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5 Reasons Why WordPress Blog Security is So Important
By John Hoff
Author of the WordPress Defender eBook
Is WordPress Blog Security really that important?
Of course it is, but yet so many bloggers don't seem to take it seriously until only after their blogs get hacked into.
I frequent the WordPress Support Forums and other blogger forums out there and the sheer number of people asking for help because their WordPress blog got hacked into is staggering.
In this article, I'd like to point out a 5 reasons why you might consider your WordPress blog security is vitally important to your blog.
Reason 1: Money
If your blog gets hacked and messed up, it's going to cost you money to get it fixed--or loss of money because your site is no longer bringing in revenue.
My wife and I had a jewelry website which was once bringing in $1,000 per month and then one day someone hacked into it. We didn't even know it until Google removed our site from its search engine. Over night we lost $1,000 per month which we used to feed our family and buy diapers for our kids.
Luckily, I know a thing or two about web design and was able to fix the problem myself. But if you're not skilled in coding and html, then you'll probably have to pay someone to fix the issue for you. And it typically ain't cheap.
Reason 2: Time
Unless you find the problem quick and know how to fix it on your own with no problems, fixing a hacked job can take awhile.
First you'll need to find out what the problem is. Then you'll probably see if it's something you can fix and if not, you'll have to hire someone to fix it for you.
Now you're dependent on someone else's schedule.
Remember, too, that the longer your site sits off of Google's search engine (assuming you were removed), the less PageRank you're going to have when you come back. I know this because it's what happened to our site after being offline for a month.
Reason 3: Pain
I've learned from experience, it's a painful existence to one day find out that your default WordPress blog security has not done an adequate job at keeping your blog safe and secure.
If this is your only blog, it'll be as if your entire online kingdom has come to a holt and the headaches (i.e. pain) involved in getting your site back up and running may be a nightmare... and cost a lot of money.
Reason 4: Guilt
When my wife Lindsey's site was hacked, we discovered that her site had been downloading harmful viruses to her visitor's computers.
How would that make you feel knowing that your site potentially infected hundreds of your site's visitors computers with a nasty virus.
Reason 5: Loss of Trust
This is probably the biggie.
Most people have heard of Amazon.com and a large number of people shop there everyday. Why do they do this?
Because they trust Amazon.
But what if people visited Amazon and every now-and-then they'd learn that Amazon was hacked into? How would that make you feel about shopping there? Would you trust Amazon with your credit card information?
Summary
Getting your blog hacked into is an awful experience. I've shown how it can cost you time, money, pain, and loss of trust. It can also bring in the guilt factor because your site may be responsible for ruining other people's computers which could lead up to something like identity theft.
Your WordPress blog security is of upmost importance and if you want to avoid pain one day, your blog's security should be at the top of your list.
The question is... what are you going to do about it?
Where To Learn More...
Check out my book, WordPress Defender. It'll teach you everything I know about WordPress security.
© 2011 John Hoff, All Rights Reserved
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