Security and updating your scripts
One of the biggest concerns when owning a website is security. One of the ways you can leave yourself open to being hacked or having your information stolen is when you do not update your scripts. Third party scripts that range from shopping carts, to blogs, forums and membership web sites are updated on a regular basis. Most open source software is updated by the community or by the developers as new issues and technologies arise. Most major updates include enhancements as well as addressing security issues.
There are people out there waiting for the newest exploit so that they can scan the internet for sites that have not applied the recommended updates. Some hackers write spiders to crawl the internet looking for sites in which to install their malicious code. Some will upload their own web page with an offer to fix the issue for a fee.
These exploits can allow unauthorized users to do anything from sending spam from an email box on your account, to injecting mysql code into your database, improper file permissions would even let them corrupt, delete, modify, redirect or replace your website entirely.
Most third party scripts have their own support forum and website. Some software will even let you know through email or when you log into your account that there are updates. They will usually tell you how important the update is and the reason for the update. I suggest creating a backup of your data and files before applying updates. Most updates are easy to install and require you to download or upload to your website and install the updated content to overwrite your current content. This will sometimes break customizations to the script you have previously applied. Make sure to test your site and features right after you are done. I know a blog site that was wondering why it had no new users only to find that their custom registration page was broken after the last update.
I always keep a handy list of my account features. For example mysql version, php version on the server, and other settings such as php.ini changes I have made. Some updates are updates because of changes in technology. Make sure the requirements for the update are ones you already have for hosting account. If you are on a shared hosting account you can check your hosting control panel or contact your hosting company to have your account moved to a newer server if your account does not have these requirements.
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By: solarbluseth
web hosting guru
