Although it’s possible to get hacked, there are things one can do to make it far less likely. The most important thing is to keep your site up to date, or at least update it whenever WordPress puts out a security update. And WordPress is committed to quickly launching updates whenever a security risk has been discovered. If a security update comes out I will be notified and immediately update your site. WordPress actually updates their software quite often, but only releases security updates as needed.

(A WordPress developer recently said that WordPress had not had a hack of the current version in something like two years. They had anticipated any issues and fixed them,  and had no reported hacks of the current version WordPress in a long time. )

When someone sets up a WordPress site they should do a number of things to increase it’s security. Most amateurs don’t perform any security precautions, or they only do the easiest ones. Here’s what I do:

1. Keep WordPress updated
2. Use strong usernames and passwords
3. Update the WordPress security key
4. Install Limit Login to limit the number of times someone can attempt to login
5. Install WordPress Firewall
6. Choose plugins carefully
7. Rename the tables in the database
8. Schedule automatic backups and save backups on another server

Another option is to set your site up with a remote service that continually monitors the site for malware, and if it ever finds a problem it will clean it up in a flash.

To boost your confidence, here is a list of 21 popular brand websites that use WordPress. The list includes Ben & Jerry, CNN and NYTimes Blogs.

If you want a more in-depth conversation about WordPress security, I recommend you read Ask WordPress Girl’s post about WordPress security.

Listen to this quote from the book:

Most business owners believe that whether customers refer them is entirely out of their hands. But science shows that people can’t help recommending products and services to their friends—it’s an instinct wired deep in the brain. And smart businesses can tap into that hardwired desire.

Wired into our brains? Isn’t that fascinating? Jantsch explains that there is a tiny part of the brain, the hypothalamus, that not only helps regulate thirst, hunger, maternal behavior, aggression and pleasure, but to some degree, your propensity to refer. The hypothalamus likes validation. You know how when someone is lost and asks you for directions, you really want to help them out, even if you’re not sure you know the right way? Same kind of thing. This is the social drive for making referrals.

And the way business owners can tap into that hardwired desire is not by some tricky back door, but by keeping your customers happy.

Talk with your customers, not at them. Thanks to social networking sites, companies of any size have the opportunity to engage with their customers on their home turf as never before—but the key is listening.

Jantsch tells a wonderful story. Although it doesn’t relate to social networking, it’s about connecting with your customers.

One day Jantsch and his wife were at an REI sale, and his wife bought a coat. A few weeks later they went to an outdoor event, and she finally had the chance to wear her new coat. When she put her hand in the pocket she felt a little piece of paper, and when she pulled it out she expected it to say “Inspected by #48.” Instead, the note read, “You are a goddess!” Can you imagine what a delightful surprise that was? That unexpected message made her day.

Unrelated to the quality, cut or color of the coat, they couldn’t help but feel fondly about the company that made the coat and refer them to anyone who would listen.

I loved that story, and it inspires me to want to give my clients unexpected delightful surprises.

I started this post by saying that this book is loosening my resistance to blogging. I haven’t really said how it’s doing that, but at least I wrote my first post. Maybe it stimulated the blogging part of my hypothalamus, so I just couldn’t help myself.