Exhibits: October 15-16 | Conference: October 14-16 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Las Vegas NevadaExhibits: October 15-16 | Conference: October 14-16 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Las Vegas Nevada

How to Keep Your Blog from Being

Hacked, Stolen or Otherwise Violated

How to Keep Your Blog from Being

Hacked, Stolen or Otherwise Violated

Brian LaymanBrian Layman

Introduction Introduction

• Who I am. What I do. What I see.• What software do your blogs run on?• Who here has had a blog hacked, defaced,

stolen or taken down?• Is your site safe? (No one would ever want to

hack my blog about _____.)• The title is a lie…

Well Known Blog HacksWell Known Blog Hacks

• Go Daddy• Blue Host• Network Solutions

• PayPal’s Blog• CorneliaMarie.com• ClimateCrisis.net• Twilight Lexicon

• Twitter• Gawker• PhotoMatt• Problogger

• DreamHost• Bizland

Antivirus CampaignAntivirus Campaign

http://bit.ly/AVCampaign

Define “hacked”Define “hacked”

• Content or uploads destroyed• Hidden hyperlinks added to your site• Redirect to another site• Content edited• Hijacked website• Defacement• Bank fraud

Definition of TermsHow attacks happen…

Definition of TermsHow attacks happen…

• CSRF/XSRF – Cross Site Request Forgery • XSS – Cross Site Scripting• SQL Injection• DDOS – (Distributed) Denial of Service• DNS Hijacking – Spoofing or Poisoning• Malvertising – Malicious Advertising• Stolen Password• Bad Code

Open source Responses to Vulnerabilities

Open source Responses to Vulnerabilities

• WordPress• http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress• security@wordpress.org

• Drupal• http://drupal.org/security-team• security@drupal.org

• Joomla• http://developer.joomla.org/security.html • security@joomla.org

Security Through ObscuritySecurity Through Obscurity

• What is it? You tell me…• Who is right?• My thought:

Any steps that may eliminate a large subset of attacks on your blog should be taken.

Tactics YOU can use no matter what platform you are on

Tactics YOU can use no matter what platform you are on

• The basics• Passwords• Communication (Plain Text vs. SSL)• Updates• Watch what you add to your sites

(plugins/themes/add-ons)• Backups• Google Webmaster Tools

PasswordsPasswords

• Use strong passwords• Make them unique in high value situations

CommunicationCommunication

• Pay attention to how you are sending your passwords

• Wireless Networks = Risk• FTP – Use SFTP instead• Email – Use SSL Ports 587,995,993 vs 25,110,143• Skype – Syncs history upon connect, never send

secure passwords – EVER• CPanel/WHM/Admin pages – if it is http not https,

your password can be scraped

Updates Updates

• Keep your blog, plugins, themes, & operating system current – yes, even Linux

• Security and attacks improve over time2005 – Admin operations required a referrer

2006 – Admin operations required a NONCE

2007 – Plugin pages forced to check security

2008 – Randomized keys and salts & upgrades

2009 – Security escalations issues – full review

2010 – Automated plugin and theme upgrades

Watch what you add…Watch what you add…

• Every plugin or theme is a security risk• “Free Theme” sites are a very high risk• Less popular & highly specialized plugins

have had less eyes on them and are riskier• Older plugins used older security standards -

we simply knew less and had fewer tools• You are responsible for your site. Learn how

to identify problems or make a friend who can.

BackupsBackups

• Both files and database• Keep the files offline• If you have files online keep them out of

public_html• As important as having the backups…

Know how to restore them!• Before you restore – delete the files and

directories to remove the hack files

Google Webmaster Tools Google Webmaster Tools

• How do you know you are hacked?• Google will email you when they consider you

a risk• http://www.google.com/webmasters/• http://www.google.com/webmasters/checklist/• https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

reconsideration

• You can configure multiple owners

Coding PracticesCoding Practices

• EVERYTHING that is displayed on the screen must be filtered.

• WordPress provides: esc_html esc_url esc_*

http://codex.wordpress.org/Data_Validation

• EVERYTHING that you send to the database must be filtered.

• WordPress provides: $wpdb->prepare

• TRUST NOTHING• Try to use your text instead of user input

ServersServers

• Permissions - The 755 myth• chmod -R 755 *• Generic: Directories Should be 755 Files 644• Reality: The least privileges provides the most

access

• VPS vs Shared Hosting vs Managed Hosting• Flexibility, Access, Less risk = More $• Harden your own server or let someone do it• suPHP – Isolates your installation

WordPress Specific Security Techniques WordPress Specific Security Techniques

• Create a “Editor” user for posting• Create a new “Administrator”, delete the old one, then only

use it for maintenance• Never use wp_ as your table prefix• Look at wp-config-sample.php now and then and update

your wp-config.php• Force Secure password logins

• http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Over_SSL

WordPress Techniques(Expected Answers)

WordPress Techniques(Expected Answers)

• Move wp-config.php• Remove version Info• Rename the admin user• Move your wp-content directory – Possibly

worth doing but will break many plugins and themes

• Use .htaccess to white list IP addresses or add an extra password layer

WordPress Techniques WordPress Techniques

• Free Plugins http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

• exploit-scanner• wp-security-scan• wordpress-file-monitor

• Paid Plugins

http://pluginbuddy.com/purchase/backupbuddy/

Who can help? Managed Hosting & Clean Up

Who can help? Managed Hosting & Clean Up

• iThemes.com• Page.ly • WPSecuritylock.com• WebDevStudios.com• CoveredWebServices.com

And of course:• eHermitsInc.com

Brian LaymanBrian Laymanhttp://eHermitsInc.com/slides

http://twitter.com/brianlayman @eHermits

Text ehermits to 50500

Brian@eHermitsInc.com