Blog Maintenance Checklist - #1: Update WordPress

As with any website, it’s important to keep your blog up-to-date. At least once a month you need to invest some time into doing some simple maintenance. This will help keep your blog secure and give you access to any new features that are available. Blog maintenance involves everything from software updates to monitoring your content. The next several posts will show you some important thing you need to keep to keep your blog running smoothly. #1: Update Your WordPress Installation

Updating your WordPress installation is the most important task on this list. If you’re running an old version of WordPress, there’s a good chance you’re running a version of WordPress that has known security vulnerabilities and is easier for hackers to get into. Updating your WordPress install just takes a few seconds. Just make sure you update it whenever you see WordPress prompting you to do an update.

#2: Update Your Plugins

The second most important thing on your checklist is updating your themes. Though the WordPress core installation can pose a security risk, the reality is that the vast majority of WordPress hacks come from compromised plugins.

Most people don’t realize that a single compromised plugin can not only result in their entire WordPress installation getting hacked, but having every other WordPress installation on their entire server getting hacked as well.

Updating your plugins is easy. Just go to the plugins panel and click on “Update Available.”