.

1. Check your computer first

You can skip this step or lower its priority on this list but it’s hard to take chances. Even if you clean your website of any WordPress malware infection but the source still remains on your computer, then it’s back to square one with you.

So fire up that antivirus and scan your computer. Sometimes you might need something stronger than a simple mainstream antivirus such as Malwarebytes. For a competitive sweep of your computer especially those using Windows, this malware removal Reddit thread has helped many people.

2. Backup your site

Now, on to your website. The first thing you’ll want to do for it is to back up the site files and database. A WordPress backup plugin should do the trick, you’ll also want a separate backup of the database using this method. If your web host’s site has a snapshot feature, then use that since it makes backing up more comprehensive.

If you don’t have those or can’t log in because of a dirty hack, then the web host’s File Manager can help you get a zip file of your wp-content folder which you can then download. It’s really important, however, that you are able to log back in as an admin for the backup, so as much as possible try persistently by following these steps to be able to log in.

3. Download and check the backup

Now that the daunting task of backup up your website is done, you’re now ready to assess the damage of the WordPress malware infection. Download the backup to your computer. First, you’ll want to compare the WordPress core files of your backup to the actual WordPress core files of a fresh download from WordPress.org. They should have the same contents.

Another folder you should keep tabs on is the wp-content folder; it should at least have three folders named themes, uploads, and plugins. If so, then the backup was a success. Additionally, you should also have an SQL file that is an export of your database and the wp-config.php file (the most important part of the backup).

4. Purge the directory folder

Now comes the cleaning part. Go back to the website files and locate the public_html folder (or the directory where you installed your WordPress website) in your site and open the public_html folder. Then, select everything except the cgi-bin folder or other server-related folders that are clean (you’ll know them when you see them) and delete them.

Your web host’s file manager can easily do this. Make sure not to omit the invisible files in the deletion process. The problem is if you have multiple websites, some of the infection might extend to them. If you suspect so, then do the same steps (2, 3, and 4) for them; back them up and then purge them.

RELATED: Google Delivers 2% of World’s Malware

5. Reinstall WordPress

After you’ve hopefully cleared the WordPress malware infection from the directory, you can now begin the repair process for your WordPress website. Simply use your web host’s control panel to reinstall WordPress in the public_html directory (assuming that’s the directory you’ve cleaned).

Once the installation is done, you’ll have to copy and paste the contents of the wp-config.php file in your backup to the wp-config.php file of the fresh WordPress installation. This will connect your new installation to the old database. You can just upload the backup wp-config.php file of the backup to replace the new one but there’s a chance it might not be clean so we don’t recommend that.

6. Change Passwords

Now that you can log in again, reset all the users and passwords of your website. If you see any users you don’t recognize or are suspicious, then the chances are, the WordPress malware infection compromised your database. you’ll certainly need a WordPress developer’s help to undo this as they can easily replace your database files and ensure no harmful unwanted codes are left behind.

However, if the damage is not that great after you’ve reset the users and passwords, then just proceed to Settings then Permalinks then click on Save Changes. On a final note, make sure to also reset all FTP and hosting account passwords too.

7. Reinstall add-ons

Now that your website and URL is operational again, it’s time to add back the themes and plugins. Install them from the WordPress repository as a fresh install. Avoid old plugins and themes especially those that are no longer maintained by their developers.

Do not upload your old plugins or themes from the backup as they might have been touched by the WordPress malware infection.

8. Surgically upload your images back

As for your old images files, it can get rather tricky. If there’s no other clean place where you can get them from, then you’ll have to check each and every one of their year/month folders them to see if they’re infected before you upload them back into your clean WordPress installation. Make sure to show the hidden files too.

One way to check if these year/month folders are infected is if they have anything else other than image format files. Any other kind of file could mean that the images inside the folder have been compromised or they need thorough cleansing. For the clean folders, you can safely upload them to the server.

9. Run your security plugins

When it comes to cleaning viruses or a WordPress malware infection, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So even if you’re sure that your fresh installation is pristine you might want to go the extra mile and sun your security plugins once more to scan the whole site.

There’s a plethora of them to choose from (though you might want to ditch the plugin which the malware managed to outsmart). At least the next time a WordPress malware infection happens, you’ll be more confident.

RELATED: Best Practices for Blogging Securely

The post Cleaning A WordPress Malware Infection For Dummies appeared first on The Blog Herald.

But creating high-quality content isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. As a business, you need to be able to create content that your target audiences love reading. No matter how well-researched your blogpost is, if you haven’t written it in accordance with the tastes and preferences of your audience, then it’s redundant.

In most cases, the website happens to be the first point of contact between the consumer and the company. In order to ensure that the website is being updated regularly and that the content being posted is fresh and unique. No matter how well-planned your B2B Content Marketing Strategy is, if the content posted isn’t fresh and attractive, you won’t be able to stoke the flames of desire in the minds of your target audience.

Optimizing the content pieces published on your website just isn’t enough to gain traction. Your blog and website are likely to contain a few static pages. No matter how actively you update your website, static pages are just bound to be there. Such pages can end up creating a spoilsport because the content on these pages isn’t updated regularly. Static pages are bland and make user engagement difficult.

A potential client won’t read a single piece of content over and over again. You need to update the pages frequently if you want to sound relevant.

Here are a few options that will help you make the audit process  faster and convenient.

Mobile optimization can help

It goes pretty much without saying that if a website isn’t optimized for mobile, then it will find it extremely hard to make its presence felt. User experience and User Interface two major aspects of mobile optimization.

If a user opens your website on his mobile device and does not find the interface user-friendly, then he is likely to switch over to other similar websites. It is as simple as that.

Also, it certainly will be no hyperbole to state that your consumer wants everything in the blink of an eye. Nobody wants to wait. Waiting for a website to load is considered ‘a curse.’ Reports claim that more than 50% of the users accessing websites on their mobile devices expect the website to load in as few as a couple of seconds.

Adding the relevant CTAs

This one’s obvious. CTA happens to be the lifeline of any given B2B lead-generation campaign.

It certainly won’t be wrong to compare it to parenting. If you want your nasty little child to clean up his room before going outdoors, then you’ll have to ‘instruct’ them to do so. Similarly, you need to ‘instruct’ the user to download your ebook by signing in using his/her email address.

An ideal CTA provides

• Adequate visibility: A user-friendly UI and a visually-appealing look and feel combine together to make the ideal CTA. Use a combination of colours to make it look appealing. Also, keep the buttons bigger than the font.  
• Takes care of the specifics: A simple ‘click here’ button doesn’t catch the user’s attention anymore. Try writing something interesting. Something that ends up catching the viewer’s attention.
• Builds an imagery: Lead the user to the CTA. You can add a few arrows that lead the user to the download button.

Well, you cannot have all of these features on a webpage or a social media handle, but while designing your website, you get adequate creative freedom.

Conclusion

Developing efficient B2B lead-generation strategies isn’t all that difficult. All you need is a set of easy-to-use online resources at your disposal. The best B2B lead generation tactics are those which end up ‘pulling’ the users. These strategies don’t just provide you with leads but quality leads.

The post Why conducting a website audit is important appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Choosing the right hosting service for a website is crucial. It guarantees much better website performance overall, which can help increase page traffic and visitor retention. But with everything you need to know about web hosting, it can be difficult to make a decision. Below, online business owners can learn how to choose the best WordPress hosting service for your website to ensure the best possible website performance. These are the tools and features all the best hosting services will offer users.

Data Transfers

Find the hosting solutions that offer unlimited data transfers to users. As an online business, data should always be of utmost concern, even if you are more focused on finding the most inexpensive web hosting solutions. If business data transfers are unlimited, the business can better conduct operations unencumbered. However, you should ask the hosting company if they limit your data transfer over a certain amount. As long as you have enough bandwidth, your site will be able to function reliably. Ultimately, those operational efficiencies will benefit website visitors with a better user experience. That is why you need to look for unlimited data transfer capabilities when trying to choose the best WordPress hosting service for your website.

Customer Support

User support features are another thing to consider when finding the best hosting solution for your website. During those difficult times for website traffic, the last thing you want is to have no lifeline to reach out to. The top blog hosting services for WordPress websites will include support hotlines and chat features 24/7. Since you can fix an error quickly with the help of an expert, this will help a WordPress website running smoothly all the time. Page visitors will appreciate the consistently high-quality performance of the website. Customer support is one of the most crucial determinations that separates top hosting services from the very best hosting solutions for all WordPress websites.

Security Tools

Cyber security features are one of the most important determinations to look for in potential hosting services, especially if you do not have tech insurance. Modern online businesses must always look for business technology solutions that offer high quality cyber security protections. Otherwise, a business could be putting itself and its customers and risk. WordPress websites will not be left vulnerable to potential cyber threats when they utilize the right hosting solutions. Specifically, WordPress hosting plans have additional security measures to protect against common vulnerabilities. That means website performance will never be interrupted due to a cyber data breach. Protect your WordPress website security by finding hosting services with the best cyber security features for the platform.

Storage Capabilities

Web hosting storage capabilities are also a crucial determinant when learning how to choose the best WordPress hosting service for your website. In order to conduct online business operations, a website requires a ton of available storage. Whether you have user data, images or videos, the hosting environment should give you enough space to store all of your important media. Otherwise, you could find yourself hitting the limits on disk space and having to upgrade to a more expensive plan. Keep websites operating at top speeds by finding the WordPress hosting solutions with unlimited storage capacities.

Uptime Guarantee

Consider what kind of uptime guarantees all the top hosting companies offer before making your decision. To find a host for your WordPress website business, you need to look for 99.9% uptime guarantees. You might even find some guarantees as high as 99.99% uptime. This will ensure that your online business never loses out on profits because of untimely website maintenance. Only the very best WordPress hosting services offer 99.9% uptime guarantees. This guarantee results to very little or no downtime throughout the course of a month. Be sure to find a WordPress host with a strong uptime record.

All online business owners should be concerned with finding the best hosting solutions for their websites as an integral part of their IT strategy. But, there are certain things that you need to know to learn how to choose the best WordPress hosting service for your website. Consider the features and tools detailed above on your search for the top hosting services for WordPress websites. By looking for WordPress website hosting services with unlimited data transfers and storage capabilities, you will have the basics. Plus, if you have a 24/7 customer support team, robust cyber security and 100% uptime guarantee, you are sure to find the best hosting for WordPress websites.

The post How To Choose The Best Hosting Service For A WordPress Website appeared first on The Blog Herald.

While there has not been a decrease in the incidences of cybersecurity in recent years, there have been many successes in the area of combating web insecurity. In recent years, efforts by multiple stakeholders in the IT industry have resulted in great strides. So, how do you secure yourself in this unpredictable time? Here are some of the cybersecurity tips you can use to keep the hackers away.

Using Encryption Services

Encoding and decoding information has remained to be one of the best ways of limiting access to information. Hackers often target information networks in order to get access to useful information which they then use to carry out attacks. Encryption ensures that your data is safe even at the wrong hands. Encrypting every kind of data you send removes the possibility of tampering by third-parties. There are numerous encryption services available which use unique encryption methods. Using applications that have inbuilt encryption would also be a better option whenever you do not have an encryption service.

Keep Your Privacy Settings On

You also need to ensure that your privacy settings are on at all times. This is the only sure way of keeping unwanted attention away. When using public platforms to communicate, you should ensure that the information visible is minimal. Social media pages are often major targets for hackers and other kinds of attackers seeking to steal information. The kind of information you share can also determine how safe you are from scammers. Emails, phone numbers, and other direct messaging contacts should only be privately visible to a few individuals whom you trust.

Use A VPN

It is also important to keep your connection private. Privacy is indeed the major issue when it comes to staying safe online. VPNs are the most credible means of ensuring that your information and network is private. Most public networks are accessible by all kinds of parties and there is no protection in place. Your data is thus constantly exposed to other people who might be using the public network. With a VPN though, you get to enjoy a private connection which is not shared by any other party. Some of the best VPN providers in the market are fantastic when it comes to ensuring your security. Some of the best VPN providers in the market are fantastic when it comes to ensuring your security.

Use Tough Passwords

Passwords that are tough to figure out are the best when it comes to protecting your data. One of the most common methods that hackers use is to try to crack your password based on a little information that you have shared on the web. If your password is simple to guess, your accounts might be compromised resulting in the loss of data and other valuables. A strong password that can withstand hacking attempts should include:

• A mix of alphabetical and numerical characters

• A few special characters or symbols
• At least 8 characters in total

Update Your Programs

Finally, it is important to keep your programs updated. Antivirus programs, computer software, tools, and other applications should always be updated to the latest versions. If possible, you should opt for automatic updates whenever possible. Antivirus program updates come with new threat detection methods. Updated computer software programs and applications, on the other hand, come with the latest patches and fixes. Malware and other hacking tools thus have no chance with devices that have the latest programs and software.

The post How to Secure Your Internet from Hackers in 5 Easy Tips appeared first on The Blog Herald.

A content delivery network (CDN) is another important tool that can improve how your site visitors access your content in a quick and secure way.

Contrary to popular belief, setting up a CDN for your site is actually quite easy. This post will walk you through exactly how to do it using Incapsula CDN.

But first:

What is a CDN?

A CDN is a service designed to shorten the distance between site visitors and your website server by storing cached versions of your content at different points of presence (PoPs).

CDNs have servers set up around the world that store your site content so that people in different locations can access it quickly. For example, if you have a US-based website that receives a lot of traffic from people in Europe, you can use a CDN to deliver your site content from a local European server, instead of forcing visitors to wait for content to cross the Atlantic.

What are the benefits of using a CDN?

CDNs are a great tool when you run a website whose users are based around the world. But they actually have a lot of benefits for different kinds of web properties. CDNs can help:

Improve page speed

Delivering content from closeby servers improves website loading times. Research has shown that even a second-long delay can reduce conversions by 7%, page views by 11%, and customer satisfaction by 16%.

Reduce bandwidth consumption

By caching your site content, CDN can reduce the amount of bandwidth needed by the origin server, reducing consumption and costs for website owners.

Handle high traffic loads

You already know an influx of traffic can temporarily break your site. When you use a CDN, it gives your site the flexibility to handle more traffic. Delivering cached versions also gives you some forgiveness when you face hardware failure.

Improve website security

Depending on the CDN you use, it can also provide features that improve your website security, such as DDoS migration and security certificates.

Whether you realize it or not, you interact with CDNs whenever you surf the web. They’re a worthwhile tool for just about anyone trying to build an audience or business from their website online.

How to implement a CDN on your website

While there are some free CDNs available, most are actually freemium services and won’t deliver the features you actually need from a CDN unless you pay.

This walkthrough shows you how to sign up for the “Pro” version of Incapsula CDN at $59/month. It starts out with a free trial, so you can always cancel if you aren’t satisfied with the service.

Start by navigating to Incapsula.com. From the CDN pricing page, click “Try it for free” on the pro plan:

On the next page you’ll be asked to fill out your full name, organization, email, and password:

If you already know which domain you need to implement the CDN on, then you can fill out a email from that domain (e.g. admin@yoursite.com). Then when you click “Create an account,” Incapsula will automatically send you an email to verify that email/domain:

If you use a different email or have several domains you want to install the CDN on that’s fine, you’ll just have to verify those email addresses as an additional step later on in the setup.

Click through from the verification link you received by email to log into Incapsula. Then you’ll find yourself on a page prompting you to add your first website:

The great news is that you don’t have to fill out payment information to try out the Pro plan. You’ll probably get prompted to later on after your free trial expires. For now, type in your domain into the box provided and click +Add Website.

Now you’re already done with step 1 in their 3 step process. The next page should show you step 2: Scanning records. This actually doesn’t require you to do anything other than verify that the information they pulled up is correct.

If everything looks in order on this page then click the “Continue” button on to step 3: Configure your DNS records.

Step 3 involves the bulk of your work to set up the CDN. It’s actually 3 steps rolled into one:

This page is asking your to point your website DNS records to Incapsula by:

• Updating your A record
• Adding another A record
• Creating or updating the CNAME record for your site

Don’t worry, you don’t have to understand what all that means in order to do it successfully.

First you need to figure out where your DNS records are so you can change them. In most cases they are handled by your web hosting control panel. If you can’t remember what your web host is, Incapsula tells you in the instructions:

This site is hosted by DreamHost, so I can find and edit the DNS files there.

So you need to go to your hosting service and log in with your account. You should be able to find your login information by searching your emails.

How to find and edit your DNS files is a little different on each platform. In this walkthrough I’ll show you how to find the files on cPanel, since it’s a more widely used platform.

So you log into cPanel and scroll down to the Domains section. Click “DNS Zone Editor.”

In Zone Editor, find the domain you’re setting up the CDN for and click “Manage.”

Now you should see a list of records associated with your site (A, CNAME, MX, etc.) Find your existing A record from the list and in the “record” field, paste the IP address Incapsula gave you.

One down, two to go.

Now you need to add a new A record. You should see a button at the top called “+ Add Record.” Click that, make sure the type is set to A, and then copy in the second IP address Incapsula provided you. Click “Add record.”

Two down, one to go.

Lastly you need to change your CNAME record. If you filter by “CNAME” in cPanel it should pop right up:

Then you can click “edit” on it and paste in the the record Incapsula provided.

Hit save on that, then you’re done messing around with DNS files.

Now if you head back to Incapsula and log in, you should see a site statistics page like this:

As you can see, it still says pending DNS changes. That’s because it can take a while (up to 48 hours) for changes to go into effect and show up in your Incapsula account. But once they do, Incapsula will send you an email saying they detected the DNS changes.

Once you get that email, all of your site’s traffic should be routing through Incapsula. They’ll start sending you weekly reports of your account statistics, insights, support activity and plan details.
Wrapping up
CDNs make it look like setting up your site with their servers is as easy as 1-2-3. While that’s a bit misleading, there’s no reason even the least tech-savvy among us can’t set up a CDN if they simply follow the instructions above.

If you’re looking to improve your website user experience, grow traffic and/or optimize your site for conversions, a CDN like Incapsula is a worthwhile tool to try out.

The post How to implement a CDN on your website appeared first on The Blog Herald.

It’s a fact, though, that many people who are just starting a blog prefer to use the free blogging platforms such as WordPress and Blogger. They have their own reasons for doing that such as being cost-effective and being able to avoid possible downtime. It’s understandable to do that for a start but if you have a blog that you’re bent on keeping for the long term and you want to earn income from, choosing the self-hosted route is a good option.
Startups and businesses of all sizes should also consider self-hosting. This way, they could show to their clients and followers that their site is a professional one and provides quality content that people can apply in their daily lives.

Self-hosting need not be complicated. It’s just a matter of doing your research and finding the best blog hosting company that can meet your needs. So what are the factors that you need to consider?

Hosting Cost

Utilizing a hosting company for your blog requires paying a fee on a regular basis. There are plenty available these days hence, it is a good idea to take time to check each in your list and compare their prices. Do take note that some hosting companies offer coupons or discounts in the bundled packages they offer such as those for a year’s subscription. That should save you money moving forward.

Speed

When choosing a hosting service, make sure that it guarantees your blog to load fast. Keep in mind that internet users today have short attention span and want sites to load in just two seconds or even less. Those who visit sites that don’t load right away often get discouraged and switch to other sites immediately. Research has shown that online shoppers remain loyal to site with fast loading pages.

Security

Your blog’s security should be a priority hence do not overlook this factor when searching for the right hosting service. A secure blog needs to be protected from server shutdown and virus attacks. This may cost you more but a little investment in this aspect should give you your peace of mind knowing that your blog is up and running all the time.

Type of Server

Do get to know the type of server used by the hosting services you have shortlisted. Basically, there are four types of servers – shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud system. The shared server, as its name suggests, is shared with other subscribers hence, the cost is cheaper and your site may experience more downtime. The VPS type also shares space on the server but your space is cut off from other subscribers. Dedicated servers cost more and has less downtime while the cloud system is more secure and utilizes multiple servers in a network.

Technical Support

Another thing to prioritize when looking for a hosting service is the technical support they offer to clients. Find out the availability of their customer support and if possible, stick to a service that offers 24/7 support whether through chat or email. It’s important that you get a quick response when your blog encounters technical issues.

There are several benefits to be enjoyed from a self-hosted blog. For one thing, you are able to create your own unique domain name and URL regardless of the type of blog you have.

Other Features

Other important features to look for include disk space, bandwidth, free domain names, drag and drop website builders, email accounts provided and data backups. Those who are still new to blogging should also consider easy installs.

It is worth investing in a hosting service to ensure that your blog has its own unique name and is up and running all the time. But again, do your research first before deciding on which company to subscribe to.

The post Why You Should Have a Self-Hosted Blog appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Why You Would Blog About Your Personal Life

Let’s look at some of the major reasons you would consider blogging about your personal life in the first place:

• • Personal experiences. You might include references to your personal experiences if they share a theme with your work, if it’s for your wedding, like a Wedding Registry, or demonstrate an important point. For example, if you’re blogging about how to create a successful startup, and you’ve had entrepreneurship experience in the past, it’s a perfect opportunity to reference those stories and add more authority to your work.

• Connecting to an audience. Sharing your experiences could also help you connect to your audience. If you’re trying to establish a personal, welcoming brand voice, you’ll need to write in a way that people can emotionally relate to. Sharing your personal experiences can help create a deeper connection with your readers, especially if they’re experiences your readers have been through before.
• Promotion or awareness. In some cases, you may want to promote or raise awareness about another aspect of your life. For example, you could promote a side blog or podcast you’re starting to generate a new segment of your audience. You could also spread the word about a major life event, such as getting married or having a child—especially if it’s going to impact your work in any way.
• Catharsis. If you’re going through a hard time or are annoyed by some aspect of your life, blogging about it can give you a kind of catharsis. Depending on your current readership levels and your type of work, this could serve as a useful side note or the topic of a standalone post. This may not bring you any specific advantage as a professional blogger, but may improve your mental health and/or focus.

The Disadvantages

However, there are some disadvantages to blogging about your personal life, as well:

• Turning your audience off. Not everyone is excited to read about personal stories or narratives. If your audience is detached from you, as a person, or if they’re not interested in your personal experiences, they may be unwilling to venture any further in your blog.
• Privacy concerns. Sharing about your personal life will, perhaps obviously, make those details of your personal life publicly available. If you write about your relationship without your partner’s consent, they may be hurt if/when your friends and family read about it. Personal details may also pose a safety concern in rare instances, especially if you’re blogging about controversial subject matter.
• Deviation from the original material. If your blog starts as a personal narrative, you’ll have to set early expectations about the nature of your writing. If you’re writing about something professional, however, a sudden shift to writing about more personal topics could alienate your audience and dilute the main function of your blog. You’ll need to stay consistent with your brand voice, as well as your range of expertise.
• Liability. In some cases, specifically naming companies or individuals in your blog could be against the law. This is especially true if you’re making negative references to them. Fortunately, this is an easy
  downside to protect against; simply anonymize what and who you’re writing about.

The Bottom Line

As you might imagine, there’s nothing entirely “wrong” or “right” about blogging about your personal life. Every situation is different, and ultimately, the value and risks of personal blogging are going to be unique to your circumstances. Almost any blog can be made more appealing with a splash of personal perspective or insight. But, by that same token, any personal reference could undermine the authority or effectiveness of your blog. Consider your options carefully, and go with the decision that best suits your brand.

The post Should You Blog About Your Personal Life? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

If you’re like most bloggers, regardless of your content, you’re using a popular CMS for your blog like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. These CMS installations require attention to detail where security is concerned. WordPress security is more vulnerable in the cPanel environment where 1-click installations are created, but there are ways to lock it down.

For instance, it’s easy enough to generate new salts and keys for your wp-config.php file periodically (and it’s wise to do so). You can also change the default ‘admin’ username directly in the database to something more complex if your automatic installer creates the username for you. There are similar ways to secure other CMS installations.

All of these security measures are standard procedure for any blog, regardless of what it’s used for. However, when your blog is used to interact with your visitors and an exchange of information occurs, security needs to be bumped up several notches.

If your blog is interactive, and you’ve got visitors sending you personal information through web forms, emails, downloads, or purchases, here are 4 security measures you need to keep data safe:

1. Block unauthorized access to main directories

If you’ve got downloads on your website, some people will snoop around inside the directories displayed in their download URL. Ideally, you should be using software to create temporary download links that automatically expire. If you’re just storing downloads in directories, you’re asking to be taken advantage of.

Every directory should have, at a minimum, an index.html file in place so that the contents of that directory can’t be browsed.

2. Email encryption for customer communications

When your customers email you for support questions, it’s important to encrypt your communications – for their sake as well as your own.

Customers transmit all kinds of personal data over email, and you never know when they’ll send their credit card details along with a refund request. Encryption protects your customers from their own mistakes, and it protects you when you need to send them sensitive information meant for their eyes only.

Emails aren’t inherently encrypted; you need to use third-party encryption software. If you’re already using the encryption plugins that come with services like Microsoft 365, you’re halfway there. While Microsoft’s tools will encrypt your messages, those messages are sent unencrypted to their servers first. This means Microsoft (and hackers) can access your sensitive data.

To prevent Microsoft and hackers from accessing your unencrypted data, an email encryption service like Virtru for Microsoft will add that extra layer of protection. Virtru explains, “Vitru’s Microsoft email encryption protects messages with client-side, AES-256 bit encryption from the moment the sender hits ‘send.’ The data remains encrypted from start to finish; the only people who can access your data are you and the recipient.”

3. SSL and TLS

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol has a reputation for being the secure way to encrypt payment information when a customer is making a purchase. However, SSL isn’t just for purchases. SSL comes into play as a security measure when any exchange of information is taking place. This includes web forms that gather email addresses, names, and other personal data.

Tech Target explains that although SSL has been around since the 1990s, it’s full of numerous flaws and vulnerabilities. SSL has been “deprecated for use on the internet by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in 2015 and has been replaced by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. While TLS and SSL are not interoperable, TLS is backwards-compatible with SSL 3.0.”

TLS isn’t entirely secure, either, and that’s why following the final tip below is important.

4. Don’t store your login information online anywhere

As a society, we’ve become dependent on digital technology to transmit and store data we wouldn’t normally share. Credit card numbers, secret codes, addresses, passwords, and even bank account numbers are sent electronically with little to no thought.

You might be tempted to store your blog’s login credentials somewhere online like in your email account or an online password manager. This is a bad idea. Email servers get hacked all the time, and big brands like Google are no exception.

In 2011, Google’s Gmail servers were hacked, compromising 20 million accounts. The hackers stole login information and used Google’s IP tracking and cookies to compile a list of users’ whereabouts.

Gmail isn’t the only email provider to experience a data breach; it happens more often than you think.

The post All Interactive Blogs Need These 4 Security Features appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Aaron Swartz was one programmer who carved a niche in the internet industry but who, unfortunately, ended his life too soon. His life story has been told via the movie “The Internet’s Own Boy” produced by Storyville which provided many insights into his mission, the world wide web and how the government views the internet.

Swartz and His Aspirations

Aaron Swartz was a great asset to the internet world. Yes he was a gifted programmer but he was more than that. He had a vision and a mission which, sadly, was seen by some people as a threat to them.

As a toddler, Swartz was a very inquisitive child. He had the signs of a genius as he was always asking questions that often annoy normal people. At only 14 years old, he was already collaborating with experts and was actually one of the authors of the early RSS version. He later became a blogger during his college days. At a very young age, he was already enrolled in Stanford University and it was during that time that he was writing about his observations of his classmates’ attitudes and their social manners.

Later on, he got deeply interested in politics leading him to dig into certain aspects of it. It was then that he learned about the inequality, hypocrisy and unfairness happening in the world of politics. Seeing the flaws prompted him to develop software that could provide solutions in collaboration with other activists.

A major project he started afterwards investigated medical research papers to find out links between pharmaceutical firms and the authors of articles in previous scientific journals. Swartz downloaded huge volumes of these papers until he focused on JSTOR which is a digital library of academic articles covering journals, books and primary sources. He then devised a scheme to download an estimated 4 million articles from JSTOR secretly using a computer network of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Those articles can be accessed only through subscription basis but Swartz presumably wanted to make them accessible to people free of charge. The act led to his arrest in January 2011 and filing of various charges including 13 felony charges with a total jail sentence of 35 years. Two years after, he committed suicide by hanging himself.

Lessons to Learn from Swartz’s Story

With the story of Aaron Swartz now out in the open, some critics say that technology can make people feel powerful. On the other hand, it can also bring to their demise such as what happened to the young programmer.

To a law professor at Columbia, however, what Aaron Swartz did was harmless. Although he did break the law, Professor Tim Wu said no actual physical or economic harm was done and JSTOR did not suffer any economic loss either.

There are many lessons to be learned from the story of Swartz particularly with regards to the internet, open access, copyrights and not to forget stress among the youth, according to criminal lawyer Vikas Bajaj. “As the internet has made all kinds of information readily available in just a few clicks and taps, the question now is should all of them be freely accessed by the general public?” he added. There needs to be a law on this which should specify how much information should be have open access, Bajaj pointed out.

The experts and authorities are also concerned about how to protect high quality and original content written by creators who are earning from their valuable articles and research papers. They feel copyright law must be strengthened to recognize and reward authors for their efforts.

On the other hand, young people today are facing so much stress in their lives. The internet is one of those being blamed for this. The intellectually gifted, in particular, are more prone to pressure and are often those who struggle with depression. In worse cases, it can lead them to commit a crime. As in the case of Aaron Swartz, the legal troubles he got into may have caused added stress that led him to end his young life.

Featured image source

The post The Story Of Aaron Swartz And How His Death Could Change Computer Crime Laws appeared first on The Blog Herald.

As an online small-business owner, then, it’s especially important for you to establish trust with your customers and assure them that it is safe to share their personal and payment information with you. As consumers become more savvy about cybersecurity, they will be looking for telltale signs that your business takes security seriously, and if they don’t find them, will most likely take their business elsewhere. Take the time to review your site for these important security reassurances, and make changes where necessary.

1. Maintain a Professional Looking Site

Does your website look like it was designed by a teenager in his parents’ basement back in the late 1990s? Or does it look fresh, polished, and up-to-date? Think about how you feel when you walk into a brick-and mortar-business: An office with outdated wood paneling, stained carpet, and a lumpy couch isn’t going to inspire confidence. A building that’s bright, clean, and well maintained? That’s a different story.
This doesn’t mean you have to keep up with every design trend that comes down the pike. Frankly, that’s almost impossible and prohibitively expensive, not to mention it creates confusion. However, don’t let your site become the online equivalent of an abandoned house. Keep it tidy, update when necessary, and make it easy for customers to find what they want and make a purchase. When you show you care about the site, customers will feel confident you care about security too.

2. Develop a Security Statement

When your customers land on your site, they should know right away that you take security seriously. Accomplish this by developing a security statement, and telling customers exactly how you are committed to the security of their information. Tell customers that you take their privacy and security seriously, and what steps you’re taking to protect them, in general terms. Security savvy-customers will be looking for this information, so make it easy to find and give them the reassurance they need.

3. Display Security Certifications

Any time customers are sharing information with you, they should be doing so through a website that begins with an https://, or a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) that encrypts their information. To supply this layer of protection, you’ll need to become certified with one of the major security providers, such as VeriSign, Thawte, or GeoTrust. When you achieve this certification, not only do you gain access to a secure link, but you can also use a badge on your site to notify customers that you have SSL protection.

You might also consider adding a badge or notice indicating that you are PCI DSS compliant. Banks work with the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to ensure that vendors have the proper security measures in place to protect customer data. Many payment processors provide this certification, but it doesn’t hurt to provide that information to your customers.

4. Use Multiple Layers of Protection

Because hackers and cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to steal information, you need to employ multiple methods of web security to thwart them. Implement multiple layers of protection for your customers. For example, use two-factor authentication when possible, require customers to follow password best practices, and follow all protocols for confirming payment card data on the back end. Some customers may not like having to enter passwords and go through the authentication process, but most will understand that you’re trying to protect them and their valuable information.

Recent research shows that the majority of people (77 percent) do not feel confident about making online transactions. As you try to build stronger relationships with customers, it’s important that you provide your customers with the information they need to feel more confident buying from you. When they know you’re doing everything you can to protect them, they will be more likely to buy from you — and recommend your business to others.

The post How to Assure Your Customers That It’s Safe to Shop With You appeared first on The Blog Herald.

By choosing web hosting through reseller plans, not only can you better manage your time, you can give your clients the unique opportunity to control their account using user-friendly cPanel dashboards, maintain their brands with white label nameservers, and offer enhanced SSD performance. Bring your multi-site development work to the next level with access to hundreds of apps including WordPress and Joomla through Softaculous, and make use of the providers like HostPapa who offer around-the-clock customer support reseller hosting experts.

You can also expand your own business confidently with unlimited domains; for example, you can set up one of your in-demand products with its own domain name, or manage the website of a sister company through one hosting platform. No longer will you have to waste time logging into different servers and control panels, allowing your company time to focus on the work itself without being deterred. You’ll further be given a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money back guarantee if you’re unhappy.

If you’re new to using a reseller plan, receive tech support on demand through phone, e-mail, or live chat. The moment you register, a member of the PapaSquad will provide you with a free 30-minute consultation to introduce you to your service, and help you get familiarized. This provider will not leave you on hold during a crisis, as they understand that trouble for their own client can by extension affect all who they work for and delay their ability to provide necessary and relevant services.

One of the biggest benefits to HostPapa’s services is the attention they pay to security; when you’re in possession of other clients’ passwords and confidential information, you must be assured that your server architecture is protected. This web host utilizes some of the most powerful security solutions on the market including a server firewall, IP deny manager, brute force detection, RAID Redundancy, network monitoring, FTPS and Let’s Encrypt SSL.

When you’re already doing work for multiple websites, do not force yourself to also manage multiple platforms. By signing up for a reseller plan, you can manage work for all your clients using one panel and one dashboard, with the help of one very trusted service that keeps your best interests at the forefront.

The post Bring Your Multi-Site Development Work To The Next Level With A Reseller Plan appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Known for the ease with which they’re deployed, SQL injections are something no modern company should ever fall for – it’s a bit like unlocking a car door with a coat hanger – yet British telecoms firm TalkTalk lost 157,000 customer records to the attack in November of last year. Just a few weeks later, the technique took a sinister turn when the details of 6.4 million minors were exposed by an SQL injection on VTech, an electronic toy manufacturer.

But why is this kind of attack possible at all?

Vulnerabilities

One of the reasons why personal computers update so often is to fix or ‘patch’ possible security vulnerabilities. For that reason, even unused and unloved pieces of software need to be kept fully up to date; otherwise, they can be exploited by hackers and malware like Trojans.

The above is the same reason why major companies succumb to SQL injections. They’re running old software, they haven’t employed an expert to search for security problems in their code, or they’re using solutions that contain web application vulnerabilities and there’s nothing they can do about it in-house.

In every case, however, there’s a relatively straightforward solution. It’s just a question of manpower and money. It’s easy to forgive a start-up company for not having the capital to hire a security expert but companies like VTech and TalkTalk, which have millions of customers between them, don’t really have much of an excuse.

How to Protect Your Blog From an Advanced DDoS Attack

Security Solutions

SQL injections are the second most common security vulnerability for sites using the WordPress platform, only behind cross site scripting. If you’re able to avoid XSS and SQL injection vulnerabilities, you’ve eliminated 65% of risks. The risk comes from the fact that plugins “talk” to databases behind the scenes and, without the appropriate data filter in a website’s code, attackers can slip through undetected. This process of filtering and “cleaning” data is known as sanitizing (for database input) and escaping (for outputs).

The WordPress ecosystem is secure but security varies greatly across individual sites, given that the platform allows for custom CSS, XML and SQL. Therefore, stopping SQL injections on
WordPress involves getting acquainted with a site’s code.

The availability of web application firewalls (WAFs) and WordPress security plugins can alleviate at least some of the concerns associated with running an online service by filtering out nefarious traffic. This kind of solution uses heuristic analysis to examine connections for malicious intent. WAFs also operate outside applications, meaning that they don’t require code re-writes or complex integration procedures to function. The uptake of security solutions is a decision individual to each company, however. However, some WAFs hosted in the cloud are available even to individual bloggers.

The concern is that many brands evidently don’t place a premium on keeping their customers’ details safe. It’s a bit of a cynical point but there are some frightening statistics around the scale and regularity of attacks out there (SQL injection and otherwise), with Yahoo alone losing an incredible half a billion records in 2014.

With increasing affordability, WAFs and similar applications stand as the primary defense against SQL injections but regulators and governments also need to take steps to ensure that companies comply with a basic security standard, possibly scaled according to their size and income. The issue at present is that only failsafes such as monetary fines exist, rather than groundwork for protecting users against online criminals. The continued sanctity of customer details requires a sea-change in attitudes towards database security that is unlikely to be achieved naturally.

Images

“wocintech (microsoft) – 48” (CC BY 2.0) by wocintechchat.com
“Yahoo” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by skpy

The post SQL Injection – The Old Trick that Keeps on Giving appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Especially when you consider all of the data breaches that have been going on, even to the point where massive sites are being shut down, it’s important to look back to the past so we can see just how the future might play out.

In this post, we’re going to take a look at the four biggest website disasters from way back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s in order to get that better view into just how fragile these websites & services can be as well as how they can be improved moving into the future.

1) Hotmail Inboxes Exposed to Everyone

This fairly unbelievable breach was caused when a dedicated group of hackers was able to find that each and every Hotmail account could be accessed simply by using the password “eh.” The hackers claimed that this was a situation of a backdoor oversight by Microsoft employees, but the company later denied this claim.

Believe it or not, this didn’t actually affect Microsoft that much, as their stocks only went down by a point. The source on this one was ZD Net, and the cost was $55,000, or a $.001 average loss per visitor. This only had a middling effect on the reputation of Microsoft. It didn’t hurt them very much. The damage ranking here would only be 3/10, and Canadians might especially be happy with this one.

2) Microsoft Router Configuration Error

This is a situation where Microsoft actually blamed its own technicians for botching a router configuration setup. The mistake caused the service to be down for a whopping 24 hours while technicians scrambled to fix the mistake. There hasn’t been a report on what happened to the technicians involved in the botched router configuration setup.

This botched situation came right on the heels of an advertising campaign that stressed the service’s reliability over other competitors. The outage was so significant that it affected sites like Microsoft.com and MSN.com, sites that previously were seen as untouchable when it came to outages or even mistakes.

3) Microsoft Doesn’t Renew Domain

You might be seeing a pattern of mistakes made by Microsoft by now. This was another Hotmail-related screw up, this time caused by Microsoft forgetting to re-up their registration with passport.com back in 1999. What this essentially did was rob Hotmail of its ability to authenticate, which effectively shut all users out of their accounts.

Unbelievably, a Linux user by the name of Michael Chaney came to the rescue by paying their bill to get Hotmail back online. The software giant later reimbursed Chaney of the money it took to get the service back on its feet, and they also presented him with a $500 check as well as some other kinds of free software. Chaney was so kind that he put the check on eBay, and the funds eventually made their way to an organization that helps the homeless as well as those living in poverty.

4) AOL Goes Down for 19 Hours

Finally, we come to an item on this list that doesn’t have anything to do with Microsoft. This one was addressed by AOL’s CEO in a rather strange way: He posted a note to all 6 million of his company’s subscribers that started by saying, “Wednesday was a bad day for me.” The CEO blamed his bad day on some changes within the local area network that had gone on that day.

No one knows why exactly these switches brought AOL to its knees, but it caused the site to be down for a whopping 18 hours in total. As a result, AOL subscribers were given a refund for a one-day amount of what they would usually pay per month. This would add up to $.66 per person which would add up to a total loss of $3.9 million to be reimbursed. It’s easy to see why the CEO was having a bad day.

Small businesses and bloggers can learn a lot from mistakes that major firms have made over the years too. When you keep abreast of the history of web and WordPress hosting disasters, you make it that much more likely that you’ll be able to see a future disaster coming and prepare yourself accordingly.

Do You Know The Top Web Hosting and SEO Trends For 2016?

The post 4 Major Website Disasters In The 90’s appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Let’s make sure that everybody understands something. In spite of what you might have been led to believe in your weekly fright-fest (aka the evening news) the likelihood of your kids stumbling on to the Dark Web and being recruited by ISIS is almost zero. For one thing, there are parental controls are commonplace on most internet browsers. There are apps like WebSafety that allow parents to monitor who their kids are talking to online and which sites they visit. These kinds of tools allow for responsible supervision in your family.

Furthermore, the Dark Web, where sites like Silk Road once flourished and where hackers, scammers, and ne’er-do-wells loiter, can’t be accessed via a regular web browser like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. To get to those creepy corners of the internet, you have to use the Tor browser.

The Tor Browser

For the uninitiated among you, the Tor Browser is a web browser much like whatever you’re using right now. The primary difference is that it protects the user’s anonymity by blocking sites and engines from recording a user’s IP address or from installing tracking devices on a user’s machine. The other major difference is that, because Tor bounces your signal from server to server to make you harder to track and find (thereby keeping you anonymous) it also moves more slowly than the average browser you may be used to.

Believe it or not, the Tor Browser was created by the U.S. government as a means of covert and secure communication between officials who needed to keep their communications confidential. It is also often used, among other things, to help victims of domestic violence cover their tracks as they leave abusive situations. In other words, it was created to do good. But like everything created for great good, a few villains have managed to set up shop and use it for evil.

Facebook Vs. Google – Privacy and Security Infographic

The Numbers

The number of people hanging out on the Dark Web, hacking, and making life miserable for others is relatively small. Less than 5% of users of the Tor Browser and Dark Web sites use these tools to steal, sell bad stuff, or recruit others for terrorist plots.

The Reality

Of course, even though the numbers are small, they aren’t at zero. And that means that there needs to be a way to zero in on people who are doing the bad stuff. Unfortunately, the only way to do that (and this is a compromise most government officials admit is a difficult one to make) is by also tracking good people.

And, if you’re being honest with yourself, you probably don’t mind a little bit of government snooping. You want the government to be able to keep you safe. The worry isn’t the collection of data. The worry is how to keep that power and that data from corrupting our officials so they don’t use what they find to start a series of witch hunts.

The post Your Privacy or Your Safety: Is it Really a Zero Sum Game? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

It’s the Internet version of petty vandalism – a hacker cracks into your site and wreaks havoc, defacing it beyond recognition. How can you protect yourself?

It’s the online equivalent of throwing a brick through a window or covering a wall with crude graffiti. Out of either boredom, malice, or spite, a hacker cracks into a website, at which point they go absolutely wild. They delete pages, replace images and copy, and generally just destroy every last shred of the original site.

In a world where their website is usually the first impression a brand makes on the end user, this can be almost catastrophic, resulting in a ton of lost revenue.

Thankfully, it’s fairly simple to prevent all but the most expert of attacks, provided you know what you’re doing. Truth be told, it’s all a matter of due diligence. So long as you take the necessary steps to protect your website, you should be fine.

Make Sure Your Passwords Are Secure – And Change Them Regularly

We’ll start things off simple: choose a secure password, and update it regularly. Ideally, you want to have more than a single password, as well; I’d recommend having one for each piece of software that requires login information. Of course, some of you are probably wondering how you could possibly accomplish this.

To that end, I’ve a few suggestions:

• String together a few random, unrelated words, and replace several characters in the phrase you dreamed up with numbers and symbols. Alternate between caps and lowercase. This should be between 8-10 characters long (or more).
• Use a password manager to keep things straight – there are quite a few decent ones online.
• Write your passwords down in a safe place: somewhere that only you have access to.

Install Security Software

Although your web host might offer some security for your site, it’ll usually fall to you to keep your frontend safe. In order to do so, you’re going to need to install a few things – antivirus software, anti-spam, firewalls; you get the idea. If you’re going to keep your site safe from cyber-crime, you can’t do things in half measures.

Keep Everything Up To Date

Developers don’t just release regular updates to their software because they want to add a few cool new features. More often than not, an update to a particular plugin or CMS is the result of a recently discovered security bug. Ignoring these updates means that the bug still persists in the code of your website, just waiting to be exploited.

You should also make yourself aware of all the known exploits and techniques used to hack a website – knowing is the first step towards protecting yourself, after all.

Now, in regards to the above, you shouldn’t rush into every update that comes your way. Ironically enough, a security patch could actually make your site more vulnerable if it ends up causing a software conflict. Make sure you test every update as thoroughly as you’re able before installing it.

Monitor, Backup, Test

There are three things you should always do with your website:

Monitor your front-page, code, user activity, and admin activity. The more attention you pay to the workings of your website, the likelier it is that you’ll be able to catch a hacker before they cause any lasting damage.

Back up everything – and I mean everything. You should be running automated backup software that creates a copy of your site on a secure server at least once per day. That way, if someone does manage to bust down the doors of your website, it won’t be that hard for you to restore it.

Backing Up Your Data 101

Test every plugin, addon, and application extensively. If there’s a security flaw in an application, you want to know before you install it and open your site up to criminals.

Be Careful When You Choose Your Hosting Provider

Do your homework when you’re looking for someone to host your website. Do they offer support for all the security policies and recommendations your business requires? What sort of reputation do they have in the hosting community?

If you end up choosing the wrong host, then it doesn’t matter what you do to keep yourself safe – they’ll probably undermine it.

Only You Can Prevent Internet Vandalism

As far as Internet security goes, defacement is actually the least of your concerns. It’s annoying, yeah, and it could lose you some business, but at least you aren’t having to deal with losing financial information or personal data. That said, you still want to take measures to protect yourself against it – if only because those same measures will go a long way towards preventing far more serious forms of cybercrime.

The post Five Ways You Can Prevent Your Website From Getting Defaced appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The first computer virus (externally released) is thought to be ‘Elk Cloner’. It is attributed to Rich Skrenta. It infected Apple DOS 3.3 computers and was spread via floppy disc – in those early days, the floppy disc was the main method of spreading viruses. That was back in 1982.

Funnily enough, Skrenta created the Elk Cloner as a simple prank when he was 15 years old. Elk Cloner embedded itself in a computer’s memory when an infected disc was used. It then spread to other discs that were used later on.

The virus was practically harmless. It did have a few tricks up its sleeves like displaying a poem every 50th boot.

Elk Cloner: The program with a personality
It will get on all your disks It will infiltrate your chips Yes it’s Cloner!
It will stick to you like glue It will modify ram too Send in the Cloner!

Sadly enough, decades later, viruses are still present, and they gone from pranks to destructive software that can turn the tech world upside down.

Even worse, with the Internet, floppy discs are no longer needed to spread viruses and other malware. Unsuspecting users can get infected with a single click, or even without knowing it.

Individual users pay for anti-virus software. Companies invest huge amounts of money to ensure their network security.

Still, brilliant minds have managed to use their talents to the detriment of others.

For curiosity’s sake, I’m sharing an infographic with you. It gives an overview of the most destructive viruses of all time, starting with Anna Kournikova. Released in 2001, the virus named after the popular tennis star showed explicit pictures of her. Worse, it copied all the addresses from Outlook and sent itself to all of them.

The cost? $166,000.

But that’s nothing compared to other viruses which did damages in billions of dollars. These programs are not called the most destructive viruses for nothing.

Take a look at the graphic. It might just convince you to beef up your security (if you haven’t already).

Source

For WordPress users: A Quick Guide on Beefing Up Your WordPress Security

The post The Most Destructive Viruses of All Time appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Due to its popularity, WordPress is also prone to security threats, if not outright hacker attacks. WPWhiteSecurity.com found out that more than 70% of websites running on WordPress are vulnerable to attacks.

There’s a slim chance that your site or blog will be hacked anytime soon, unless it’s one of the most popular ones out there, in which case it has 33% chance of contracting malware. However, if you’re really serious about making a living with your site or blog, then you need to take these threats seriously as well.

Below are tips on how you can beef up your WordPress security to safeguard your site or blog from possible attacks.

Purchase secure hosting from the start

There’s a tendency for website owners to purchase shared hosting for their site or blog to cut on costs. You can’t argue with the logic behind this decision: since they’ll still building the website’s content and digital assets, it’s only smart to run on bare essentials until they are able to develop the site and drive sizable amount of traffic. Only then will they plan to transition to more secure hosting services like cloud or dedicated hosting once they’ve gained profit from their sites to offset the costs.

However, if you have cash to spare for WordPress security and protection, in addition to faster loading speed and better site performance, why not secure this service now for the sake of your site? Using a secure hosting service protects you from different types of online attacks such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and others.

Strengthen your password

Of websites all over the world that run on WordPress, about 8% are hacked due to weak passwords according to this infographic at WPTemplate.com.

To make sure that hackers won’t break into your website using your login credentials, you need to make sure that your password is “strong.” This can be done by mixing small and upper case letters, symbols, and numbers as your password to make it difficult for hackers to crack your account. However, the best approach to coming up with a password that’s hard to crack is by making it as random as possible. Using a random generator that will create a string of characters that you can use for your password is one way of doing this.

Use security plugins

WordPress is known for its amazing host of plugins to help supercharge your site or blog, including plugins that help ensure its security and privacy from people without any login details. Below are some of the best plugins that help boost your site’s protection from attacks:

• Wordfence Security – this free enterprise plugins performs a deep-server side scan of your site or blog’s plugins, themes, and file for malware and infected files. By identifying the bad files in your site’s backend, you can quarantine or remove the files to minimize (if not eliminate) security risks. There are other security plugins that you may want to try out if you’re not comfortable with Wordfence.
• Login Security Solution – Strengthen your login page by downloading and activating this plugin. It lets you track down IP addresses of its visitors, logs out users accounts that have been compromised, and slows down response times for users who have incurred multiple login failures to discourage spammers and hackers from infiltrating your dashboard, to name a few of its features.
• UpdraftPlus Backup and Restoration – Create a backup of your backend files and save them online using your preferred cloud storage service (Dropbox, Google Drive, S3, etc.). You can schedule either a one-time or recurring backup so you can restore your website even if its goes down due to unfortunate circumstances.

Final thoughts: Make sure that your WordPress security is in tip-top shape by following the tips featured above. There are services not featured above that will increase your protection, but the ones listed in this posts should help you establish a solid protection for your WordPress site.

More WordPress security:

WordPress Security – A Comprehensive Guide

How to Keep WordPress Locked Down with Duo Security

The post A Quick Guide on Beefing Up Your WordPress Security appeared first on The Blog Herald.

We hear about cybersecurity all the time, and we know “everything” we need to do in order to make sure that we are safe from unscrupulous individuals who branch out their illegal activities online.

Or do we?

On a personal level, you might have to admit that you do not change your passwords regularly or that you use the same password across several accounts. We know what happens when hackers get into the databases of credit card companies and even gaming entities.

On a larger scale, cybersecurity is even a bigger issue.

As a matter of fact, government officials have pointed out that the scale of cyber threats is so large that the next Pearl Harbor may very well occur in cyberspace.

The importance of cybersecurity in real life cannot be emphasized enough, and this is what the following infographic focuses on.

The graphic places the spotlight on the growing number of cyber attacks and their effects on individuals and society as a whole. This can be attributed to the fact that it is much easier to gain access to the Internet these days, and with skilled hackers out there, cyber crime is becoming more and more prevalent.

Hence the rise of cybersecurity as an industry on its own.

Furthermore, the infographic provides proof to support the importance of cybersecurity in real life – numbers on cybercrime incidents and economic value, victims, and other essential points.

As an online worker, you may think that you’re all armored up against cyber threats, but do take a look at the graphic. You might learn a thing or two.

Via: NYC Criminal Lawyer Todd Spodek

Featured image credit

Another essential read: Five Rookie Mistakes Killing Your Blog’s Security

The post The Importance of Cybersecurity in Real Life appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Cyber attacks became a little bit more personal in 2014.

That’s one of the feelings people may get upon reading SingleHop‘s blog post about data breaches from last year.

If you’re an employee of Sony, iCloud, Goldman Sachs, or any of these companies whose securities were breached by hackers, another prominent impression would be anger.

Hackers slipping through the security cracks and stealing sensitive information from employees and subscribers is frustrating, to say the least.

Worse, these cyber attacks have instilled a feeling of fear to people.

No one is safe from data breaches, despite the processes that ensure the alleged safety of information entered online.

The question now remains: what should you do?

As a site owner, should you stop asking for personal information from users to keep yourself from being a target by hackers?

Before doing anything rash, follow the tips below to secure the personal information of your online customers.

Enable two-step verification

This website feature requests users for a security code after signing in. Once subscribers enter their usernames and passwords, they will receive the code on their smartphones or mobile devices. The code must then be entered on the site to complete the sign-in process.

Example of websites with the two-step verification is Google, Facebook, and WordPress, among other sites.

The security code on top of their password should help increase the security of their online accounts.

Store data in encrypted database

Database encryption make your text-based data indecipherable. For mailing lists and user accounts on your website stored in your hard drive, you can refer to these free data encryption tools to provide stronger protection for your local file storage.

For those looking for a safe online storage, consider using these premium cloud services that aim to protect the privacy of your files.

Install malware detector

A site infected by malware is prone to harming visitors and corrupting their devices.

To prevent malware from getting into your website, install a detector software to your workstation (one of the best is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware) and server used for putting your site up (Sucuri being your top choice).

Beef up your servers

If you have been hacked before using the same server, it’s time to upgrade your server and increase your defense from hackers.

Dedicated servers cost more, but provide the extra protection that normal server options can’t. A committed IT group will oversee your website activity and neutralize possible threats coming your site’s way.

You may also consider going for cloud hosting, especially if you simply want  to store all your files online for easy access.

You can even use a dedicated private cloud to get the benefits of using both secure dedicated servers and the easy access afforded by the cloud

Plan for the worst

If and when a data breach compromises your website, make sure that you have a backup of your files ready.

For those using a self-hosted WordPress CMS to run your site, install any of these plugins to automatically generate a copy of your website files sent to your preferred cloud storage.

For non-WordPress sites, you can still back up your files using these tools.

These tips and advice should help boost the protection of your website, encouraging online users to sign up on your site with confidence. 

More on data breach:

PRISM , Big Data and the Future of Privacy

LinkedIn To Spend Big On Security Following Breach

The post How to Safeguard Your Website and Customers from Data Breaches appeared first on The Blog Herald.

For clarification, DDoS attacks happen through an overpowering of numerous computers, usually through the use of bots, that continuously send traffic to an IP address or website. As simple as this might seem, the effects can be brutal to a website. What’s worse is that the typical common security protocols that are set up to defend against hacking and intrusion just don’t work against DDoS attacks and taking matters into your own hands, whether it’s through WordPress security plugins or code tweaks and improvements are not sufficient.

Luckily, there are a couple ways to protect a website from DDoS attacks.

Using a Cloud Security Provider

Using proprietary technologies, a number of web security companies have begun releasing different forms of protection from DDoS. These include the likes of Prolexic and DOSarrest, for example, which has a fairly decent track record of mitigating web security threats. However, much of what these products do happens behind the scenes. In the push for full disclosure, more companies and website owners are relying more on cloud security providers, like Incapsula, who not only provide free usage of their CDN but also powerful DDoS protection at fairly reasonable pricing for anyone serious about their website’s security.

Where other services just kind of tell us that things are being handled, Incapsula offers some pretty slick monitoring options that take your website security a step further than a service: It’s a tool. Going beyond just DDoS traffic mitigation, Incapsula protects against other forms of attacks and site outages (both malcontent and accidental) while simultaneously offering a speed boost through those same site mitigation channels; along with pretty much guaranteeing 100% up-time for complex applications through load balancing and failover, spread across multiple servers. What’s even better is that they provide visual and trackable insights into the site’s performance and health.

Sophisticated web threat protection is becoming more available and affordable and it’s a valid inclusion among tools bloggers and other marketers normally utilize.

Self-Protected Domain Infrastructure

Bearing in mind that DDoS mitigation is not for the faint of heart or the modest wallet, I know there are some DIY admin types who live for the thrill of getting their hands dirty. Protecting against a DDoS attack on your own is a massive undertaking that’s easy to get wrong, which would leave you just as unprotected as if you had done nothing at all. But, if you’re up for the task and have the skillset required (seriously, be honest with yourself on this one, you or your client’s product is at stake here), the following Cisco reading material will get you moving in the right direction… if you really know what you’re doing:

Cisco’s Guide to Defending Against DDoS Attacks (A novella’s worth of information at 9,067 words, but absolutely solid information)

Discuss Options with Your Hosting Service

Of the many web hosts online offering bottom dollar deals to get your website up and running , a vast majority of them don’t have the infrastructure set up to properly deflect a DDoS attack. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your cost-effective host, whichever it may be, doesn’t have protection, but that doesn’t mean that they do, either.

Simply put, you should be contacting your preferred host(s) directly to determine precisely what they have in place to protect your site/sites from malicious attackers. Additionally, you absolutely need to know what their policy is on how to deal with sites that are suffering attacks that break through or overwhelm their servers. The punishment of a week or two of downtime from your host can be more damaging than the original attack itself since it’s more likely that your account will be blacklisted or suspended rather than the company taking full responsibility. Your best bet for protection via a web host is going with a premium provider like WP Engine who pride themselves on running very secure and well managed hosting environments.

The most important thing you should keep in mind is that, for relatively little time invested, you can set a site up to be guarded against incredibly expensive attacks. There’s no reason to find yourself in a situation where you’re looking for protection after a DDoS is launched. The risk for loss of traffic and in some cases, sales, is much too great.

The post How to Protect Your Blog From an Advanced DDoS Attack appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Image source

But surely you’ve heard of that massive DDoS attack on almost 200,000 WordPress sites not so long ago? For all you know, you could have been one of the targets. These days, hackers don’t always target just the big sites. Every website is at risk.

Why is website security important?

IT expert Neeraj Tewari says it clearly: “Many people use their blog to communicate with friends or family, or for work purposes. If your blog is compromised, it puts those critical relationships at risk. Your blog or blog profile may contain important personal or identifying information. If your blog is vulnerable, so is this info.“

Having established the importance of keeping your website safe and secure, here are some actionable tips to help you.

1. Use a secure password, and change it regularly.

Image source

This is a piece of advice that is as old as time, or well, as old as when security became an issue. To quote Neeraj Tewari: “Your password is your first line of defense. Make sure you use a strong password, and change it up every so often.”

While it is easy to use a password that is easy to remember (your birthday, your children’s name, etc.), it really isn’t a good idea. If you are worried about remembering your passwords, why don’t you use a password manager software like LastPass? It not only keeps a record of all your passwords (if you prompt it to), but it also generates secure passwords anytime you need them. Trust me, LastPass has saved my life more times than I can count.

2. Update. Update. Update!

No matter what website builder or blogging platform you use, there will always be version updates. Technology evolves so quickly, that software providers also have to be on their toes to ensure that their product remains competitive with new features, not to mention security updates.

That’s why, with all his experience, Neeraj Tewari says, “It’s also important to update to the latest version of the blogging software you use. These have the latest security updates.”

With how user friendly platforms are these days, updating to the newest version is usually just a click of a button, so you don’t have to put it off.

3. Use plugins.

Image source

There are so many plugins to be found, many of which aim to tighten your website’s security. And when we talk about security, it’s not just some hacker out there wanting to gain access to your account. There’s also the issue of spam comments, which can be more than a pain in the bum. Check this article out for a good list of anti-spam plugins.

4. Keep a tight lid on user permissions and account information.

For certain platforms, of which WordPress is one, you have a lot of flexibility in terms of user permissions. You can have an admin account, which is basically the “God account” – it can do anything. You can set other user accounts with limited permissions so that sensitive information and settings cannot be messed with.

Also, if you have several users, make sure that they keep their account details to themselves AND do not give them admin access (or the admin account) unless absolutely necessary.

5. Go private.

Is there anything really private on the Internet? Well, if you’re working on a personal blog which is really only for your own purposes – and you do not need others to read it – then here’s some good advice from Neeraj Tewari:

If you’re not using your blog professionally, you should consider making it private. Your personal info is not necessarily what you want getting out there. Back up your work elsewhere just in case the worst happens. Only allow registered users to comment to cut down on spammers.

At the end of the day, hackers will try to get around security measures when and if they want to. That doesn’t mean you have to make it easier for them to get to your website, right? So, put these tips into action, and keep your website safe and secure.

Got any other tips? Share them in the comments.

The post Actionable Tips to Keep Your Website Safe and Secure appeared first on The Blog Herald.