Simple Points to Consider to Secure Joomla
A lot of Australian organisations now rely on Web 2.0 development, and manual programming is rarely practised these days. If you’re using Joomla, a popular content management system (CMS), to publish your website’s frontend, you’ll find that it’s still imperfect but it’s better than other CMSs. But like websites built using other systems, you need to make sure your Joomla site is secure. Here are easy ways to protect your Joomla website.
1. Change Your Default Joomla Prefix
Your Joomla comes with a default prefix. Change it at the time of installation to avoid being vulnerable to cyber attacks. If you haven’t done it and you’ve started running Joomla, you can still do it but make sure to do a full backup first.
2. Install a Security Plugin for Joomla
Install a Joomla security plugin. It’s the easiest and most important step to securing your site. However, don’t overdo it. Look for must-have security-specific plugins that can help you prevent exploits.
3. Take Caution When Installing Plugins
Make sure that the plugins you will install are from a reputable source. Read reviews before installing to have an idea what the plugin does.
There are also plugins that you will need every now and then. Consider removing plugins that you are not using at the moment as well as removing versions of these plugins, which can be used by hackers to determine the vulnerabilities. Ultimately, regularly update the ones that you will retain.
4. Use Strong Passwords and Unique Usernames
Hackers know several ways to easily decrypt passwords these days. Give them a challenge by using unique, complex passwords and unique usernames for your Joomla site.
The idea of a password is to have a locked way of getting into something, so people can’t just jump in there. You don’t just have your key sitting on the front door and say please don’t take me down to Bunnings and copy me.
You need to make sure you’re diligent with your password. Your password must have at least 8 characters—the ideal is 16 characters—and use a combination of letters and numbers as well as lowercase and uppercase. Add special characters if you want. For your username, avoid using common usernames like ‘admin’ or ‘administrator.’ They are quite easy to decode.
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5. Check the Content File Permissions
If you want to secure your Joomla installation, avoid unnecessary permissions. It’s one of the common reasons sites get hacked. Make sure that files have the correct permissions. Avoid giving ‘777’ permission to each file. Most of the time, ‘755’ for folders and ‘644’ for files are more than enough.
BONUS: Clean the Local Computer
Your webmaster files store in the local computer must be encrypted. Make sure that your development PC is free of malware that puts your website visitors to cyber risks. Check for malware every now and then to get rid of cyber threats.
Contact a CHB Leader in Managed IT Support to learn more about IT outsourcing and other IT security solutions for your business.
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