Imagine you poured your heart and soul into your website, building and promoting it from the ground up. But one day, you woke up to a nightmare! Your blog had been hacked. All your killer content was gone in a flash, and the website was defaced with malicious messages. You will be devastated!
Unfortunately, you aren’t alone. Cyber security data shows that 30,000 websites are hacked daily, and 43% of these attacks target small businesses. That’s a staggering number, but it doesn’t have to be your website.
In this post, I will share with you 10 unconventional ways to hack-proof your blog. I will give you practical tips and advice that you can implement right away. If you are looking for ways to stay secure while traveling, I wrote a whole article where I share the best VPNs to use for bloggers.
Unconventional Ways to Hack-proof Your Blog
- Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Set up a honeypot to lure hackers away from your real website.
- Use a virtual keyboard.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Keep your plugins and software up-to-date.
- Use a security-focused hosting provider.
Importance of Website Security
The statistics about website hacking underscore the need to secure your blog from hackers and other threats. You don’t want to leave this important function to change or keep it at the bottom of the list. The earlier you protect your website, the better.
But why should you invest in website security? Here are reasons for maintaining blog website security.
- It protects sensitive information about you and your blog readers. This information can easily fall into the hands of hackers or cybercriminals who can use it for nefarious purposes.
- Blog security protects your reputation and credibility. You don’t want hackers redirecting your web visitors to malicious websites or using your site to distribute harmful content.
- Hacked websites can result in financial losses. You’ll bear the cost of repairing the damage, the loss of revenue if the website goes offline, or the potential legal fees if you’re found liable for any damages from the hack.
And because you want to build trust with your audience and avoid financial losses, it is essential to check your website’s security and avoid compromises.
How to Check Website Security
You don’t need a degree in cyber or data security to check your website security. With the right tools, you can scan your website and identify potential threats or issues.
Of course, the hosting company could secure your site, but regularly monitoring your website’s security is crucial to prevent attacks and catch any vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
One of the most popular ways to check your website’s security is by using a website security scanner. This tool allows you to scan your website’s files and code for vulnerabilities and malware. It’ll alert you if it finds anything suspicious.
For example, if the scanner detects a suspicious file in your website’s code, it will alert you and give you instructions on how to remove it. This proactive approach can help prevent a potential attack before it happens.
But you also need to remember that not all website scanners are built the same. Some website security checkers may only scan for a limited set of vulnerabilities, while others may provide more comprehensive coverage, especially the premium ones.
So, next time when choosing a scanner, do your research and choose a reputable provider. We recommend the ones with a comprehensive set of features and a proven track record of detecting vulnerabilities.
Unconventional Ways to Hack-proof Your Blog
Now, let’s move on to our 10 unconventional ways to hack-proof your blog.
Tip 1: Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN adds an extra security layer to your online activities. It encrypts and routes your internet traffic through a secure server, making it difficult for hackers to intercept and steal your data.
The encrypted connection will make it more difficult for hackers to intercept your login credentials or other sensitive information.
As cyber security expert, Bruce Schneier says: |”The main defense against hacks is encryption.”|
A VPN also hides your IP address, meaning hackers can’t identify your location or target your blog specifically. This is valuable if you’re using a public Wi-Fi network which is often unsecured and easily compromised.
Moreover, some VPNs also offer additional security features, such as built-in malware protection or ad-blockers, which can help prevent malicious content from being sent to your blog.
Nevertheless, it’s important to choose the best VPN providers. Free VPNs are more dangerous than having none. One report from the University of Berkeley and the University of New South Wales indicated that 38% of free Android VPNs had malware or malvertising (Source: Wired)
Tip 2: Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Like most bloggers, you may have a strong password you use to access your blog website. You have probably written it in your notebook because it is hard to cram.
But even then, hackers can obtain it through a data breach or phishing scam.
So what is the solution? Two-factor authentication (2FA). This security feature adds an extra layer of protection to your blog website login process.
It requires anyone trying to log into your website to provide two forms of identification, usually a password and a unique code generated by an authenticator app on their smartphone or a physical device.
Using two-factor authentication means that for hackers to access your account, they will need more than the correct password. They will need to steal your smartphone or device to access your blog. I don’t think they are willing to go to that trouble.
I believe that implementing 2FA on your blog website is a simple and effective security measure that can make a big difference in safeguarding your website and its sensitive information.
Tip 3: Set Up a Honeypot to Lure Hackers Away From Your Real Website
Setting up a honeypot is another security strategy you can use to protect your blog website from hacking attempts. It is a decoy website to lure hackers away from the real website.
So how does it work? When a hacker attacks the honeypot, they are redirected away from the actual website, thus preventing them from accessing the real site. And since it looks real, it fools the hacker into thinking they have successfully hacked your website.
And there is more. The honeypot collects the hackers’ information, their methods, and their techniques. You can then use this information to improve your website security and prevent future attacks from the same hacker.
Setting up a honeypot also acts as a deterrent to hackers. If they you’re your website has a honeypot, they are less likely to attempt an attack.
Tip 4: Use a Virtual Keyboard
Have you ever heard of or used a virtual keyboard because some keypads on the physical board malfunctioned? Turns out, using a virtual keyboard can also protect your blog from hacking attempts.
This software-based keyboard appears on your computer screen and allows users to type in characters by clicking on them with a mouse or using a touchscreen.
So, how can a virtual keyboard protect your login credentials? It prevents keylogging attacks. One trick hackers use is software that records every keystroke you make on a computer keyboard. You can imagine the malicious software collecting sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.
However, with a virtual keyboard, you’ll dodge the malware. Virtual keyboards can also help prevent phishing and spoofing.
Phishing attacks trick users into entering their login credentials on a fake website similar to the real one, while spoofing involves a hacker impersonating you. And since a virtual keyboard only works on the legitimate website, hackers will find it challenging to attack your website.
Note: Some types of malware can still capture the information entered through a virtual keyboard. Therefore, use it with other security measures, such as strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
Tip 5: Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
The worst hacking experience a blogger will ever encounter is having their website taken down. You lose everything you have worked hard to build.
The good news is you can distribute your web content across multiple locations through a CDN. One way a CDN protects your blog site is that it acts as a proxy server. When a user requests content from your blog, the request is first sent to the CDN server closest to them. The CDN server then retrieves the content from your origin server and delivers it to the user. This means that the user won’t interact with your origin directly.
A CDN also provides security features such as DDoS protection, a web application firewall (WAF), and SSL encryption.
DDoS cyber-attack can overwhelm your server with traffic, thus making your blog inaccessible to legitimate users. A good example is what happened to BBC’s whole network in 2015 and in 2019 to several South African banking websites.
Here is how these CDN security features help:
- A CDN with DDoS protection can detect and mitigate traffic attacks, ensuring your blog stays online.
- A WAF security solution filters traffic to your blog, blocking malicious requests and preventing attacks.
- And SSL encryption encrypts data exchanged between your blog and users, thus preventing hackers from intercepting and stealing sensitive information.
Tip 6: Keep Your Plugins And Software Up-to-Date
Technology is constantly changing hence the need to keep your plugins and software up-to-date. Otherwise, hackers with sophisticated software may identify vulnerabilities in your website and exploit them.
Fortunately, plugins and software developers release updates regularly to fix any bugs and add new features and functionality for advanced protection.
So, regularly check for updates and install them as soon as they become available to patch any vulnerabilities. I also find out that updating plugins and software also improves your website’s performance and ensures compatibility with the latest browsers and mobile devices.
Remember, besides updating core software and plugins, you should also update themes, scripts, and other third-party tools.
Tip 7: Use a Security-Focused Hosting Provider
When it comes to hosting, you could use shared or dedicated hosting. Hosting providers like Site-ground and Hostinger present you with both options.
And because you want to improve your website security, we recommend a security-focused hosting provider. Of course, using free hosting platform is one of the blogging mistakes you want to avoid.
Now, let’s consider ways a security-focused hosting provider benefits your blog:
- It provides advanced security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, malware scanners, and regular software updates.
- It offers a secure infrastructure, such as hardened servers and storage, to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
- It provides DDoS protection.
- It offers regular backups of the website data in case of a security breach or data loss.
- Security-focused hosting providers have a team of experts to help you in case of an issue.
Protect Your Blog from Hackers and Welcome Peace of Mind
Website security is an essential part of your blog’s success. But you might be thinking, “I’m just a blogger. Why would anyone want to hack my site? It’s not worth the time, money, or effort to secure it.”
Well, we’re here to tell you, you’re wrong! Hackers target small businesses and bloggers just as often as they do larger companies. And if you don’t take action now, you’re leaving yourself and your readers vulnerable to potential security breaches.
Fortunately, we’ve outlined seven unconventional security measures you can take to protect your sensitive information and that of your readers.
And let’s not forget the peace of mind from knowing your website is hack-proof. Instead of worrying about cyber threats, you can concentrate on creating killer content and growing your audience.
So, there you go. Take action and protect what you’ve worked so hard to build from the bad guys.
FAQs On Website Security
How Do I Secure My Blog?
Here are some steps you can take to secure your blog:
- Choose a secure blogging platform.
- Keep your blog software up to date
- Use two-factor authentication
- Use a secure hosting service.
- Use strong passwords
- Use a reputable VPN
- Limit login attempts
What Are Three Ways of Minimizing Hacking?
The three best ways to minimize hacking include:
- Use strong, unique passwords for your blog account.
- Keep software and operating systems up to date.
- Use multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
How Do You Protect Your Website From DDoS Attacks?
A DDoS attack is where hackers overwhelm your website with traffic, leading to a crush. You can do the following things to protect your website from DDoS attacks:
- Use a specialized DDoS mitigation service, such as Cloudflare or Akamai, to detect and block DDoS attacks.
- Keep an eye on your website’s traffic and look for unusual patterns or spikes.
- Set limits on the amount of traffic that can be sent to your website from a single IP address.
- Using a CDN can help distribute your website’s content across multiple servers.
- Have a backup plan in place in case your website does go down from a DDoS attack.
How Do You Secure Your Website for Free?
Here are some common ways to secure your website for free
- Implement HTTPS or get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt for your website to encrypt communication between your website and visitors’ browsers.
- Update your website software, including your WordPress, plugins, and themes.
- Avoid using the same password across multiple accounts.
- Implement two-factor authentication
What Are Two Evasion Techniques Used by Hackers?
The two common evasion techniques hackers use to carry out their attacks are:
- Obfuscation: The practice of hiding or disguising code to make it more difficult to analyze or detect.
- Polymorphism: The ability of malware to mutate or change its code while retaining its malicious behavior.