Down Fluffy, down!

Your blog is an extension of you.

It learns as you do. When you need a break, it takes a break. And if it had a lower back it would probably hurt just as yours does.

You’ve spent precious hours, months, even years building your blog to what it is today. Though you felt guilty not spending more time with the family, you knew in your gut what you’re doing here is to help your family in the long run.

It’s morning and the sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon to wake the world up. You sit at your desk, turn on your computer while sipping your Kona coffee - life’s great. You head over to your blog ready to read and answer comments when suddenly your stomach tightens and you feel as though the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.

Locking Down WordPress Image by Mr. Mo-Fo

Thus far in our securing your WordPress blog series we have seen:

• Fluffy’s helpful tips and a security login plugin - post 1
• How to change your username for added security - post 2
• How to obscure your database tables - post 3

Today I want to talk about one of the most important security features you can set up for your blog - the .htaccess file.

Why This Is Important

I bet many bloggers and some home-schooled web developers have seen this file mentioned before and know it’s good, but it frightens the heck out of them. This is probably because the code is foreign to them and they know messing it up can limit access to their websites, so they just avoid it all together.

Not good.

We have been talking about strategies for securing your WordPress blog from possible intruders trying to access your files. In case you missed them, here are the first two posts in this series:

• Post 1 (showcasing a great security plugin)
• Post 2 (How To Change Your Username)

Of course nothing is full-proof; all you can do is make things difficult for someone with ill intentions. The idea though is to create multiple layers of road blocks and speed bumps which will make hacking your system a pain which hopefully encourages them to move on rather than spending all day on your site.

Today I’d like to show you how to customize your database some which WordPress uses for its files. This is known as security through obscurity. It’s one of those “speed bumps” as opposed to a “road block”, I guess.

In the first post of this series on securing your WordPress files from intruders we learned why it’s important to create a strong password and how to add a layer of protection for your login page by use of the Login LockDown Plugin.

Today I want to show you how to change the default “admin” username WordPress gives us. This is very important as it’s just one more thing an attacker will have to figure out in order to access your files through the login page. The more difficult you make it, hopefully the more likely they will move on.

You’d think the creators of WordPress would make changing your username easy - but it’s not.

Changing your password, no problem. Changing your username, well . . . not as easy. So let’s do this one together and if you have any questions, feel free to comment below.

Fluffy thinks outside the box when it comes to defending his blog against attackers.

No, this series on how to better secure your WordPress blog from being hacked does not expand on Fluffy’s alternative means of defending it.

Sorry.

However, we will look at some relatively easy things you can do to fortify your blog and take a defensive position without the use of hand grenades and land mines.

This topic will be a series of 7 posts which include guided picture tutorials and is intended for anyone with great web development skills to well, maybe just above a beginner.

For this first post though, I’d like to mention a few good practices and first steps you should do to better secure your WordPress blog. Following that, we’ll look at ways to create multiple layers of protection by:

• Changing your default WordPress username
• Obscuring your database tables

What is your perception of the world you live in? Image by borzikako

Do you do great things or do great things happen to you?

What is the foundation of successful thinking?

For me it’s the way in which we perceive and think of ourselves. I’m not talking about simply thinking happy thoughts and good things will happen, I’m talking about the level in which you perceive yourself and the world around you and your place in it.

Your mind-set and belief system will greatly influence your creativity, potential, and most likely determine your success in business.

Life sort of molds us into the person we are today. Determining factors can be such things as where you’ve been and where you live, who your friends and family are, your income level, environment, etc. The elements around us condition the way we think. And the way we think determines how well we do in business.

It is my pleasure today to welcome aboard Theresa Hoff to the eVentureBiz team. Yes, you may have noticed her last name is the same as mine and I have a perfectly good explanation why.

She’s the person who taught me many things in life and along with my father, taught me such things as thinking laterally in business, integrity, and good will. You’ve probably guessed it, she’s my mother ;).

Theresa has worked in the legal field nearly 20 years and is our resident paralegal, notary, and director of our new department which will provide incorporation and living trust services here at eVentureBiz. Oh yeah, and she also knows a thing or two about filing state trademarks in case you need one or have questions.

What This Means For Business Owners & My Blog Community

To put it simply, this means we can now help you structure your business entity (C or S corporation, LLC, Partnerships, etc.) and help you protect your personal assets from lawsuits against your company. Theresa and I are here to help and answer any questions you might have.