7 Blogging and Security Tips for Creators
Social media might be making more headlines, yet blogs remain the most popular type of website. More than 600 million are currently online, which is close to a third of all websites in existence! Despite talk of shrinking attention spans, people still enjoy thorough guides, thought-out opinions, and practical lists.
Speaking of, we created a list of the top things you should be doing to ensure your blog is as safe as it is engaging. Let’s get right into it.
1. Pick the Right Hosting Platform
Whatever else you do to improve your blog's protection might not matter if its host isn't up to snuff. When shopping for a provider, make their attention to security a top priority. Do they regularly scan for threats? Do they offer backups? Have they been hacked in the past? Researching these things takes minutes, yet could impact your blog's entire future.
2. Be Smart about Your Login Details
Next in importance is your admin account. It needs to have a unique username (stay away from "admin" and similar default words) and a strong password. That means you should create a password with lots of symbols and letters in different cases, and use a password manager. The latter makes sense since it provides the same advanced password security for all your accounts. Changing or auto-filling stored passwords is easier, too.
You may also want to make it harder for criminals to try to hack the blog by replacing its default login address with a custom one.
3. Boost Account Security through 2FA
Strong passwords don't help if others know about them or you use them elsewhere. Two-factor authentication turns password disasters into second chances by requiring a second code for the login request to go through. Since that code normally comes in SMS or authenticator form, hackers would need to have your smartphone or other connected device to compromise the account.
4. Set Up Security Certificates
Whether you sell stuff or use your blog as a platform for change, visitors need to feel safe when using it. Enabling SSL ensures any information you or visitors exchange with the site is encrypted and confidential. It’s easy to set up regardless of provider and often included in your plan.
You can check the blog's status by examining its address. If it starts with HTTPS, data encryption is already active. Sites that adhere to the standard also rank better.
5. Keep Track of Your Plug-ins & Themes
Plug-ins expand blog functionality and make managing things easier. They're also a well-known gateway for cyber crooks to spread spam, link to malware, or even have your blog take part in DDoS attacks on other websites.
When considering plug-ins, remember that less is more security-wise. Thousands of plug-ins are available across the internet. You should only consider officially supported ones with good track records and user reviews. It's also a good idea to check up on your plug-ins ever so often and get rid of ones you don't use or which haven't been updated in a while.
Lastly, plug-ins can benefit your blog's security. Specialized ones exist that scan comments for threats and protect the blog in other ways. Consider getting one to be on the safe side.
6. Mind Where You’re Blogging From
Some of your best posts might come from spending time with a latte on a sunny terrace, but that doesn't mean writing them there is a good idea. Public Wi-Fi is unsafe since it's easy for bad actors who don't need to be too tech-savvy to monitor its traffic. That can include anything you type in confidence, not to mention valuable information like your logins or payment details.
Type your posts up offline & save them for later, or at least use a VPN if you absolutely must blog whenever the urge strikes you. Some of the best VPN suggestions can be found in this comparison table on Reddit.
7. Back Your Blog Up
Successful blogs can contain years of posts, unforgettable comments, and media you’ve painstakingly collected. Even the most reliable host might lose the data, leaving you in the lurch. Creating independent backups is a must, and you shouldn't settle for one! Create multiple copies of your blog at regular intervals so you always have a few points to roll back to.
Conclusion
It may not seem evident at first, but in the blogging world, security should be your blog's essential companion. From the choice of a secure host to adding two-factor authentication, each step makes your defense better. SSL certificates build trust, tidy up your plugins, and make you appear security-savvy. Meanwhile, the backups of your blog create a safety net for all those cherished posts. Hopefully, our seven quick tips will set you up for a resilient online journey.