3 Simple Steps to Take Today to Make Your Blog More Secure
Why wait for something to go wrong with your blog before taking action? Tackle security issues in just a few minutes. Start with these three steps to take today–in a matter of minutes–to make your blog more secure.
- Change your password.
When was the last time you changed your password? It should be part of your regular routine. But, even more importantly, is your blog signin unique to only your blog? That’s the tricky part. You don’t want that password to be the same as any other. It’s tough to keep them all straight (there are apps to help with that), but your blog login needs to be a strong password that you don’t use on any other platform. Your host can help generate a random password for you. Or, I like to use full sentences, complete with punctuation. - Check your widgets.
Security vulnerabilities can sneak in through bad code in widgets. Check to make sure all of those you have installed are running the latest version. If not, click update. If you have any that you used to use but don’t anymore, delete! It’s tempting to hang onto them just in case you decide to use them again, but if that happens, reinstall. - Back up your site and database.
Backing up should be as much a part of your routine as checking your email. Make sure you’re backing up your site and your database regularly. It might take a while, so get it going then go make a cup of coffee or run the backups over your lunch hour. In addition to turning this into a regular routine, be sure to keep multiple copies of the backups. In Jessica Shipman’s WordPress session at BlogPaws 2016, I learned that experts recommend three separate copies. Some easy options: one on your hard drive, one on an external drive, one in cloud storage.
None of these tasks will disrupt your day or will disrupt your work flow. They will, however, keep your site a little bit safer. Take a few minutes today (and, perhaps, every Monday) to check these off your list and safeguard against security crises.
What do you do to keep your site secure? Do you have any daily or weekly routines for website security?
Maggie Marton serves as the BlogPaws senior editor. When not hiking with her two pit mixes, Emmett and Cooper, or playing with Newt the Cat, Maggie writes about them (and the pet industry) at ohmydogblog.com and maggiemarton.com.
Images: g-stockstudio/Shutterstock.com and sheff/Shutterstock.com
