Your blog’s security might not be something you think much about in the beginning. However, as its readership becomes greater and you start getting more interest, you could also become of interest to cyber-criminals. Here are some ways to up the security of your blog and stay happy.
Secure your password
The login password to your blog will be the first place hackers target. From here they may be able to tamper with content or even access financial details if your blog is monetised in any way. You’re your password complex and regularly change it. Sites such as WordPress may have extra plug-ins such as Captcha features that could strengthen your login process against cyber-criminals.
Back up your blog
Protect the content of your blog from any hacker that tries to wipe it by having all your posts backed up. One way to do this is store documents of each post on your computer as you write them. Another option is to install a special backup plug-in. Stay safe in the knowledge that your posts will stay secure.
Guard against copy and paste thieves
Fraudulent bloggers may try to steal your content and claim it as their own. This is becoming a growing problem on the internet as data – as there are no rights to protect some content, it can be difficult making a claim against this behavior. One method of defence is to use a service such as Tynt. Every time a fraudster blogger copy and pastes your post and tries to publish it, their coped post will come up with a link to your website after it along these lines: copied content + read more at (yourblog).com. They can still steal your content, but at least you will get the credit.
Protect your home address
In some cases, you may require people to post to your address, for example if you accept letters or press releases for doing product reviews. Putting your home address online can be dangerous – old-fashioned burglars are using the internet more and more to find the home addresses of people that they think may be worth targeting. For this reason, it may be worth getting yourself a virtual mailbox with digital forwarding. Your mail will get sent to a remote location somewhere and then forwarded to you, protecting your home details from strangers.
Install a firewall
Most of us have firewalls installed on our computers, but how many of us protect our blogs too? Special firewall tools such as OSE Firewall can help fix this, scanning your blog for any malicious codes from hackers. They also have in-built anti-spam features, which can prevent spammy comments and third party promotions from flooding your blog. There are other firewall plug-ins that can further secure your blog if needs be, although only major bloggers should worry about these. Incorporate all the above security methods and your blog will be a fortress against cyber-crime.
