A Backup Plugin Can Protect Your WordPress Site In The Event Of A Hacking Attempt or Virus
There is no denying the power and intelligence of the Internet, but unfortunately, the Internet isn’t as safe as one may have been led to believe. There is so much that can go wrong on the Internet – viruses, hacking, spyware, Trojans, worms, net bots, ransomware, etc. All of this can make developing a website a bit terrifying.
In 2017-2018, it seemed every week, there was a new zero-day vulnerability to contend with, and millions of websites were being affected. There’s no way to overestimate the problem – it’s huge! So if something were to go wrong and you lost your website, how would you get all that information back?
If your website is on WordPress, you don’t want to become a victim of these attacks. Every one of these problems noted above and more can spy on you, steal personal and sensitive information about your customers/clients and they can steal your hard-earned cash.
Is WordPress Safe To Use For Your Website?
While it’s rare for WordPress to suffer from weaknesses, they can happen. And, when they do happen, hackers can exploit and manipulate them without needing access to your backend. Also vulnerable are the site’s themes, extensions and plugins – some bad from the very beginning. The more you customize your website, the higher the possibility of being affected.
Worst yet, the threats come from everywhere, which is why you must take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your investment. You also need to prepare for the possibility that something bad could happen to your site. Think of the damage a hijacked or destroyed WordPress site has on you – a hit to your reputation, a decline in consumer confidence and web ranking and the wasted hours you spent on creating it.
And, you haven’t even factored in the money and stolen information.
6 Little Ways To Protect Your WordPress Website
Automated threats go after the weakest sites first, which means implementing some simple steps will go a long way in protecting your site. What can you do to ensure your site’s secure?
Secure The Login Page – This means using a complex password, limit the number of login attempts and using a two-step authentication process.
Stay Current – Make sure you get WordPress’ automated updates, including the core, plugins, Custom WordPress theme designs, etc. Remember the fewer themes and plugins you use, the more secure your site will be.
Limiting Access – Make sure to change file permissions, control user access and hide author usernames.
Security Apps – Be sure you install firewalls and security apps to protect the site from being infected by the malware, ransomware, etc.
Protect Data With .htaccess and SSL– Make sure to implement .htaccess and SSL, so your most important information is protected.
Always Watching – You want to always monitor the logs to see what’s going on with the website and its files. If there are inconsistencies with them, you could have a security issue.
By implementing the above six steps, you can reduce the chances of problems and deal with them as they arise.
Use Backup Plugins To Protect The Site
Since new vulnerabilities are found on a regular basis and hackers have come up with new hacking techniques, it’s important to provide your site with the best defense possible – backup WordPress plugins. Or, copying your website constantly to reinstall in case of disaster.
The great thing about backing up your website is that you can fix the problem in minutes instead of hours or days. If your website is hacked or becomes destroyed, you can use your website’s backup to restore it back to its original condition.
How long does it take to back up your website? It’s actually easy to do and doesn’t take long at all. A good web hosting services will provide daily backups, one-click site restore and more. However, there are several free basic and complex and convenient plugins that will help you restore your website quickly and effortlessly.
When trying to determine which backup is best, you need to choose carefully. You want something reliable and trustworthy while having everything you want. So, what should you be looking for in your backup plugin?
6 Key Features To Look For In A Good Backup Plugin
- Dependability – You don’t want to take chances with your website with an unverified backup plug. Be sure use a dependable, verified plugin that has been rated highly and with many positive reviews.
- Offers Cloud Storage – A backup plug will offer an offsite backup local such as Google Drive, Amazon S3 or Dropbox. Your files stay safe even if the physical server has been damaged or destroyed. These kinds of backups are ideal for cloud disaster recovery solution, as you can easily access them from no matter where you are and are affordable to use
- Scheduling Abilities – Find a plugin that offers a scheduling function, so your backups are automatic and consistent. You want something that works without you having to remember to do it. Plugins such as UpdraftPlus lets user set when the backups will take place – daily, weekly or monthly and at a set time. How often you should do a backup depends on various factors – update frequencies, website size and everyday traffic.
- Clarity – Make sure the backup plugin you choose backups everything about the website – the files, database, etc.
- Quick Restoration – Use a plugin that ensures quick backup restoration. You don’t want to be dealing with the hassles that come from the negative ordeal. You want a plugin that lets you restore everything, so your website is back up and running in no time.
- Security – Why have a plugin for your final defense if it doesn’t have the protection you need from security threats. After all, backups get hacked too. Make sure your plugin will encrypt data that’s been stored and will use encryption when the website is being transferred to a cloud storage.
Reduce The Pain That Comes From A Website Failure
After you’ve picked the WordPress backup plugin for your site, install and set it up. It’ll be there ready for you to use if you should be a victim of any of the previously mentioned scenarios so you can protect your from copy cat sites. With the right backup plugin, you can reduce the pain that comes from this kind of disaster. With a little preparation on your part, you can rest assured that your website is secured in case something happens.