me. all the time.

Everyone knows their website Security should be solid and that backups are essential, but many people don’t make them a priority until they’ve been hacked. A sad truth!

In the last 5 years we’ve found about 25% of sites get hacked within 3 years! How long has your website been up?

What are the Basics for Defense?

Using a quality web host, running frequent updates and keeping your passwords challenging can make a huge difference. But here’s the thing about security you need to keep in mind: it will never be perfect because the technology is always evolving.

That’s why backups are as – or even more important – than security

A good backup system should be included in a good security system. The best approach is to use a quality host that backs up every night in addition to running your own backup or getting a third party service to do it for you. If you choose to manage it yourself, we recommend WP Engine as quality host.

Making periodic WordPress updates [which often come with security improvements] and moving backups to a place they can be safely accessed is also essential. Running regular security audits like WP Scans can help keep you safe as well.

I know you already manage a lot, but your website management is not something to ignore.

Backing up your entire hosting environment is probably overkill. WordPress backup plugins vary in quality so we recommend WP Time Capsule and Backup Buddy. Remember to download the backup to your computer, or save it to a cloud provider like Dropbox. You could hire a service to manage your backups, but make sure those backups get moved off site in case the environment gets compromised.

What to do?

In short, know what capabilities are actually provided by your host in terms of backup and security. Confirm your backup tools [the ones you setup up] are working. Inspect, don’t just expect things to work out.

Don’t want to deal with it?

IT Arsenal provides monthly backups and moves them off your hosting environment. We keep your site updated and watch for any breaks in updating and repair those too. Sign up for our Maintenance and Backup plan for worry-free backup and security.

PS. Did you know there’s a world backup day? Neither did I until a few years ago, get involved, back up!