Wordpress Security and Alternatives
-
No matter how secure we try to make our wordpress blogs they still got hacked. We recently got hacked(server level hacking, javascript insertion that took our server down, through the askimet plugin), anyway there was nothing really showing in the front end, no inserted links and nothing suspicious looking code.
Oh well we are changing the passwords now and going through and deleting the javascript.
The problem im facing is that i am handling over 100 blogs, so its very time consuming to do this. I know that once or twice a year everyone goes through a wordpress crisis but we really cant afford nor have the resources to fix it all the time.
Are there any alternatives to wordpress blogs(as good as wordpress). Wordpress has been showing good results so far so it works as far as SEO goes, but we are trying to figure out what to do in order to not get hacked. Besides alternatives id like to know if there are any work arrounds to not get hacked with little maintenance needed. Any tips?
-
What kind of hosting plan are you on (shared, dedicated, etc)? There are a lot of annoying hacks going around affecting WP based sites on shared servers.
-
Website security is a very deep topic. I will jump to the end and share if someone wants to break into your website they can do so and there is nothing you can do about it. There is a balance between accessibility (all your site's users need to access the site) and security (keeping the bad guys out).
The largest companies in the world such as Sony have experienced break-ins. The official websites of various countries experience security issues. If a hacker wakes up one day and decides to focus your site and is willing to focus on doing such as a full-time job, he will likely succeed.
With the above understood, there are many steps you can take to maximize your security:
-
ensure you always use the latest version of your CMS software
-
when a new software update is released ensure your site is promptly updated. Waiting 60+ days to update your software is too long.
-
the same applies to any extensions used on your site. Any extension is a possible security issue.
-
have your htaccess file professionally reviewed by a security expert. There are numerous modifications which can be made to the file which prevents various types of security holes.
-
have your server setup reviewed by a security expert. There are literally hundreds of possible security holes which can be left open due to various settings.
WordPress is the #1 blog software in the world. It is a big step down to #2 in terms of popularity. If you change software you will be making sacrifices.
There are tools like McAfee which scan your site daily for a very wide range of issues, and alerts you to vulnerabilities. Otherwise you can Google "Website security testing" and begin learning more about your site's vulnerabilities.
-
-
we have actualy changed the admin profile...all our blogs had very secure paswords and did not use the admin profile
thats why i am kind of bummed too
-
From our experience we noticed that Drupal does not work as well for SEO as wordpress does
so since we tested it Drupal wont be an option for us...Joomla either...but thank you for the tip ill try the website defender url for now...im looking for something that i wont have to manage every couple of months for technical purposes...so if there are any methods i hope we will both find out
-
My hosting administrator Chad has some good Ideas. chad@cisaz.net - He has been having me remove the administrator profile, and installed an Administrative plug in as well. I am forwarding your questions, and concerns and see if he can give me more information on Server side securities he added on his end.
Have you tried deactivating the administrator profile, and adding more securities for the new content management contributes?
-
I'm interested in this topic also. I wonder if Drupal is a better option in terms of security.
I have installed the Website Defender plugin in one of my Wordpress websites and it notifies me of security related issues. Since you are managing 100 sites, this might be a service that could streamline that process, I don't know. Anyway, perhaps worth a look:
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Sitelock and anti malware by hackers on wordpress
Dealing with my first client that had hacker situations on her wordpress... and she just got into sitelock. I am curious what everyones thoughts are and what other plug ins you suggest. I have used and suggested things like wordfence, bulletproof security, wordpress security, things like that. I just don't want her to get into a scam and I don't know enough about it.
Content Development | | kpexpressions0 -
Advice on Security Concerns for WordPress Site
My company has a WordPress site (URL is learn.automationdirect.com) It is a very simple site and is currently under utilized. I would like to make some SEO improvements to it by activating comments and installing an SEO plugin like Yoast but, I am being help back by concerns about the sites security. Is there some sort of suggestion/advice you guys can point me to that will help get the site to a place where we are confident in it's security level, and I can move forward with optimizing it?
Content Development | | ChadC0 -
Wordpress Domain Options
We'd like to add more content to our ecommerce site so are considering adding a wordpress blog. Which domain option is the best for SEO? domain.com/blog blo.domain.com blog.wordpress.com
Content Development | | EileenCleary0 -
Wordpress.com to self hosted transfer?
How do you transfer a wordpress.com blog to a self hosted domain. The domain name is purchased through GoDaddy and will be hosted through GoDaddy.
Content Development | | bronxpad0 -
WHAT IS THE BEST WORDPRESS THEME FOR SEO
Hi, Seomozers I would like to know if theres any particular Wordpress Thema that works better for SEO purposes rathen than other. Thanks in advance Maria Jesus
Content Development | | goperformancelabs0 -
Wordpress hacked. Entire content wiped out
Someone hacked my Wordpress site, wiped out all my content and changed my login status to a subscriber. Years of hard work gone, I can't log in to fix anything. Is there anything I can do. Is there a way to prevent this from happening ever again. Is there a way to catch these people?
Content Development | | ArenaS0 -
Wordpress Canonical
I installed All in One SEO Pack widget, as recommended by SEOmoz a while back, and my Notices for this are higher. To fix the Connicalization issues with my Blog, on WP, but it keeps adding the page name in the URL, as displayed <meta name="description" content="Get more information from Gary!(602) 386-4415 or gwilliams@cisaz.net Also known as Web 2.0, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are the advertising" /> <link rel="canonical" href="[http://www.cisaz.com/blog/cisaz-social-network-solutions/](view-source:http://www.cisaz.com/blog/cisaz-social-network-solutions/)" /> Any advise?
Content Development | | smstv0 -
Connecting facebook and twitter to your wordpress blog?
Does anyone know a good plugin for connecting facebook and twitter to your wordpress blog? I’d like it so when i make a new post on my blog it automatically displays on my facebook/twitter
Content Development | | christinarule0