Better Security WP Logo

Better WP Security is a plugin developed by Bit51.com. It provides a easy approach to quickly securing your WP website. We include installation of this plugin in our maintenance plan.

What it does

In general it is one of your first line of defense in stopping intruders. You may not be aware but your website is constantly being hit by good and bad traffic. The bad traffic is malicious software trying to figure out what blogging platform you are using  and finding a way to get in. This traffic is not necessarily just targeting you.

What Better WP Security aims to do is provide an interface to quickly protect your website and provide you with information on what is possibly attacking you.

 How it works

There are known vulnerabilities in WP and the malicious software likes to use it. Upon installation, Better WP Security provides a few steps to block these known spots from being found. It also provides a nice dashboard in which it lets you know what things may need tending to. Be aware, that some of the settings can affect your website in a not so positive way, so please read the fine print.

Better WP Security is a good plugin to use to protect your blog. There is much the learn about it, but the default settings should protect you. If you require assistance, you can contact us.

Jonah

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Locking Down WordPress – Preventing Brute Force Attacks

People hacking WordPress is not something new, but the severity and scale of this attack is what is new. There is a widespread, concentrated effort, to attack WordPress sites happening right now and it is about more than your pretty little blog.

We have helped many clients protect and/or recover their hacked WordPress sites over the past couple years and we wanted to share some of our best tips with you.

What We Recommend

Basic Ways To Prevent An Attack

1. Log in and remove any unfamiliar admin users.
2. Change your WordPress username (no more admin).
3. Change your WordPress password (use a password generator or read how to select a strong password).
4. Set a new nickname (username and nickname should NOT be the same).
5. Turn off user registration unless you are running a member site.
6. Change your FTP password.
7. Change your control panel password.
8. Change your passwords on any emails associated with your blog/website and your domain.
9. Keep your WP, themes, and plugins updated.
10. Delete themes and plugins that you are not currently using.

If you have already been attacked (but don’t know it yet) the hacker may have inserted a backdoor to come back and use later. In this case, simply changing all your passwords will not prevent this. Read on.

Backing Up Your Blog, Beefing Up Security, and Improving Performance

PLEASE NOTE: Some blogs are recommending Limit Logins Attempt as a way to protect your blog/website from the latest attack, but you do need to do much more. The way this attack is being done, installing this plugin alone will not protect you.

1. Make sure your site is being backed up (BackupBuddy, PressBackUp, BlogVault, VaultPress, BackWPup and CodeGuard).
2. Run your site through CloudFlare.
3. Install security plugins (Bulletproof Security, Better WP Security, WP Security Scan).
4. Install spam plugins (Akistmet, Mollom, NoSpamNX, Spam Free WordPress).
5. Install malware protection plugins (Sucuri, AntiVirus, WordFence).
6. Install a login limit plugin (Limit Logins Attempt, Better WP Security).
7. Install cache software (W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache) *** You will need a cache plugin to help balance the load for the important plugins you are installing.
8. Install WP Updates Notifier to notify you when you need to update your plugins and theme.
9. Install WP Optimize to optimize your database and help your blog/website to run more smoothly.
10. Install P3 Plugin Performance Profiler to see what plugins might be bogging down your blog/website.
11. Google’s Safe Browsing Diagnostic - http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=YOURDOMAIN.COM/

Even More Things You Can Do

1. Disable logins from certain IP’s or blacklist every IP except your own (can cause problems if you are on a dynamic IP).
2. Update the WordPress secret keys.
3. Reinstall WordPress.
4. Scan each computer that accesses your website admin area for spyware, malware, viruses, keyloggers, rootkits, and botnet software.

Asking For Help

1. We have a Maintenance Plan ($25 a month) that includes REGULAR maintenance of your blog, security, back ups, and support if you have any issues at all. 
2. If you have been hacked, we can help you try and recover your site. Contact Us

Resources And Further Reading

We have read several articles on this latest attack:

1. Brute Force Attacks And Their Consequences
2. Mass WordPress Brute Force Attacks
3. Hackers Point Large Botnet at WordPress Sites
4. Global WordPress Brute Force Flood
5. WordPress Attack
6. Protecting WordPress Login Page From Attacks
7. Huge Attack On WordPress Sites Could Spawn Never Before Seen Super Botnet
8. WordPress Global Attack
9. Global WordPress Brute Force Attacks
10. Major Brute Force Attack
11. Brute force attacks on WordPress continue as CloudFlare fends off 60m requests in 1 hour
12. Patching the Internet In Realtime: Fixing The Current WordPress Brute Force Attack
13. Brute Force Attacks Build WordPress Botnet
14. 8 Steps To Secure Your WordPress Blog
15. Hackers Attack 90,000 WordPress Blogs
16. Defeat The WordPress BotNet

And many other articles on similar topics:

1. How To Handle A Hacked WordPress Install
   
2. What To Do If Your WordPress Website Has Been Hacked
3. Clean Link Injections Hacked Websites
4. How To Find A Backdoor In A Hacked WordPress Site And Fix It
5. Help Prevent WordPress Site Breaking Hack
6. Top WordPress Security And Spam Plugins
7. Hardening WordPress
8. How To Completely Clean Your Hacked WordPress Installation
9. Removing Malware From A WordPress Blog

If you made it all the way to the end, thank you for reading. It was a long post, but an important topic to cover. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Subscribe to our blog for more informative posts like this.

Honey

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Top 10 WordPress Plugins We Use

If you use WordPress, then you most likely use some plugins. I was working with a client today and discussing the plugins we were going to install on her new site. That discussion got me thinking about the main plugins that we use for most of our design installs. Well, that led to a Top Ten List. Here are our Top 10 WordPress Plugins that we use in our site designs.

1 ) Backup

Backing up your WordPress is very important. If your site gets a virus or crashes due to some unforeseen error (human or otherwise), it is always nice to have a current backup so you can fix your site and get right back to work.

• Pressbackup

2) Spam Blockers

Have you thought about the security of  your WordPress site? Securing your WordPress site from viruses and hackers is important. I have no idea why they would attack your li’l ole blog, but they will, they do it every day. Having  basic security on your site will help protect you.

• Wordfence
• Sucuri

4) SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is not as complicated as it sounds. Having an excellent SEO plugin makes it even easier.

• Yoast

5) Analytics

Having analytics plugins installed will help you know who is coming to your site and where they are coming from.

• Analytics 360

6) RSS and Newsletters

RSS is the feed that enables your subscribers to read your blog in their feed readers or via email. A newsletter is something that is sent out to your subscribers or a specific subscriber list that is different from your blog’s RSS. Often times clients will use Feedburner for RSS and an additional service for their newsletters. We were so excited to find a plugin that does both – AND – can be managed directly from your WordPress dashboard.

• WYSIJA

7) Editorial Calendar

I found this plugin a very long time ago. It was love at first sight. The Editorial Calendar plugin for WordPress gives you a visual way to look at and plan your posts.

• Editorial Calendar

8) Social Icons In Post Footer

We have tried many different social media plugins for our clients and this is the best one that we have found. It includes all the icons that we normally use and allows for customizing how the icons are displayed.

• WP Socializer

9) Slider

This slider plugin creates beautiful slide shows for your WordPress blog.

• Meteor Slides

10) Ad Management

If you have been blogging for any length of time and you have a following, you might want to consider selling ad space on your blog. This plugin can help with keeping track of the details.

• Ad Rotate

A Caution…

Before you start randomly downloading plugins from the WordPress Plugin Repository, please read this post – Are Your WordPress Plugins Safe?

Please Note:

This list is always evolving and changing/growing as we learn of new resources. We would be happy to book an appointment and discuss WordPress plugins that could meet your specific needs.

What WordPress Plugins do you use on your blog?

Honey

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Using Buffer To Save Time With Social Media

Have you ever wondered how the bigger bloggers seem to get more done in the same 24 hours that we all have? I have noticed that too and I always wondered what their secret was, besides having a virtual assistant (which I don’t). One secret that I have discovered is using Buffer to save time with social media.

I already talked about putting things in my pocket, so you can go read that at your leisure, but today, I wanted to introduce you to Buffer (in case you have not already heard of it). Buffer is this amazing app that allows you to tweet something, but have that tweet held and then sent out on a prearranged schedule.

If you are anything like me and you like to take a few spare minutes and go blog surfing, but you don’t want to bombard your readers with tweets at 1am, then Buffer is probably something that will help you.

Buffer App

Here is how I use the Buffer App:

• I only use the free version at this time (free version gives you 10 buffers in a queue).
• I only Buffer things to twitter. I do not use Buffer for Facebook, although you can.
• I set up my tweets to go out every few hours around the clock.
• I fill up my Buffer every night before bed.
• If my Buffer gets full, I simply send out the tweets.
• I Buffer tweets and retweets.
• I Buffer blog posts and news articles as I read them (when it is convenient for me).
• I can Buffer from my Pocket and I can Pocket to Buffer later.

Buffer App Reources

There are many different ways to use Buffer. I have only just stuck my toes into the river. What I have shared is enough to get you started and you can use the links here to find more extensions.

• Buffer App for Chrome
• Buffer Tweets From Twitter
• WordPress to Buffer
• The Buffer Blog Button
• More Extensions
• Buffer Awesome (only $10 a month)

Articles For Further Information

• How To Schedule Tweets From Pinterest Using Buffer App
• Pocket And Buffer Team Up

Talk To Me

• Do you us Buffer? Paid or free version?
• What buffering method have you found to work the best for you?
• What other time saving methods have you found?

Honey

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Put It In My Pocket

How the Pocket App saves me time.

I have the Pocket App extension for Chrome installed on my toolbar. When someone posts an interesting article on Twitter and I don’t have time to read, I simply put it in my Pocket for later. When I am on Facebook and friends are sharing awesome links, I can slip it into my Pocket for later when I have a few minutes to read. When I am working with clients and they send me to a very cool site, I simply, “Put It In My Pocket” for later. When I am reading the news in my various news apps on my tablet at night, I can save articles to read and share later (often I Buffer them at the same time).

I was hesitant to try one more thing, but this app seriously saves me time. I was pinning and buffering everything I found, but that did not give me ONE place to go back and read things. Pocket does that. It is consistent and easy to use.

The best thing is, now I can read blog posts and news articles at my leisure. When I have a few minutes (usually right before bed), I pull up the Pocket App on my Nexus 7 tablet and read what I have put in my pocket.

It has seriously saved me time (I don’t go down as many crazy bunny trails anymore when I am supposed to be “working”) and it also saves me from having way too many tabs (like 30 plus) open all the time.

Check it out.

Here are the things that I can do: 

• save articles to read later.
• save reference materials for projects I am working on.
• read things in my pocket on my computer or tablet.
• save things from my tablet or my computer.
• read on my tablet, at night, all the articles I found during the day.
• have less tabs open in my browser.
• not lose things I really want to read.
• tag articles and read by topic.

Here is my process (you can figure out what works for you).

1. I have the Pocket App installed on my browser (Chrome) so I can pocket posts and pages as I come to them.
2. I have the Pocket App for Mac installed on my iMac so I can read on my computer.
3. I have the Pocket App installed on my Nexus 7 so I can read the things in my Pocket when I am away from the computer.

Pocket Apps To Install (as needed)

• Website (to read online)
• Chrome Extension
• iPad App
• Google Play Store (Android)
• Mac App

Questions for you

• What time savers do you use?
• What apps have helped you to be more productive?

This blog post was inspired by a comment that Amy made on her Facebook page. 

Honey

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