There are some things in life you really don’t want unexpected visitors turning up for. A family barbecue, your Sunday afternoon nap, or worse still, the back end of your WordPress website.
At Tinpeas, website security has always been something we take rather seriously. In fact, probably a little too seriously if you ask anyone who has ever tried to have a normal conversation with us about WordPress plugins. But keeping our clients’ websites safe is important, and with online threats becoming increasingly clever, standing still simply isn’t an option.
That is why we’re introducing Patchstack across our client WordPress websites, adding another layer of protection to help keep the digital nasties at bay.
So, what on earth is Patchstack?
Patchstack is a specialist WordPress security platform that monitors vulnerabilities in plugins, themes and WordPress itself. In plain English, it helps identify security weaknesses before someone with questionable intentions decides to take advantage of them.
WordPress is a brilliant platform, and we’re rather fond of it. But with thousands of plugins and themes available, occasionally something slips through the cracks. A security vulnerability can appear in even the most popular and trusted software, and sometimes a fix isn’t immediately available.
That is where Patchstack earns its keep.
Rather than simply telling us that something is wrong, Patchstack can also provide virtual patches, which are targeted security rules designed to block certain attacks without changing the website’s underlying code. Where protection is available and enabled, this can help keep vulnerable software safer while waiting for an official update.
Think of it as putting an extra lock on the door while the locksmith is on his way.
Why we’re adding it to our websites
At Tinpeas, we already take website security seriously, with carefully managed hosting, multiple firewall layers, regular backups and ongoing website maintenance.
But the internet is a busy place, and not everyone knocking on your website’s door is there to admire the design.
Hackers and automated bots are constantly looking for weaknesses in websites, particularly outdated or vulnerable WordPress plugins. These attacks aren’t necessarily personal. Your website doesn’t need to be famous, enormous or selling something particularly exciting to attract unwanted attention.
Sometimes simply being connected to the internet is enough.
By introducing Patchstack, we’re adding another specialist layer of defence that focuses on known WordPress vulnerabilities. It helps us identify potential problems, understand their severity and, where supported, protect against exploitation before a permanent fix is installed.
And because we would rather prevent a problem than spend a Friday evening untangling one, that sounds like a very sensible addition to us.
A little extra peace of mind
For our clients across Suffolk, Norfolk and throughout the UK, this is all about keeping websites better protected without making life complicated.
A business website should be busy attracting customers, generating enquiries and doing its job, not entertaining suspicious visitors trying to climb through the digital bathroom window.
Of course, no security system can promise to stop absolutely everything. Patchstack doesn’t replace sensible updates, regular backups, good hosting or proper website maintenance. It works alongside them, adding another level of protection to an already important collection of security measures.
And that is exactly how we like things at Tinpeas. No single magic button, no wishful thinking and definitely no relying on crossed fingers.
Keeping the tin tightly shut
As WordPress specialists, we believe looking after a website is every bit as important as building it in the first place. Security threats change, new vulnerabilities appear and yesterday’s perfectly healthy plugin can occasionally wake up with a nasty surprise.
By bringing Patchstack into our website security arrangements, we’re taking another proactive step towards keeping the websites entrusted to us safer.
Our clients don’t need to understand every technical detail, firewall rule or vulnerability report. That’s the sort of thing we enjoy getting our teeth into, strange as that may sound.
They just need to know that someone is keeping an eye on things.
Tinpeas. Keeping the good stuff in and the digital riff-raff out.
