D'nelle DowisBerry Interesting Productions, Inc.WordPress customization & development

Security &

Sanitation

Understanding WordPressWhy does my WordPress site require maintenance?

● WordPress isn't just a website; it's a web application

● "The Internet" has a bajillion moving parts - servers, PCs, operating systems, browsers, programming languages

● WordPress adapts to the ever-changing internet on a regular basis

● The content of your site (ideally) changes on a regular basis

● Hackers gonna hack

Logging inWhere's that screen again?

www.yoursite.com/wp-admin

bookmark it!

Hiding your progressJust like that flimsy curtain in a doctor's office

● Allows you privacy while you work

● Makes sure no users experience intermittent availability

● Lets you check your work

Malware checkWhy bother doing anything else if the site's infected?

Backup Buddy

Sucuri

Quttera

#wcn13ohmy

Backup, Backup, Backup!Or you are practically guaranteed to break something. Thanks, Murphy's Law.

● Hacking recovery

● Server malfunction recovery

● User-error recovery

● Plug-in update changes

● What to do about off-site storage?

Core, theme & plug-in updatesThe best way to totally freak yourself out for no good reason

● stay in touch with your plug-in developers

● identify any plug-ins that aren't in use & delete them

● run updates - one at a time

● reading the changelog

● check your site after each update

Audit your posts & pages

● Clean up comments: approve or mark as spam

● Delete old drafts & unused pages

● Authorship check

● Quick SEO audit

If it's not actively supporting your goals, ditch it

User check & password change

● Check for spam

● Delete where possible/necessary

● Change all Administrator-level passwords

● Keep number of administrators to a minimum

Hospitality is not a virtue

Resources...you didn't think I did this all on my own did you?

● Berry-Interesting.com

● iThemes.com

● Backup Buddy

● Sucuri

● Codex.wordpress.org

● Want to know even more? Check out this awesome, in-depth presentation from Judy Wilson of SiteShack: slidesha.re/10cb9yJ

● Find this presentation on Slideshare: slidesha.re/14q5HIa

D'nelle Dowischief distiller of awesomesauceBerry Interesting Productions, Inc.WordPress customization & development

@d_nelle • facebook.com/berry.interesting • 615-825-5608

want a copy of this presentation? shoot an email over to me at

hello@berry-interesting.com