Securing your Website.
I am learning more and more about WordPress and how it works especially the aspect of securing the website.
With the hit that I have had from the SEO-hogging and bouncing malware I needed to learn fast to ensure that my website functions properly and does not infect anybody’s computer while using the website.
So as a fallout of my experience, I have the following list of the things that I believe will make the administration of your website better and trouble-free.
Use Plugins
WordPress is a very customizable application that takes the heavy lifting out of web design and programming. Out of the box, it comes with about 2 − 3 plugins that are quite useful. Other than the Hello Dolly plugin which makes the admin space a bit lively, the Akismet plugin is a must as it allows you to filter out spam comments that will hit your site once you are up and running. I think it is a must.
With just these plugins, your site is going to be as basic as the theme you are using will allow.
The Plugins page allows you to search the WordPress.org repository for different types of plugins that can address your need at the particular point in time. As most of the plugins are free, don’t be tempted to install everything you see because other that the possibility of conflict, there is the issue of loading your site with unnecessary files which will end up slowing down the response of your website. Also, for plugins that you are not using, just go ahead and delete them rather than leave them deactivated. Example of a useful plugin is Custom Contact Forms to allow people reach your with their comments
Screen Plugins
Since the plugins are free and they are found in the WordPress repository they must all be safe right? Wrong! The plugins are not designed by WordPress but just hosted with the belief and expectation that they are not malicious. Unfortunately, since WordPress is open-source and the plugins are the same, there is the likelihood that people with nefarious intents can hijack the plugins and plant their malicious codes which is then installed by the unsuspecting enduser. So screen plugin file before you install them. Read the comments on the plugin’s page to see if there is any complaint, check through the code if you have the skill to see if there is anything there that looks strange. After activating the plugin, check to see if anything has changed in the behavior of the website like is it loading slower, are there adverts you now nothing about, is it redirecting people to your 404 page or to another website. Example of a useful plugin is Sucuri Security
Know your files
This is one aspect that is very important for your website. Try and have a back up of your website after the 1st install. This allows you to have the vanilla version of the website especially the WordPress files. If any plugin modifies the file in any way, drops a new folder in your installation as a back door, you can easily find it and remove it. Also important, you want to make sure that you update your WordPress installation as soon as possible after an update release. Example of a useful plugin is WordPress Database Backup
Practice safe development
Develop a plan to verify the state of your website by checking its status in well know security websites. Before then, it is also important to ensure your workstation is clean and free of viruses and malware by checking your system regularly and doing a routine scan of your system.
Hopefully the information above will help you keep your website safe.
God Our Father
July 25, 2013 by Jide Ajayi • Issues •
The Fatherhood of God is something that bothered theologians for a while in the past and in the process of defining it, some where labeled heretics.
While we have moved on and the theology of the Godhead can be said to be fairly resolved, there are still instances where one has to wonder if anything has been learnt at all.
Now I do not address those that as a matter of policy, principle and doctrine have issues with the fact that the Christ is the son of God or the same as the son of God, that is a discussion for another time. The issue here is focused on those that believe He is and that the Father is His father just like He is our father.
In most cultures around the world the place of the father is not disputed. Fathers are usually placed on a pedestal and you could almost say worshipped.
Children may easily overcome their mothers’ authority in some instances but when a Father is available, the respect that the Father commands when they play their role as expected is one of the most persistent around the world after all these years.
Well it can be explained that it is because most cultures are patristic which is true, more importantly, I believe it is because it is a natural ordained role for men to play a particular purpose in the family that this exists.
Where am I going with this you may ask. Well believing that when we come from where we agree, we can look at the things we don’t agree about.
That we call talk about the fatherhood of God shows that we have an understanding that He has a relationship with us, a relationship in which He has the Fatherly role. This is not something that just dropped on our laps, it is by virtue of learning and experience that we have come to see this role as how we can interact with him especially when we observe the teachings of Jesus Christ His Son. This write up is not to discuss our knowledge of the theology of the Trinity. It is to address the practice in some quarters with respect to Hallowing the Name of God and our relationship with Him.
A typical prayer in these quarters starts with a very loud shout of F-A-T-H-E-R two or three times which is then rapidly followed by a litany of requests. The impression you get is that of Rulers of a house commanding and demanding the presence of a slave.
But for understanding the meaning of the English word father you would think it was a subordinate being called.
The issue is this, if we have learnt from a young age to respect the fathers we have at home and even in our old age and improved social condition or otherwise still deal with them with utmost respect and even fear, how then has it become proper to shout out the name of the Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, the immortal and invisible wise God. We cannot seriously say that this approach to prayer in anyway demonstrates respect for the name. Moreover how can we claim we respect Him or have any reverence for Him since we threat Him worse than we should.
The people of Berea we were told in the book of Acts when back to verify if the things they were told by the preachers were true. If we could only borrow a leaf from them we would realize that its not everything we hear or see come out of the pulpit is worth emulation.
Blessed by the name of the Lord God Almighty.