3 Ways To Prevent Plug-Ins From Becoming Your Achilles's Heel
Some content management systems (CMS), like WordPress, are a popular choice for websites not only because they are user-friendly, but because they have infinite plug-ins to extend functionality. If you are not careful, your plug-ins can also create a major vulnerability in your website.
Use Reputable Software
Many plug-ins for your CMS are free, which does not mean they are unsafe, but it does mean you may need to be more cautious about the creator of the plug-in. Since almost anyone can create a plug-in and uploaded to the store or library for your CMS, it can be harder to decipher which plug-ins are worth the risk. Use ratings and other available information about the creator to help you make a decision. It is better to avoid any plug-in with few downloads and ratings. Additionally, creators with a long track record of creating highly rated plug-ins are likely safer than someone who is new to the scene.
Keep Your Site Updated
Your CMS and plug-ins should have frequent updates, especially as new security vulnerabilities are identified. One challenge is plug-ins may not be updated as frequently as the CMS, which can lead to incompatibilities between your CMS and the plug-ins you are currently using. Whenever possible, allow automatic updates for your CMS and all plug-ins you use. This will increase the chances you are using the most secure software available at any time. If there is a conflict between your updated CMS and plug-ins, you can make the choice to roll back to the previous version and do this manually. If your current plug-ins do not match with the current CMS, you may also consider finding plug-ins with similar functions that are more recently updated to minimize the chance of security problems.
Invest In Scanning And Patching
The website security package you purchase should include scanning and patching services to protect your website against malicious plug-ins or other vulnerabilities. Website security can protect you against problem plug-ins in several ways. Your security service can warn you about problems with the plug-in when you attempt to install the software. Problems might include malicious code or incompatibilities between your CMS and the plug-in.
Frequent scanning of your website will help identify if the plug-in injects malicious code into your website. Be sure to purchase a security package that not only scans your website, but will remove problems automatically. This can reduce the amount of time any malicious code is on your website and able to do damage. Patching is also important because as new vulnerabilities occur, your security package will automatically patch the problem.
Although plug-ins can extend the functionality of your CMS, they can also be a major source for problems if you are not careful. Installing plug-ins responsibly and having security features in place can prevent most issues you could encounter on your website.
For more information, consider looking into website security service packages.