The online world is as full of pests as any garden. All of them at some time or other will attack your website with mischief and misuse in mind. On one recent day I received a steady stream of alerts from Wordfence, the software that protects this site. From Bengaluru to Council Bluffs, Düsseldorf to Puente Alto, and every point between, web parasites were trying to compromise Anselm’s Quest for their own purposes. These could range from the silly to malign to outright criminal. Either way, they have no legitimate reason to access the site of my blog.
It still amazes me that many websites don’t even have an SSL certificate. A good managed hosting service like pair Networks will include that as part of its basic package. It’s a digital certificate enabling an encrypted connection to your site and it attests to your website’s identity. Take a look at your own website’s URL. If it begins with https, you have a certificate in place. That little s at the end means your website is secure and you are good to go.
Security software should also be included by your hosting service. Search for these software-related terms to get an idea of the kind of protection you need:
~ adware protection
~ antivirus
~ bot protection
~ messaging protection
~ rootkit protection
~ spyware
~ Trojan horses
~ worm protection
Wordfence runs at my website’s endpoint, a pair server, and protects it better than cloud-based solutions. It includes a firewall and a security scanner that constantly checks for every kind of threat headed my way. This is software that was built especially to protect WordPress and it is deeply integrated with it.
The best security software in the world, however, will benefit from a responsible partner.
~ Always keep your computer’s operating system up to date.
~ Be savvy about the wiles of those website pests. Don’t open attachments or click on links from unknown sources.
~ Guard your passwords carefully. If someone else has administrator status on your site and sends you a password request, confirm the source by another means.
~ Make your passwords really strong, and don’t use the same one for multiple purposes.
There’s no such thing as a harmless intrusion into a computer or server. An unauthorized entry signals a weakness that is vulnerable to outside attack. This is a case where bad news definitely travels faster than good. Once the intrusion is made, it signals the fact to others and opens the door to more and perhaps more harmful attacks.
Although I have so much more to learn about managing a website, I’ve been fortunate in having a hosting service that keeps mine protected and up to date. Keep your own security practices good and your website partners reliable. Then you can focus on the fun aspects of blogging, being creative, and serving your readers content they enjoy, free from harm.