I know a lot of folks would put security in the same bucket as going to the dentist. It’s not something you enjoy. And you also know why it’s necessary + you could likely floss more than you currently do. In an effort to floss more be more secure, here are 4 things that you can do in under 2 minutes to increase your business security.
Create unique user accounts for your team
Does every member of your team log into your site with the same username + password?
It might seem convenient to have 1 account to manage. Let me ask you this… What happens if a member of your team parts on bad terms? If you’re able to change your password before they do any damage, awesome! But you still have to update everyone that uses that single login with the new information. But if that now-former team member changes the password before you do? You have a bigger problem of no longer having access to your own website.
The best thing you can do for your business + your individual team members is to create a new user account for each person with a secure password + username. But also set their access to the appropriate level. For example, if you have a VA that edits your copy or adds new blog posts to the site, set their access to Editor. That would be a better option to everyone being an Administrator.
In the case that you need to remove someone from your site, simply log in, head to the users list + delete their account. No mass emailing your team with new login details + no getting locked out of your own site.
Routinely change passwords
Along the same idea as having your own login details, regularly changing the passwords for logging into your WordPress site will increase your business security in case passwords get into the wrong hands.
This definitely doesn’t have to be a weekly or even monthly task on your to do list. Consider having your entire team change their passwords each quarter — or at least yearly. And make sure the passwords you are picking are secure.
Log out when you’re done, from everything
Getting into the habit of logging out from any website when you’re done is a good habit to get into. Not only does this protect your business, but it protects your personal information + identity as well.
Picture this: you are traveling + your devices are running low on battery life, so you stop by the local Apple Store to check your email on one of the shiny new iMacs. All of a sudden you have to leave, so you grab your things + go without logging off. Suddenly the person watching what you were up to has access to your client’s information, the credit card details you sent to your assistant for ordering flowers + your PayPal details.
But if you are diligent about logging out of sites when you are done using them, you’ll likely save yourself from that frightful scenario.
Check your spam folder to increase business security
If your site has a contact form that emails you directly, head to your spam folder once in a while. Notice a sudden increase in spam? Or maybe you’ve been getting way more spam comments on your blog? An increase in that sort of traffic can also mean an increase in login attempts made to gain access to your site.
The solution? Add some anti-spam tools like a captcha plugin for your form. Add Akismet for comments. Or install the limit login attempts plugin to help keep the hackers out.