Today we’re going to talk WordPress and in case you don’t already know, its the very best CMS platform on the planet and its the only platform that we use when building customer sites here at Posse Social Media! Currently its estimated that around 20-25% of all NEW websites are built utilizing the WordPress platform, that number makes up bout 1/5 of all the sites that are live online today. So tell me again why someone would use another CMS? But that’s a discussion for another day. I think your probably starting to get the picture, with these kinds of numbers comes big time attention.

And Unfortunately, we are here to talk about the bad attention WordPress gets from bad people, HACKERS! Your know, that sweaty guy in a poorly lit dingy back room pounding out code while he chain smokes one cigarette after another, wrong! Today’s hackers are sophisticated, well educated and getting richer by the minute. Matter of fact, you could certainly be sitting next to one as you sip on your favorite morning Latte.

With that said, most site owners struggle with security and treat it as a casual affair, until of course something happens. Protecting your content and site integrity must be paramount, quite simply that means keeping the bad guys out and keeping your site safe. As the sheer number of users building WordPress sites continues to grow we thought we’d touch on the various types of attacks as well as how you can protect your site against any breach.

Attacks Methods:

  • Malware, is a malicious code that’s sole purpose is to disrupt your PC’s operations
  • Javascript encoding, insert code that installs pop ups, redirects etc.
  • Conditional Redirect, shows up in the Google search, looks normal at first but when clicked sends visitors elsewhere
  • Pharma Hacks, steals your SEO

Protection points for your WordPress site:

  • Keep your PC software up to date
  • Make sure your using the latest version of WordPress
  • Make sure your using the latest version of your core theme
  • Always update your software- Plugin
  • Never install and test your site changes-Live
  • Remove all unused plugins or themes
  • Always purchase and use trusted theme, some sources are better then others
  • Research your Plugin before installing, are people having problems with it?
  • Make FTP passwords difficult, use characters always
  • Make sure your Hosting credentials are secure

Anyone is susceptable to attack with over 2 Million new malware strings found monthly it can happen to anyone’s site. However its the steps you take to protect yourself that will make all the difference. Here at Posse Social Media we take security seriously. We scan each and everyone of our clients sites every three hours and this process happens 24/7. Bottom line take action, employ some of these basic step into your regular routine and you’ll remain one step ahead of the bad guys!