Website Security: Passwords, SSL and Plugins
When building a website either for business or for personal use, it is important to make sure that your website is secure from hackers being able to break into your website and damage or steal your information. Websites are like home residences: they have an IP Address, they have a community or network of devices connected to each other, and the network requires a “key” or password to get into that “residence.” If the “residence” has any weak and insecure entry points within their network the entire home network is at risk, but devices themselves have the ability of being broken into also, as they are a doorway to your device and all other devices connected to the network. The internet is a doorway within doorways, and a website is just one of those doors. When the “doors” to these devices and networks are not secure cybercriminals may use your website to hack into it and alter, steal, or damage your website information. Cyber security is important for any network, but if you are building a website there are some security tips and features to consider applying to your website such as excellent passwords, security plugins, and a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
First, passwords may be the first way for a hacker to break into your website because weak easy-to-guess passwords are easier to break into. Passwords with familiar words and repeated numbers like MickeyMouse123 are at elevated risk for being hacked into. The best way to create your password is two ways, which are either using a collection of random characters such as uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and special characters or using a password format where you type a sentence with hyphens between the words. The second way to enhance the security on your website is getting an SSL on your website which is a certificate that encrypts the connection between servers and the browser. SSLs protect both the internet user and the website itself so the experience on your website is safer. The last security feature to add to your website is adding security plugins such as Really Simple SSL, Wordfence Security, WP Login Lockdown, and WP Activity Log.
Website Users
On a blog website there are typically several types of users that have access to updating the blog with various levels. Those roles with different levels of access are Admin which controls the actual features of the website, the editor which manages all of the content on the website, the Author which can posts their own content but not control the content of other users, contributor which is someone that creates posts but has no ability to upload them until they are reviewed, and a subscriber which is feature that allows internet users to become members or “followers” of the website. There is a hierarchy to these rolls – the Admin is at the top, then it is the editor, the author, the contributor, then the subscriber. The use of user roles for a website or blog helps to distribute the work to different teams or individuals rather than doing all the work on your own, especially if the website has acquired a large following.
The Goofy Gremlin is a small business and currently all roles are managed by me, the Admin. I am currently my own manager and owner of my brand. So, at the current state of The Goofy Gremlin Blog and Meme-Merch website, I am the Admin, Author, and Editor for all my content. When the business expands the roles may need to be distributed to special individuals who are talented at marketing, creative with content creation, and a passion for memes as I am. The roles that may be distributed in the future of The Goofy Gremlin may be having a contributor, an editor, and a subscriber. With the evolution of The Goofy Gremlin, the brand may have followers who want to subscribe to my blog posts. A contributor will be beneficial for someone who may produce ideas that no one else has produced. An editor would be beneficial because it would help for someone to manage the content creation of the business.
On a blog website there are typically several types of users that have access to updating the blog with various levels. Those roles with different levels of access are Admin which controls the actual features of the website, the editor which manages all of the content on the website, the Author which can posts their own content but not control the content of other users, contributor which is someone that creates posts but has no ability to upload them until they are reviewed, and a subscriber which is feature that allows internet users to become members or “followers” of the website. There is a hierarchy to these rolls – the Admin is at the top, then it is the editor, the author, the contributor, then the subscriber. The use of user roles for a website or blog helps to distribute the work to different teams or individuals rather than doing all the work on your own, especially if the website has acquired a large following.
The internet is a beautiful universe, but even in like our real universe, there are red flags to look out for in life to be safe and secure. With cyberspace and website building, we need to take into consideration applying strong passwords, SSL certificates, and security plugins onto our websites as they create a safer space for visitors to your website and your own safety. If you like my blog post about website security and users make sure to like my post, share it, and comment below which favorite security plugin you like to use on your website. Make sure to also share a funny meme with a friend, family, co-worker or even a stranger to make their life more Meme-ingful.
If you have not found your inner Gremlin yet you just might find it on The Goofy Gremlin Website!
References
Król, K. (2019). WordPress 5 Complete (7th ed., pp. 1–417). Packt Publishing Ltd. (Original work published 2006)