SEP
2020 24

5 ESSENTIAL WORDPRESS PLUGINS TO SECURE YOUR SITE

Are you overwhelmed by the numerous plugins and security services available to choose from to secure your WordPress site from hackers?

Websites have become a playground for hackers to exploit critical flaws and vulnerabilities to perform unauthorized actions. WordPress sites are a common target due to its popularity and use by millions around the world.

An insecure WordPress site that uses weak passwords, operates outdated plugins, and themes, increases the risk of being attacked by hackers.

Your website can never be too secure. Having a layered security approach will strengthen website protection of your site.

These five essential plugins for online businesses will get you started on securing your WordPress website.

5 ESSENTIAL WORDPRESS PLUG-INS

First Things First WP Nerds

The first thing a bot does when trying to access your website is to brute force your account login settings. What does the term “brute force” means?

A brute force attack consists of a trial and error of guessing possible combinations of login information.

Weak and guessable username and passwords credentials, such as “admin” and “123456”, dictionary words, common names, and personal information are what make brute force attacks popular.

It’s not uncommon for users to use “admin” as both the username and password.

The amount of time it takes to crack “123456” is 0 seconds. How long does it take to break “admin”? 0.03 seconds.

Take the password challenge and test your password strength.

If your account login username is using the default name “admin”, a hacker just needs to guess your password to gain access to your WordPress admin area and files.

Ensure to change your admin account login name from the default user name “admin” or “administrator” to something a name that is difficult to guess and isn’t the same name as your website domain.

5 Essential WordPress Plugins

Jetpack by WordPress.com

Jetpack provides 24/7 security protection from brute-force attacks (unauthorized logins) by scanning for malware and blocking malicious attacks on your site. Spam filtering detects and blocks unsolicited comments.

WP Security

The All In One WordPress Security plugin uses a security points system to gauge how secure your site is by taking you through the following general settings:

User Accounts

User Login

User Registration

Database Security

Filesystem Security

Blacklist Manager

Firewall

Brute Force

SPAM Prevention

Scanner

Maintenance

Check out this WordPress tutorial by SERT Media for a step by step instruction on setting up the All In One WP Security & Firewall plugin.

Akismet

Akismet is an anti-spam WordPress plugin that checks your comments and contact form submissions for spam and stops malicious content from being published on your WordPress website.

The most common type of spam on your site is the contact page and comments sections on your blog page.

Spammers fill out the comment or message fields with random and annoying spam messages.

The good news is this plugin may come already installed on your WordPress. If not, just go to your WP dashboard. Click ‘Add New’ plugins and search for ‘Akismet Anti-Spam.’

Cloudflare

In addition to speeding up your website, Cloudflare provides a go-between your website and the webserver. Oh, did I mention securing your website with Cloudfare is free?

You can think of Cloudflare as the first line of defense. When users visit your site, they will first pass-through the Cloudflare network before a request is sent to your web host.

If you have ever visited a club, the first person you see is a bouncer at the front door vetting guests by checking IDs.

There is always someone trying to figure out ways to get past the bouncer with trickery and fake outs.

The individual knows they are not supposed to be there but will give the desperate tactic of sneaking in through the back exit a try. It’s worth a shot, right?

The bouncer tells all the other bouncers to be on the look for a person matching a description trying to sneak into the club.

Just like bouncers, Cloudflare works to keeps the bad guys (malicious actors) out of the club (their network).

Without Cloudflare, your website is naked, subject to slow page speed, bots, and hackers attempting to visit and conduct malicious activity.

Protect and secure your WordPress admin area by hiding your wp-admin URL from being discovered by bots and hackers using the plugin WPS Hide Login.

You can change the URL to anything you want. Just make sure you can remember the name. How does it work you ask? Let me explain.

Everyone knows the very common URL wp-login.php. You don’t want just anybody knowing what your login page is.

The WPS Hide Login plugin hides your login page. When someone goes to your wp-login.php page, the visitor will be redirected to another page.

YouTube has a plethora of tutorials with step by step instructions on how to set it up this feature in less than a minute.

After securing your site, the next area of importance to visit your WordPress admin directory.

As I said earlier, Your website can never be too secure. Having a layered security approach will strengthen website protection of your site.

For more ways to secure your site, check out my post, 10 Online Security Tips, and remember always to use strong passwords.

Read more

AUG
2020 03

Business, Work From Home

10 ONLINE SECURITY TIPS

With more individuals working from home, keeping your sensitive information and data protected and secured takes priority.

Just because a company allows employees to work remotely, it doesn’t mean the company you work for has the information technology staff or technical infrastructure to keep your personal information safe, keep your computer protected and updated, or stop a data breach in real-time by hackers attempting to access your information.

Issues concerning the security of electronic systems, devices, and information and ways to protect against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks are critical to maintaining password hygiene and strengthening internet security.

Threats

Malicious code threats consisting of viruses, worms, and trojan horses can be installed on your computer and hidden without your knowledge, which creates a backdoor for attackers to access your personally identifiable information (PII).

Phishing, spear phishing, and social engineering threats use e-mail or website to solicit information by targeting a specific organization or group and seeking unauthorized access to confidential data through e-mail spoofing.

Using the same email and password for all of your online accounts makes it easy for hackers to access your online accounts. Avoid using dictionary words, your social security number, birth date, names, or information posted on your social media (i.e. name of a pet or bank vendor) as passwords.

Check out this list of commonly used passwords.

Using free WiFi networks (i.e. airport, coffee shop, hotel, shopping center) may sound like a great idea to save a few dollars, but you don’t when the last time the company or vendor last changed their password.

Some places have the password posted on an information board or at the checkout counter for anyone to access.

Depending on the strength of a WiFi signal, it’s easy for an individual to sit in his/her car, exploit connections, and steal your login information to clean out your bank account.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

PII is any information maintained by a company that can be used to link or trace an individual’s identity. Examples of PII:

Name
Address
Social security number
Email address
Date of birth
Driver’s license number
Phone number
IP address
Financial, employment, or location data

Combining two types of PII, such as a person’s name with a birth date, identity thieves have all they need to commit identity theft and ruining your credit.

Protection of both work and personal information on your computer, mobile devices, or company-issued equipment can help to prevent attacks by putting to practice these ten online security tips.

Protecting Yourself

u003cliu003eMaintain and use anti-virus software and firewalls. u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eUse webcam stickers dots or sliders to prevent hackers from accessing your personal information on social media and spying through the camerau003c/liu003eu003cliu003eCreate long and strong passwords consisting of a combination of numbers, symbols, upper and lowercase letters.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eInstead of using free public Wifi at a hotel, use a pocket WiFi or hotspot on your smartphone when traveling.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eCreate a secure connection while visiting a website, conducting online banking transactions, and accessing business networks and shared drives over the Internet by using a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN is a service that hides your IP address encrypts all the data you send and receive through internet traffic and protects your online identity, making it impossible to read by anyone who intercepts it. If you need to use free public WiFi at a coffee shop, you need to secure your device with a u003ca href=u0022https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15u0026amp;aff_id=33152u0026amp;url_id=902u0022 class=u0022rank-math-linku0022u003eVPNu003c/au003e.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eAn open network allows hackers to sniff web traffic, send fake ads or links to click on which contain viruses. Encrypt data on your network.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eBack up your data.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eKeep software up to date.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eDo not store usernames or passwords in a spreadsheet. Use a password manager app to store passwords on computers and other devices. Password manager apps are a great tool to use to generate strong passwords. u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eAdd a layer of security by installing u003ca href=u0022https://www.techrepublic.com/article/two-factor-authentication-cheat-sheet/u0022 class=u0022rank-math-linku0022u003etwo-factor authenticationu003c/au003e to your technological devices and online accounts. The two-factor authentication app will generate a code.u003c/liu003e

Now that you know what you need to know about safeguarding your sensitive information, protecting your computer and it’s contents, whether it’s working from home, on vacation, or enjoying a pumpkin spice latte, is the same as locking your door when you leave the house.

One last tip, never leave your computer unattended and change your passwords regularly to keep the bad guys out.

Read more

JUL
2019 08

Business, Work From Home

THE INTRIGUING EFFECTS OF WORKING FROM HOME AND EXERCISE

One of the benefits of working from home is having the time to do yoga, go for a morning run, or an evening walk.

Working out not only improves your physical fitness but working out increases your emotional and mental fitness and can make you more creative.

If you or someone you know experiences limited mobility, it doesn’t have to stop you from maintaining physical and mental wellness.

I will be honest with you, when I started working remotely, I struggled with having more personal freedom at home, but not when traveling. At home, it’s easy to get stuck behind the computer and work no stop.

Sounds familiar to an office job right? Check out my post on Is Working Remotely Right for You? on why giving up the daily commute for personal freedom can be good for your overall well being.

Standing for extended periods can have their drawbacks by causing or exacerbating low back pain. Surprisingly, chronic back pain causes can stem from being a recreational runner and having weak glutes.

Most of us are under the impression that running works the glutes. When your muscles are weak, the quads may decide to do paper, rock, scissors with the glutes.

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and experienced extreme pain and fatigue. For months I was paying for a perk of a gym membership that I wasn’t using. Eventually, I had no choice but to cancel my yoga and Crossfit memberships.

When I saw a physical therapist for diagnostic testing for low back pain, I learned my hamstring and low back would engage, but my glutes didn’t. It would take time to reverse engineer muscle engagement.

Workout Ideas

At my previous job, we were provided standup desks. Eventually, I bought an elliptical trainer to use under my desk when I was sitting for a low impact workout. My creativity and productivity went through the roof. The workday would just fly by.

Since I worked from home once a week, I repurposed a drawing table and bought an inexpensive standing desk and treadmill I purchased on Amazon to put underneath my desk. In the winter, if it was too icy, I would move my running indoors.

I have a second treadmill downstairs with fold-down handlebars to store underneath my bed. I repurposed a bathtub caddy tray that sits nicely on top of the handlebars of my treadmill. With a book rest to keep my laptop from moving around while walking.

I discovered the 12 Minute Athlete app and feel in love with HIIT. A variety of exercises to choose from and time clocks of 12-minutes, 16-minutes, or challenge workouts come with the app for free. There is a paid version that offers more workouts.

Thanks to a YouTube notification, I learned I could create my own at home yoga practice. Some of my favorite yoga instructors have their own YouTube channels and go in great detail on poses and are easy to follow.

I already had a yoga mat and strap, but for the HIIT workouts decided to buy two kettlebells and a jump rope on Amazon.

Every hour, force yourself to move around and do some stretching or strengthening exercise. Another way to incorporate stretching is during a commercial break watching tv. Here is a list of channels that offer free yoga, HIIT, and barre workouts:

XHIT Daily
KinoYoga
Mobility|WOD
Rebecca-Louise
JessicaSmithTV
Monkii
Fitness Blender

Lower Back Pain Relief Exercises

Including stretching and strengthening exercises throughout the day will help you to stay fit and happy. Start your day with an energizing 10-minute morning yoga routine.

Throughout the day, do 15 glute squeezes followed by 15 squats. The couch stretch is a good exercise for the hips and reducing pain in the knees. If you sit all day, getting into this will be uncomfortable at first, but doing this exercise every day for two-minutes, your hips and knees will thank you. Watch Dr. Kelly Starrett demonstrate how to get into couch stretch.

Frog pose is another good hip opener to release the inner thighs and back muscles and can provide sciatica relief.

Don’t forget to stretch the piriformis as well.

For additional stretches and exercises to keep back pain at bay and your limbs more limber and injury free, check out my Yoga for Back Pain board on Pinterest.

Before going to bed, do a foot soak to soothe achy feet while enjoying a cup on AVEDA comforting tea.

Read more

JUL
2019 01

Business, Work From Home

WHY SWITCH TO WORKING FROM HOME

I still find myself waking up in a panic thinking I am running late to an office meeting or a site visit.

After a couple of seconds, reality slaps me in the face and says, “Hello, you’re an entrepreneur now and can work home or anywhere around the world.”

Yes, it’s nice to sleep in as late as I want, but it’s easy to fall into a lazy trap and lounge about all day.

What am I talking about? I am talking about how awesome it is to work from home and why you should think about doing it as well?

How does working from home without having to pay for gas or childcare sound?

How to Transition to Working From Home

Before quitting my job in the cubical farm, I did flexible scheduling for a year. I worked from home on Fridays.

It was good at first until it wasn’t. At least I felt relaxed being in my pajamas, typing away.

Combining work and travel can be a win-win for everyone, for you, and you’re boss.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a win-win for my last job as they didn’t fully embrace working remotely as the private sector does. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a win-win for you.

Company and department policies limited remote work which resulted in high performing employees leaving their positions for work from home jobs, more time with the family, and less stress from daily commutes.

Instead of working 40 hours a week, I was averaging 45-50 hours a week. When Thursday would come around, my thought was, “since I am working from home on Friday, I can just stay up late to work and then do a half-day.”

Half days were rare, but I found myself working more hours on Thursdays and Fridays. Next, I switched to working 10-hour shifts 4 days a week with Fridays off.

My Fridays were spent at doctor’s appointments, physical therapy and catching up on sleep. I still found myself working late on Thursdays.

Entrepreneurship Spirit

Have you thought about starting your own business?

I had thought about starting my own business for 10 years and went back and forth on what I wanted to do. On a trip to Antigua, I say next to a lady who was an entrepreneur.

She said the best advice her day gave her what that the best thing she could do was be her own boss. That resonated with me.

A couple of years later, I would attend Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership Summit. If you are interested in being your boss, I highly recommend attending this summit.

It’s a safe place to network with people like you and get the best tips and practices from veterans who are successfully killing it running their small businesses.

Plus you get a couple of free books to take home to further get geeked out on becoming an entrepreneur.

By the end of the week, I was ready to make the transition from working in an office to working from home.

After meeting with a mentor and presenting my business plan, she looked at it and then looked at me and said, “You don’t need my advice, you know what you want to do, now go do it.”

That business plan on paper had been lingering in my head for the last 10 years.

If you’re unsure what you want to do, draft a business plan.

Don’t Be Scared to Take the Plunge

When I left my job, I knew it was the right time and the right decision.

My departure wasn’t sudden. I decided two years ago that I was going to leave my job and told my boss verbally.

As it got closer to my departure, I asked myself again if I was sure this is what I wanted to do. The unknown can be scary, but then

I remembered that entrepreneurial conversation years back that still resonated with me.

The conversation with the entrepreneur on the plane ride to Antigua and interactions with business owners from the EntreLeadership Summit reappeared.

Heck, if they can do it, I can do it, right?

I gave my official six-month notice to allow enough time to hire my replacement and train the person in.

My last day was a good one. I left with a smile on my face excited, an extra hop in my step and optimistic about the future.

The next day, after sleeping in, I woke up feeling refreshed and motivated for the next chapter of my life.

I have no regrets about my well thought out decision. Leaving your job or switching to working from home can allow you to focus more time and effort on personal growth, hobbies, and family.

How to Transition to Working From Home

To aid in the transition from the cubical farm to working from home or work from anywhere as a digital nomad, have enough saved to cover your expenses until you get settled.

Money-saving ideas like traveling less (perhaps not to Europe, but explore your state or neighboring states) and cooking at home more. These examples can stretch your savings out longer.

It helps to be almost debt-free and working very hard to get rid of that ball and chain of being a “slave to the lender” as Dave Ramsey puts it.

There were times that I wanted to just leave my job and start my dream job unprepared. I advise not doing that unless you have a solid financial plan to meet your basic needs and pay your bills.

There is plenty of work from home jobs that you can find on the internet or visit my Remote Work Pinterest board on to find working from home and digital nomad ideas.

Before taking the work from home plunge, do a test run to see if working remotely is right for you.

I found that when I wasn’t in the office, I was more creative and better at managing my time and making a routine for self-care while traveling.

Digital nomads can work anywhere from an airport lounge, on a train, plane, in a coffee shop, at a beach while watching the sunset, and from a hotel room with the windows open, sun shining, and the electronic dance music on full blast during a pool party while watching from above.

Transitioning from working in a cubical farm to becoming a digital nomad working from anywhere around the world is not only good for your health, but allows flexibility for self-care, family, and can save money on gas, childcare, and trips to the doctor’s office due to stress-related illnesses.

Are you thinking about switching to working from home? Is Working Remotely Right for You?

Check out my post to weigh the pros and cons of working from home and get rewarded by giving up the daily commute for personal freedom.

Read more

JUN
2019 24

Business, Work From Home

IS WORKING REMOTELY RIGHT FOR YOU?

Are you thinking about making the transition from a physical office and make the switch to working remotely?

Working from home sounds romantic and carefree. A few of the requirements for being successful at working from home are managing your own time, the ability to work independently, and be self-motivated.

If you enjoy working with people instead of alone, hate isolation, changing to a flexible schedule may not be right for you.

If you are looking to spend more time with your family, pursue hobbies while getting your work done, making the switch could be just what the doctor ordered.

Impact of Globalization on Employment

I can tell you from a research standpoint more and more companies are allowing their employees to work from home.

With the growth of globalization and companies located around the globe, the advancement of information and communication technology and integration of electronic networks, virtual teams can easily collaborate across time zones with one another 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

Some of the e-collaboration tools used in today’s work environment are email, chatrooms, virtual private networks to access shared files, and video conferencing.

Using applications like Skype, Google Docs, SharePoint, and One Drive allows employees to collaborate and edit team projects in real-time.

Flexibility, retention, and savings on paying for unused office space are good talking points to have with your boss about the option to work remotely.

Work From Home Benefits

Studies show, individuals who work from home are more productive and use less sick leave.

Be courageous and push yourself to have a conversation with your boss to discuss working from home options.

He/she will either be supportive of you and encourage you to pursue it or convince you it’s not possible.

The worst he/she will say is, “no” due to a lack of understanding of the financial or productivity benefits and gains. No worries.

Simply tell your boss that Nordic countries Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have been allowing flexible work arrangements for decades and why Finland leads the world in flexible work.

Trust me, it’s worth a shot to ask.

Personal Freedom

What motivated me to make the switch was after listening to a couple of audible books on a road trip from Minnesota to Colorado.

If you have ever driven through Nebraska, I am sure you have learned the hard way cell reception is bad.

AudiobooksNow - Digital Audiobooks for Less

You better have some music ready for the nine-hour drive or enjoy listening to yourself breathe air.

After listening to a couple of audiobooks, researching and building up my confidence, the advantages of ‘personal freedom’ made me see that changing to a flexible schedule was doable and say yes to working remotely from home.

Sometimes I work more hours now than at my previous job, but I have the freedom to take off for a couple of hours for medical appointments and leave early.

It’s ok because I am living the dream, love my job, and enjoy how much more time I have to pursue personal interests.

A Different Kind of Working Culture

Before jumping into the deep end from a physical office to a virtual environment, I recommend reading or listening to a couple of books to help with the transition.

You won’t regret it. Over time you may be shocked by lower stress levels, increased energy, more time on your hands to spend with family, indulge in a daily routine of self-care, and working out. Oh and that daily long commute to work?

How does walking to your new office in your house in about seven seconds or biking to the nearest coffee shop to work remotely sound?

You won’t miss it but will be thrilled at the money you will be saving from not paying for gas, childcare, and parking.

Jaiemare

5 ESSENTIAL WORDPRESS PLUGINS TO SECURE YOUR SITE

First Things First WP Nerds