What preventive measures are you taking to protect your blog from hack attacks? Blogs are often targeted by hackers because of their use of content management systems (CMS). CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are inherently prone to hacking because they contain backdoor logins. The good news is that you can safeguard your blog from hack attacks by following some simple steps.
Use Dedicated Web Hosting
Many bloggers used shared web hosting, simply because it’s the least expensive option available. You have to remember, though, that shared web hosting means your blog is hosted on the same server as hundreds or even thousands of other websites. As a result, it’s easier for hackers to target websites on shared hosting, simply because the servers are more easily accessible. If you want to safeguard your blog from hack attacks, choose dedicated web hosting. Unlike shared hosting, dedicated hosting provides you with your own dedicated server (hence the name). Want to know more about the difference — click here.
Use a Strong Password
Your blog’s first line of defense against hack attacks is a strong, unique password. You shouldn’t use the same password for your blog’s login that’s used on other online accounts or services, nor should you use an easy-to-remember password such as your mother’s maiden name plus birth date. Instead, choose a password that consists of a combination of upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers (non-sequential order), and special characters.
Here’s a simple tip — use the first letter of each word of a favorite song title or lyric, mix up the upper and lower case letters and add some numbers / special characters. You’ll be able to more easily remember it than a random set of letters and numbers. Following this simple formula will ensure that your blog has an iron-clad password that’s difficult for hackers to crack.
Disable Visitor File Uploading
Are visitors allowed to upload files to your blog? Enabling this feature is just asking for trouble, as anyone can upload a virus or malicious software to your blog. Furthermore, don’t assume that restricting file uploads to JPEGs, GIFs or other commonly used media formats is safe. File extensions can be spoofed with relative ease, meaning a hacker may still be able to upload a virus without your knowledge. To be on the safe side, it’s recommended that you disable all visitor file uploading on your blog.
Update, Update, Update!
Arguably, one of the most important steps in safeguarding a blog from hack attacks is to keep it updated. Each time a new version of your blog’s CMS is released, be sure to update it in a timely manner. New versions are often released for the sole purpose of plugging up security vulnerabilities and exploits.
Back Up Your Blog
Hopefully it will never occur, but if your blog is ever critically compromised you need a backup copy ready so you can restore it to working order. Assuming you are using a CMS, you’ll likely need to back up both your core HTML files as well as your blog’s database. Downloading one without the other may prevent you from being able to restore your blog, so make sure you download both the HTML files AND database.
Have you ever been the victim of a hack attack? Let us know in the comments section below!
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