WordPress has become one of the most preferred and popular content management systems used by the multitude of people who are plunging into the cyber world each day and creating their own blogs or taking their businesses to the next level with a top-notch website. In no time at all, a brand new, customizable and cost-effective (since it’s free) blog or website can be up and running. The publishing platform can be an incredibly beneficial tool that can even generate you money – if you’re using it correctly. Even with all of its simplicity, many forget or just don’t pay attention to two of the most important aspects of setting up and maintaining their site, which is the backup and security for WordPress. If you value all that you’ve put into your site so far and what you will be putting into it over the years, you can’t just ignore the necessity for backup and security until it’s too late. Hackers are just out there waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of their latest victim.
Security 101
You may already be confused and uncertain about what security means or how to go about getting it for your WordPress site. It’s probably not logical to believe that anything on the Internet will ever be 100 percent secure, but that shouldn’t be for lack of trying. Whether it’s done by yourself or a company you’ve hired to set everything up for you, the responsibility of instituting a security plan is placed on you alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of actions that can be taken within the settings of WordPress and security plugins that can be installed that will put you on the right path towards a more secure situation. You should have peace of mind knowing that all of your data isn’t exposed for just anyone to attack.
Security Weaknesses
There are quite a few things that can make a WordPress site susceptible to hackers, but being aware of them ahead of time will allow you to take the proper steps to prevent an invasion. Some of the weaknesses to specifically watch out for include easy and infrequently changed passwords, an outdated version of WordPress, not locking down file permissions, not securing wp-admin, not updating plugins and not consistently monitoring for changes or suspicious activity.
Backup 101
Backup and security for WordPress go hand in hand. You can’t implement one without the other. Again, whether you do it yourself or have a company handle it for you, regularly scheduled backups are imperative for any site. If there does happen to be a security breach despite all of your attempts to avoid one, you don’t want to be left with no usable data, preventing you from picking right back up and starting again. A suitable backup will include everything that has ever been posted and will allow you to restore the site back to its original form if disaster should strike.
Backup Methods
There are several ways for you to backup your WordPress site, and you may even want to consider using some of them in conjunction with one another for extra precaution. Specially created backup plugins, copying to an external hard drive, downloading to an FTP program, syncing software or hiring an expert hosting company are some of the most common methods of ensuring your backup strength.
Arranging an efficient backup and security for WordPress doesn’t have to be difficult; it just has to be done. Don’t let hackers make you their next target.
About the Author
Tiffany Olson is the Communications Manager for Optimize Worldwide, a Northern California web design and search optimization company. Tiffany creates awesome content for SEO and technology blogs. Her link building strategies are impressive. Follow @TiffanyOlson88 for more WordPress tips.