5 Simple Ways to Become More Security-Conscious of Your Blog

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Setting up a blog is easily done these days, but when we finally find our voice and create blogs that start to engage with others, we have to start taking the whole role of blogging seriously. Your blog is your own online home and your personal brand, making it critical to building a business of your own, which is why you need to be more security-conscious. When we take effective steps to protect the blog from malware, spammers, hackers, and other threats, it will make a massive difference. So here are a few ways for you to ensure that you are operating with a more security-conscious mindset.

Strong Passwords

This is Rule Number One when it comes to being security-conscious. This is the first place bloggers fall down because choosing a password that's easy to remember is going to result in a compromised blog. If you are struggling to remember passwords, you could use password manager software, but also think about multi-factor authentication. Although not many people wonder what is Multi Factor Authentication, having two different ways of signing in, either through a phone call or a text message will make life a lot easier.

Regular Backups

Many bloggers neglect to back up their blog on a regular basis. If you find something goes wrong with your site, whether it's human error, hackers, or the server goes down, having a backup copy can instantly get you back up and running. If you are relying on your blog to monetize your efforts, you will need a plugin such as BackupBuddy to automate this process, and you can store your backups in a cloud service such as Dropbox.

Add an Extra “S”! 

HTTPS encrypts the transfer between the sites and the browsers, preventing hackers from intercepting or stealing any information. You can get a free SSL certificate and install it on your website with the appropriate plugin. Most websites still opt for the HTTP protocol, but having an extra “s” is something that makes all the difference these days.

Keeping Your Plugins Updated

Lots of people neglect to update their plugins or software right away. It usually comes at the most inopportune time, but if you are using WordPress or Squarespace, you need to have the latest updates and patches in place because they often contain security fixes that will prevent hackers from exploiting any vulnerabilities. When it comes to using plugins, they've got to be from reputable sources, but also remember to delete any plugins you don't use anymore.

Be Vigilant

You know your website better than anybody else, and you should always know how best to look after your WordPress site by keeping an eye on your blog’s traffic and any login attempts that may show the signs of spamming or hacking. It's easy enough to monitor your website with tools like Google Analytics, which can give you greater insight into any unusual or suspicious activity. If you see something like a sudden spike in traffic from an unknown location or failed login attempts from the same IP address, it's critical to leap on this and take action.

It's not exciting, but being more security-conscious of your blog will keep the wolf from the digital door.

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