WordPress Security Essentials
So you finally got a WordPress site. Or maybe you’ve had a site but decided to finally put some time into making it work better for you. There’s just one problem… what are all those updates on the plugins and themes and the actual WordPress software itself?
It’s all part of a comprehensive strategy to keep your site working efficiently, staying secure, and maintaining a safe environment in which your website can live. Below we will detail a few of the most important items to keep an eye on and maintain when you have a WordPress website for your business.
In this article, we’ll be discussing:
- SSL Certificates
- Strong Passwords
- Website BackUps
- Avoiding Malware
- Monthly Website Maintenance
- Website Design Fountain Valley CA
SSL Certificates
SSL, or secure socket layer, expands the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), adding encryption and an extra layer of security. In layman’s terms, that means that if someone is on a website and makes a purchase over HTTP, they risk their information being exploited. However, if they purchase on a website that has an SSL certificate installed (which makes their site secure), their purchase will be protected from exploitation. Whether you are selling anything on your site or not, your site and its visitors are exposed and vulnerable to exploitation without this very important certificate. It’s crucial to install an SSL certificate on any new website but it’s also just as important to update your existing site to have an SSL installed. Any good hosting provider will provide you with a free SSL certificate. However, some providers only provide the option to purchase and/or install the certificate yourself.
Strong Passwords
Don’t we all dread having to come up with a new password for every single account on the planet?! It can seem so frustrating to not only come up with new passwords but also have to remember them all. And then what do you do with them? Do you write them down? Or save them in a password protector app? Or tape them to your forehead? We know how annoying it can be to be unable to use the same password for everything and not be able to just use the ol’ “password1” as the actual password. Unfortunately, it is one of those necessary evils. There are bots who are constantly trying to break passwords and then use those to access your information. So when it comes to your website, you want to use a strong password. We go a step further by recommending that you update it periodically. If someone were to break into your account and access your site, they could cause a lot of damage quickly. And then you would have to deal with the mess of getting the site back up and running or pay someone to do it for you. It’s much easier, and smarter to just use a strong password to begin with and try to avoid any issues.
BackUps
Another component of the comprehensive security strategy is backing up your site. Again, any good hosting provider will offer you daily backups. It’s not a “need to have” but definitely a “nice to have.” We recommend at least one backup per month. Most backup plugins will allow you to set a schedule so you can “set it and forget it.” Think of backups as a safety net. 99% of the time you won’t need it. But in the case that your site gets infected by malware you will be so very glad you scheduled those backups. If your site were to get infected, your live site would have the malicious code, so you would need to have a clean site backup to restore it. We’ve had cases where we had to restore from backups that were a few months old because clients did not have current backups. The good news was that the site was restored to a clean copy, the bad news was that those clients had to re-do the work they had done to the site in those months after the backup was created. This is where daily or even weekly backups would have been most helpful.
Malware
So what is malware? In the website world, malware is typically anything malicious designed to harm your website or its users. The way that it can get into your site files is by exploiting vulnerabilities in your site’s plugins, themes or WordPress core fires. Plugin, theme and WordPress updates are done not only to improve those items but also to patch security vulnerabilities that are found after use. Malware can also steal, delete, edit or encrypt data. It can inject malicious code into your website as well without you knowing and then your users can click on that code and it will take them to nefarious sites or other malicious things can happen. The best way to prevent malware from accessing your site is by scanning for it often with a security plugin. Security plugins will alert you as to what is going on behind the scenes of your website so you can fix it as soon as they find it.
Monthly Website Maintenance
All the items we listed above are a small part of monthly website maintenance on your site. Monthly maintenance is an important part of making sure your website is safe and secure. Google recently released a list of the top ways sites get hacked by spammers, and much of what we discussed here is in that list. It is important to ensure you do all you can to keep your site safe and secure. Not only does your business depend on it, but your users do too. G3 Creative is here to help with your monthly maintenance needs. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can do 2 things right away. You can reach out to us to discuss your specific website needs and you can get your site hosted on a secure hosting provider.
Website Design Fountain Valley CA
To ensure your WordPress site stays secure, optimized, and running smoothly, regular maintenance is key. Whether you need help with website design, development, or ongoing maintenance, G3 Creative is here to support you every step of the way.
Contact us today to discuss your website needs and explore how we can enhance your site’s security and performance. Let’s make your site work better for your business!
