High profile blogger Robert Scoble had his WordPress blog hacked this week by hackers who exploited a documented bug in WordPress and deleted a large number of his posts.
The sad reality is that it never should have happened.
WordPress knew about the vulnerability and released a system update last month to protect users. However, Robert – who prides himself on being the guy who is “exploring the 2010 web” – Robert ignored the repeated system messages to upgrade for security reasons. To make matters worse, Robert didn’t have any WordPress backup system in place.
It’s very simple, WordPress users: YOU HAVE TO EAT YOUR VEGETABLES.
Self-hosted WordPress users should *always* install system updates. Period. End of Story. It couldn’t be easier, as WordPress literally has a one-click upgrade feature. Stumped? WordPress has phone support – free for the first three minutes. Upgrading keeps your blog and personal data secure. To date, no one who has implemented the suggested free upgrades has been hacked.
In addition to installing system updates, self-hosted WordPress users should have a backup plan. There’s even a *great* backup plugin that can run on its own and email you the backup!
Run your updates. Run your backups. Run your updates. Run your backups. Run your updates. Run your backups. Run your updates. Run your backups.
And eat your vegetables!