Finding the Right Open Source Plugins
When you’re deciding on the right host for your website or blog, you need to make sure that you select the appropriate amount of disk space and bandwidth for your site. If you want your visitors and clients to take your site seriously, then you need to ensure that you have a dynamite hosting plan that has watertight protection against downtime and server errors.
You could opt for a shared hosting plan, which means that your website or blog will be sharing a server with many other sites. Shared hosting plans are extremely budget friendly, but the tradeoff is that you may experience a slower website for your visitors.
If your business outgrows your shared hosting plan, then it may be time to think about switching to a Virtual Private Server (VPS). With a VPS, your website won’t share server space with others: thus, your site will have more room to grow. This is especially important if you’re running an e-commerce store and you anticipate substantial future expansion.
Once you’ve selected the right kind of hosting plan for your business and you’ve set up your initial website template, it’s time to think about plugins. If you’ve built your site on a blogging platform such as WordPress, plugins are a great way to extend the functions of your website or blog without hardcore coding experience.
Identifying the Worst Open Source Plugins
Managing your plugins is a must for optimal website security. When you activate a plugin for use on your website or blog, you are essentially granting the program access to your entire site. Your passwords, your users, and more are susceptible to vulnerabilities when you activate plugins.
When a plugin is “Open Source,” that means that the source code is open to anyone with bad intentions, who may read the code and identify vulnerabilities that could be used to exploit the end-user. If the programmer does not properly follow security guidelines that person may be leaving a plugin exposed for others to use and open themselves up for attack. If the plugin becomes popular and ends up on the WordPress plugin site, then it could spread like a virus and take down many sites with nothing but a simple activation.
How to Choose the Best Open Source Plugins
All that being said, there are ways to find plugins that are safe to be used on your website or blog. It’s best to be hesitant of brand new plugins, because they may have security flaws that have not been addressed.
When you search for plugins, opt for those that have a long history of use and a positive reputation. Read through the reviews and find out what other webmasters had to say about a plugin before you install it on your site.
Another wise move is to use the least amount of plugins possible to successfully manage your site. Periodically check the status of your plugins, and if you find any that are no longer in use, make sure to delete them entirely from your site as opposed to simply deactivating them. Following these simple guidelines will enable you to maintain the integrity of your site and reduce your risk of leaving it open to damage.
Category: Website Tips
