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Online forums have been swamped with stories of blogs being broken into and then blocked by Google for spreading badware. You should always adhere to these WordPress security tips to avoid your blog being hacked and having to face that kind of situation.

Stay current with the latest secure version

The latest WordPress version, 2.3.3, is the most secure and effective version you can get right now. All software contains bugs and security vulnerabilities. Having the latest version of a product reduces potential issues.

Wordpress gives plugins and themes full access to your blog. Plug-ins need to be kept up-to-date. The latest 2.3 series of WordPress notifies you in the Admin Screen when the plugins that you currently have installed have released newer versions.

Any plugins that are not being used, should be removed or disabled

The majority of users that create web logs will look at alternative design styles before deciding on one. Similarly, they will try several additional pieces of software that they decide against using, but do not remove.

Each one of these installed themes and plugins, is a potential security hole. Constantly keeping the unused ones up-to-date is a waste of your time. Deactivate all plugins that you don’t need or use. And then remove the files for unused plugins and themes from the server.

Removing the files from the server is the last step. It is extremely important. Add-ons, plug-ins and themes are generally stored in standardized, well known directories. This is both good and bad. It is good because they are easy to find and remove; it is bad because they are easy to find and exploit by attackers. Be safe and remove the unused ones.

Only download and install trusted code

An analogy can be made between mail from an unknown party and software added to your system. If you are going to install it, make sure the code has been tested and has the authors’ blessing.

Wordpress, themes, and plugins are released as Open Source. Open Source allows anyone to modify the code, even if they have malicious intent. Any person with malicious intent can put up badware for downloading to unsuspecting web surfers.

Do not let yourself become a guinea pig for the newest plugins. Be cautious and hold off until you find that a plugin is being used by a lot of other fellow bloggers.

Avoid any JavaScript includes

Many web analytics services and ad networks require you to add some JavaScript to your blog pages. Often this takes the form of a JavaScript include which gives the authors of that JavaScript almost wholesale permission to do anything with your web page. In essence you are trusting the security of your web site to this third party service.

In the case of Google AdSense and Google Analytics, or any of the major and reputable ad networks and web analytics services, I would not be worried. But if some relatively unknown company wanted to place JavaScript on my web site I would run away.

Ad networks also pose another problem if you don’t have control over who is allowed to advertise on your network. Google applies the guilt by association principle: If you are advertising for a site that has badware on it, your site may be blacklisted too.

Nick Dalton’s blog is TipsTricksToolsTechniques.com where he regularly shares tips on WordPress security. Also worth checking out is his latest report called The Digital Security Report it has essential advice for Internet business owners selling products online.

- Nick Dalton

Tags: access, admin screen, adsense, Advertising, art, attackers, avi, badware, blog, blogs, bugs, busines, Business, company, design, form, google, Internet, Internet, internet business, JavaScript, Online, online forums, Plug-ins, pr, product, products, security, security hole, security tips, security vulnerabilities, server, services, site, software, Source, web, web logs, WordPress, wordpress themes, www

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Tags: access, admin screen, adsense, Advertising, art, attackers, avi, badware, blog, blogs, bugs, busines, Business, company, design, form, google, Internet, internet business, JavaScript, Online, online forums, Plug-ins, pr, product, products, security, security hole, security tips, security vulnerabilities, server, services, site, software, Source, web, web logs, WordPress, wordpress themes, www

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