You may well have heard all the buzz online about the attacks on WordPress security. Unfortunately this is no joke, and it needs to be taken very seriously, or all you’ve built could be hijacked or worse, lost to you.

Beginning in the first week of April of this year, “botnets” have launched attacks against scantily protected WordPress sites, targeting some 90,000 at last count. This can result in many lousy consequences, such as denial of service, spam and more

We’re going to talk about how you can ensure your WordPress security, and give you and your business peace of mind. Let’s look at 7 critical steps to make sure your WordPress install doesn’t suffer the same fate.

1. Keep your WordPress Installation up to date – One of the easiest and most valuable tasks you can do yourself is to make sure your WordPress installation is updated. WordPress gives you a notice on your dashboard, so there’s really no reason to not do this.

2. Employ better usernames – The thrust of this latest WordPress attack was aimed at sites that had not changed their usernames from “admin”. Once they found these sites, these botnets went to work with software, guessing logical passwords—and many times hit the jackpot. Using almost anything, (except your email address) is better than “admin.”

3. Use strong passwords – Do your best to use a strong password, alpha-numeric, with upper and lower case and special characters. Easy to remember passwords are also easy to guess!

4. Protect your login credentials – Don’t keep your login credentials where a hacker might find them. Store them offsite, and even offline. Roboform is good for protecting them, too. Food for thought!

5. Don’t depend on your Web host – Many people depend on their web host to “do all that technical stuff for me”, not realizing that sometimes, they don’t! Far better to have the responsibility lie with you, instead of out of your control.

6. Make a clone of your website – A WordPress clone of your site can be a very useful thing to have, particularly if you want to migrate your site or do some redesign work without having to do it live for all the world to see as you go along.

7. Perform regular backups – Make WordPress backups regularly, at least once a month. The easiest way to do this is with a plugin that you can schedule, that is updated to the current version of WordPress, and has restore capabilities.

Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator

Many people new to WordPress have yet to grasp just how important it is for your WordPress security that you create backups of your site regularly. This can and often does help WordPress site owners avoid the mind-numbing pain of having your site disappear, with no viable copy or backup. Let’s look at some ways to avoid this doomsday scenario!

So why, again, do I need to create WordPress backups?

Should your site’s server go down, everything you’ve worked for will go with it. You’ll make no sales, get no visitors or signups to your site, and in short, you’re out of business until you get the site back up again.

And don’t make the mistake of thinking that this rarely happens. It has happened to me more than once, and I can tell you, it’s panic time.

If there are no reliable backups to get your site back up quickly, you’re back at square one. Not a pleasant thought.

Doesn’t WordPress do this automatically?

Not necessarily. There are ways to accomplish this that require a fair degree of technical expertise. If that’s not you, read on.

Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your web host will have your back as far as WordPress backups go. Not always. While they say they do, it’s been my experience that the hosting company may or may not be doing proper backups. Why take that kind of chance?

So what’s the best solution?

In my opinion, the best way to ensure your WordPress security is through the use of a WordPress backup plugin. This is a relatively inexpensive, elegant and easy to use way to make sure your site is available to you in the event of a disaster.

The plugin should be regularly updated to stay current with the latest WordPress release, play nice with all your other plugins and have WordPress cloning and restore capabilities. The ability to clone your site (in addition to regular backups) can be useful if you ever want to do an offline site redesign, among other things.

Strive to make regular backups of your site, at least once per month, and have them sent to your email or an offline storage of your choice. (Many people use Amazon S3.)

Backing up your WordPress site is not really an option. You need to get this done. Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator

If you run an online site, either for fun or profit, there is very little that’s more upsetting than having your site compromised. Whether it’s by hacking, viruses, or server issues, it’s vital to have a WordPress backup handy to use should the unthinkable occur.

What’s the easiest way to implement a WordPress Backup Solution?

For me it’s a WordPress plugin. They are drop dead easy to install, have all the functions you need for a task such as this, and are relatively cheap, especially when compared to having to hire someone to get this done for you.

If you do look into using a plugin for your WordPress security, make sure it has these important features:

– First of all, that it’s compatible with the latest WordPress release. (You are updating your WordPress install, right?)

– That it has a restore capability.

– That you can schedule backups so that it becomes a set it and forget it solution.

– That it has the ability to perform WordPress cloning for you.

– That you can scan your files for security threats. This can be a great help when transferring your site to another host.

– That it is continually updated and improved.

But what about the backups WordPress itself does?

While it’s true that WordPress does some backups, that doesn’t mean your data is safe. If their servers fail, and they do, despite protestations to the contrary, you may be left at the very least without significant portions of your site (or business!) available for some time.

Your web hosting company isn’t ultimately responsible for your content, you are. By depending on your host to not only do regular WordPress backups for you, you are putting your livelihood in someone else’s hands.

Not only that, horror stories abound of hosts not updating their own systems, such as WordPress software, and other software necessary to keep your site secure. This is especially true with bargain basement hosts, and some shared plans.

Where can you find a good WordPress Backup solution?

Do your homework and some searching, but if you are pressed for time and want to get this done once and for all, try the WordPress security plugin that I use. It’s a relief to know that my site (and business!) are secure.

Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator

Lest you think you’ve stumbled upon the latest science fiction thriller, you’ll be pleased to know that WordPress cloning is not a part of that galaxy.

While it’s an odd term, it represents a necessary task: making a WordPress backup of your site to work on offline, or in the event something should go amiss. We’re not simply being obsessive-compulsive here: servers go down every day, despite their claims of 99.9% uptime, and if you’ve had this happen to you, you know the panic is it can cause.

If parts of your database were to simply disappear, how viable would your site or business be? Let’s look at what you need to do to implement WordPress cloning, and how it can help your overall WordPress security.

What is WordPress cloning and how does it help?

Cloning your site is another level in WordPress security that can be very useful. Cloning simply means that you have backed up your site to a totally different location, (offline, as in a folder, so as not to have SEO problems) where you can access it at a moment’s notice if the need arises.

This would prove useful if you wanted to make wholesale changes to your site’s appearance or functionality before it went live, and you wouldn’t have to deal with any of the problems that a “work in progress” could bring.

Simply clone the site, make your changes, and have this one replace the old version when ready. A real time saver!

If I have cloned my site, do I still need to backup my data?

Yes. While you’ll still have a copy as a clone, you’ll want to preserve any newer data that comes in, such as comments, posts, and more. WordPress backups are something you should do at least once a month, whether or not you’ve cloned your site.

What’s the best way to accomplish this level of WordPress Security?

I prefer to use a WordPress plugin to get the job done. Just make sure the plugin you choose is able to do select backups, has restore functionality, and can clone. Also be sure that it is frequently updated to keep pace with all new versions of WordPress. There is no use in backing up your data to a plugin that’s out of date, and not working.

Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator

Okay, you got me: WordPress security isn’t the sexiest way to spend your time, but it could end up being one of the most profitable! Nothing is more caustic to the lining of your stomach than having your site go down, and wondering whether or not you’ve lost it all.

Far too many of us rely on our web hosts to save our bacon when disaster strikes. Speaking from experience, this is not always a good idea. While it may seem expedient and simple, you could actually be putting your site at risk, and perhaps your income too. Let’s examine a better way!

Assure WordPress security using a plugin.

Creating WordPress backups using a plugin is not only easy, but also economical and provides near instant peace of mind. Backing up your site’s files once a month provides you with many benefits, including some you may not have given much thought to before.

What are some of the benefits of backing up with a WordPress Plugin?

Here are five quick benefits of using a plugin for your WordPress security.

1. Maintain offline copies of your site – Having your site’s files sent to you via email or to a service like Amazon S3 is a terrific way to backup your site.

2. Easy scheduling of WordPress backups – A simple scheduler can help take the forgetfulness out of the equation. Set a date and time for each month, and forget about it!

3. A snap to move – If, for some reason, you need to relocate your site, such as a domain name change or a new web host, having your files at your fingertips can save you oodles of time, headache, and the need for tech help.

4. Simple to get your site back up and running – In the event of a problem, having a WordPress backup of your site’s files is a Godsend. Make sure your plugin has a working restore function.

5. Maintain control of your online assets – Nothing is worse than having your livelihood in someone else’s hands. Why take chances with something as important as your website?

Utilizing a plugin for WordPress security just makes great sense. WordPress backups need to be performed on a regular basis. Don’t become a victim as a result of not being proactive about your own site!

Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator

If you’re looking for WordPress backups, it’s not necessary to search through a lot of options. You only need one, and that would be Backup Creator. However, before you choose any backup option, you need to understand why you’re doing it and why it’s worth having. Then you can make the best choice for you and your WordPress site needs.

Why Use WordPress?

WordPress is used by businesses that want an easy and inexpensive website that still looks very professional. The owners of these sites want to know that they can manage and work with their sites without a struggle. Building your own site is significantly cheaper than paying someone to do it, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t create your own site with WordPress. Just make sure you protect it after you’ve created it. You don’t want to lose what you’ve worked to produce.

Finding the Right Backup

The right backup is the one that works for you, that’s easy to use, that’s reliable, and that doesn’t cost too much. You want your backup to have staying power, so that you don’t have to update and change it all the time. While you’re looking for the right one, make sure you don’t get sucked in by companies that promise you the moon for free. That’s not a good way to back up your WordPress site, and you aren’t going to get the reliability you’re looking for.

How Much Should It Cost You?

The cost of your WordPress backup has to be up to you. You shouldn’t have to pay a high price to get something good, but you don’t always have to choose the least expensive option, either. Instead of looking at cost, take the time to look at value. In other words, consider not just how much you’re paying, but what you’re getting for that money. If you’re getting a lot and not paying a lot, you’re receiving a lot more value than if you are paying a high price for a product that doesn’t give you very much.

Take the time to learn about what the WordPress backup you’re considering offers to you, so you can see if you’re getting what you need. The price should be fair, and the convenience factor should be high, in order to get the most value for your money and really have the site protection you need.

Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.

Backup, Clone & Protect Your WordPress Sites
Using Backup Creator