Securing Your Ports

To put in simple words, a “PORT” is used to access data from outside the server. It also utilized to transfer data both ways, into the server and also outgoing. Most of this activity is behind closed doors and happens automatically, and only trained professionals tend to play around with such details. Nevertheless, ports are constantly opened & closed for easy-access, for programs such as a FTP (File Transfer Protocol). This can be favorable for any hackers attempting to access your sensitive files, so make sure any unwanted ports are ‘properly closed.

Don't Use Generic Usernames

Using common words for usernames such as “admin”, “administrator” or “Site Owner” can cause many implications because you are simply making the job of the hacker’s a lot easier. By using such common words for your username, you are incredibly increasing the success rate of the hacker by at least a few points of a percentage, which is consider a lot where only one answer can be right from an unlimited range of combinations.

UPDATED Security Patches

If your web hosting provider hasn’t already done so, you should check that all the latest security patches for various aspects of the service are properly installed. As you might know, WordPress (self-hosted) is one of the most popular Content Management Systems out there on the market. It is used by millions- so it’s not surprising to see many hackers working day/night trying to hack it. Updates and patches are regularly released, so keep an eye out for all your plug-ins/core files.

Don't Use Generic Usernames

Using common words for usernames such as “admin”, “administrator” or “Site Owner” can cause many implications because you are simply making the job of the hacker’s a lot easier. By using such common words for your username, you are incredibly increasing the success rate of the hacker by at least a few points of a percentage, which is consider a lot where only one answer can be right from an unlimited range of combinations.

Unsolicited Installation of Scripts

It can be dangerous to install third-party scripts and programs on your website unless you understand what they are actually doing. Even if you don’t fully understand the programming, you can read through the code and look for tell-tale signs such as references to third-party URLS. You can also visit community forums such as SitePoint and DigitalPoint to ask around for better advice.

Comment Attacks

Comments are one of most prized features for blogs, and helps create a great relationship between the author and the reader, and also between readers in the wider community. It would also be easy for someone to insert HTML code that causes trouble. You need to “validate” the form input before it’s accepted, to strip out all but the most basic HTML tags, for example and also if you’re using WordPress – you can utilize the “Keyword Filter” to block out any harsh words that might raise an issue or two.

Strong Password

Secure your passwords against hacking

1. DON’T USE COMMON WORDS, PERIOD!  Hackers have dictionaries of these and only need to look up your hashed password against their dictionaries to find out your password.  They can do this in a matter of minutes.
2. DON’T JUST APPEND A ’1′ OR ’123′ OR SOMETHING EQUALLY PREDICTABLE ONTO A COMMON WORD, THINKING IT MAKES IT UNCOMMON.  You’re not a genius, thousands of people before you have used the EXACT same password thinking they too were clever.  You are a hacker’s best source of entertainment.
3. DON’T REUSE THE SAME PASSWORD ACROSS 2 OR MORE SITES/SERVICES.  If and when your password gets hacked the damage will spread far.  If I hack your Gmail account password I’m going to assume you used this password for your Facebook account, your Flickr account etc…
4. NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EMAIL YOUR PASSWORDS!  Once emailed, they are no longer secure and potentially belong to everybody.
5. USE A RANDOM PASSWORD GENERATOR!   Hackers thrive on patterns so stop giving them.  A random password has little to no patterns (depending on the generator).  Don’t just stare at your keyboard and make one up yourself, use an app like (shameless plug) KEYBOX to do it for you and help you remember them.

Viruses & Malwares

How to remove and avoid computer viruses

A computer virus is malicious software (also known as "malware") that can copy itself and infect other software or files on your computer.
If you suspect your computer has been infected, the Microsoft Windows website provides step-by-step instructions for removing viruses and other malware.
Fortunately, if you update your computer and use free antivirus software such as Microsoft Security Essentials, you can help permanently remove unwanted software and prevent installation in the first place.

Note: What you might think is a virus could actually be spyware. Microsoft Security Essentials helps protect against spyware, too.

How do I know if my computer has been infected? 

After you open and run an infected program or attachment on your computer, you might not realize that you've introduced a virus until you notice something isn't quite right.
Here are a few indicators that your computer might be infected:

• Your computer runs more slowly than normal 
• Your computer stops responding or freezes often 
• Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes 
• Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally 
• Applications on your computer don't work correctly 
• Disks or disk drives are inaccessible 
• You can't print correctly 
• You see unusual error messages 
• You see distorted menus and dialog boxes 

These are common signs of infection—but they might also indicate hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a virus. Unless you run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool and install industry-standard, up-to-date antivirus software on your computer, there is no way to be certain if your computer is infected with a virus or not.
Tip Beware of messages warning you that you've sent email that contained a virus. This can indicate that the virus has listed your email address as the sender of tainted email. This does not necessarily mean you have a virus. Some viruses have the ability to forge email addresses. In addition, there is a category of malware called rogue security software that works by causing fake virus alerts to pop up on your computer.

How do I install updates and antivirus software if I can't use my computer? 

It might be difficult to download tools or update your computer if your computer has a virus. In this case, you can try one of the following options:

• Use another computer to download the tools to a disk. 
• Get help through Microsoft support. 

How can I prevent infection by computer viruses? 

Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer, but there's a lot you can do to help lower the chances that you'll get a virus.
It's crucial to keep your antivirus software current with the latest updates (usually called definition files) that help the tool identify and remove the latest threats.
You can continue to improve your computer's security and decrease the possibility of infection by using a firewall (US), keeping your computer up to date, maintaining a current antivirus software subscription (such as Microsoft Security Essentials), and following a few best practices. For in-depth information about how to avoid infection, visit the Microsoft Windows website.

Tip: Because no security method is guaranteed, it's important to back up critical files on a regular basis.