Blogs are a fun way to write about your passions. But like any website, they can be victims of cyberattacks. Nowadays, a crucial part of running a successful blog is ensuring the safety of your visitor’s information.
So, how exactly do you do this? And what cybersecurity tools are worth your time and money? In this article, we’ll explore how you can keep your blog safe. We’ll highlight tips and tricks you can implement and what you need to prioritize.
8 Ways to Improve the Cybersecurity of Your Blog
Creating a blog can seem like child’s play, whether using WordPress, Wix, Joomla, or some other platform. But one thing that isn’t as easy is keeping your site safe.
Below are eight of the easiest and most effective ways of keeping your blog safe.
1. Create Stronger Passwords
Passwords are the backbone of cybersecurity. And it’s no surprise that the stronger they are, the safer your blog will be. Creating strong passwords is relatively easy, so long as you follow best practices.
These include using longer passwords, which have a variety of symbols, numbers, and upper and lower case letters. Avoid using personal information or repeating passwords across other logins.
Consider using a password manager if you find it hard to remember or track passwords. It’s a nifty tool that manages and encrypts passwords and enters them automatically.
2. Use a VPN and Static IP Address for Secure Logins
One of the best things about blogging is being able to write, edit, and work on your site on the move. But whether you’re working on holiday or in a café, logging onto your blog on a public Wi-Fi network can pose security risks.
A virtual private network, VPN, and a static IP address are two essential tools that allow you to log on safely and securely anywhere in the world.
What is a VPN, and how does it work? A VPN is a tool that encrypts your internet data, ensuring that no one can see what sites you are visiting or what logins you use to access them. It can also easily change your IP address.
A static IP is an address that doesn’t change. It is assigned to a single user, meaning no one else can access it. Many blogging platforms allow you to whitelist specific IP addresses for logins. Anyone who tries to log in to your account with a different IP address will be denied.
3. Install Security Certificates
Visitors to your blog want peace of mind that their information is safe and secure. An SSL certificate is a typical security standard expected of many websites nowadays. The cert helps encrypt personal information entered into the website, including passwords, email addresses, and banking details.
There are two easy ways people can identify if a blog has an SSL certificate or not:
- URL: If the blog starts with HTTPS, this tells us that the connection to the site is secure.
- Symbol: Your browser will show a padlock symbol before the address bar, indicating an SSL certificate. Visitors can click the lock for additional information.
4. Limit User Access and Login Attempts.
Many blogs allow users to create accounts, post comments, and even upload content. While this might be a great way to interact with your community, it can open up cybersecurity issues.
Hackers might abuse user privileges and upload malicious content or try to hack an account with access to private files. As such, regularly review each user’s abilities and avoid giving upload access to newly created accounts.
You should also set a threshold for password logins. After several failed logins, the account should be temporarily locked out. It can prevent brute-force attacks that can otherwise cripple a blog.
5. Security Software & Plugins
Like your PC, your blog needs protection against online threats like viruses, malware, and suspicious activity. Many blogging platforms will have specific plugins that work within their systems to scan, detect, and quarantine suspicious files.
You can also install anti-spam plugins to reduce bot activity on your website and detect bad URLs. Moreover, many of these plugins also optimize your blog to run smoother and quicker, improving your user experience.
6. Enable 2FA
Two-factor authentication, 2FA, is one of the easiest ways of improving the safety and security of your blog. It asks you and users to verify your identity upon login, usually through a single-use code.
This code is sent to your associated email or smartphone. Even if a hacker breaks your first password, they will need this secondary password to log in. 2FA can also be an excellent detection tool – it will alert you to any login attempt, giving you ample time to reset your original password and bolster your security.
7. Keep Everything Updated
New cybersecurity threats are developed daily to hack websites and blogs and exploit older software. To combat this, developers regularly release security patches and updates to their platforms, plugins, themes, and software.
You must keep your blog regularly updated with all the latest security patches. You should only download updates from verified sources and only consider themes, plugins, and services that receive periodic updates and developer support.
8. Backup Your Blog
Nowadays, backing up your blog is essential. In the event of a hack, you can restore your site, files, and content to a point when everything works fine. Backups offer the peace of mind that all your hard work and time is recoverable.
That said, you must ensure that you create backups regularly. This will ensure you have options on what version you want to return to and that recent files, articles, and content can still be accessible.
Although there are special backup plugins and software, you might also consider backing up files on your USBs, hard drives, or online storage as another layer of security.