It is very obvious that in order to access the WordPress admin panel, all one has to do is type in the url of the site with /wp-login.php. Now if you used a same password in more than one location, and it was jeopardized then it is easy for the hacker to hack your site. A plugin called Stealth Login allows you to create custom URLs for logging in, logging out, administration and registering for your WordPress blog. You can also enable “Stealth Mode” which will prevent users from being able to access ‘wp-login.php’ directly. You can then set your login url to something more cryptic. This won’t secure your website perfectly, but if someone does manage to crack your password, it can make it difficult for them to find where to actually login. This also prevents any bots that are used for malicious intents from accessing your wp-login.php file and attempting to break in.

2. Pick a Strong Password

This is a very obvious step, but we must mention it as it can’t be emphasized enough. Do not use the same password in other places. Try to make each password different and hard to guess. Use the WordPress Password Strength Detector to your advantage and make your password strong. Another thing you want to do is change your password periodically, so even if some has guessed your password, it is useless to them once you have changed it.

Excellent guide to Create Strong Passwords.

3. Limit Login Attempts

Sometimes the hacker might think they know your password, or they might develop a script to guess your password. In that case what you need to do is limit the login attempts. You can easily do so by using a plugin called Login Lockdown which will lock a user out if they entered the wrong password more than the specified time. They will be locked out for a specified time. You can control the settings via your wp-admin panel.

4. Use Secure SSL Login Pages

You can login to WordPress Admin Panel through the encrypted channels with SSL meaning your session URLs will have https://. You must confirm with your webhosts that you have Shared SSL, or you own a SSL certificate. Once you have confirmed paste the following code in your wp-config.php file:

define(’FORCE_SSL_ADMIN’, true);

There is also a plugin called Admin SSL that will force SSL on all pages. It is easier if you run this plugin, but it is only compatible with version 2.7 and above.

5. Password Protect WP-Admin Directory

There is nothing wrong with having two passwords. It just adds another level of security to your WordPress Admin Area. This can be done by using a plugin called AskApache Password Protect. It encrypts your password and creates the .htpasswd file, as well as setting the correct security-enhanced file permissions on both. You can also use cPanel Password Protection on a Directory if you are using a cPanel Web Host to password protect wp-admin directory.

6. Limit Access via IP Address

You can limit access to your WP-Admin Panel and only allow certain IP Addresses to access. All you have to do is create a .htaccess file in /wp-admin/ folder if there is not one there already. Paste the following code:

AuthUserFile /dev/null
AuthGroupFile /dev/null
AuthName “WordPress Admin Access Control”
AuthType Basic

order deny,allow
deny from all
# whitelist Syed’s IP address
allow from xx.xx.xx.xxx
# whitelist David’s IP address
allow from xx.xx.xx.xxx
# whitelist Amanda’s IP address
allow from xx.xx.xx.xxx
# whitelist Muhammad’s IP address
allow from xx.xx.xx.xxx
# whitelist Work IP address
allow from xx.xx.xx.xxx

Change the IP Address and it will work. The downside to this hack is that if you ever want to access the admin panel from some other place, you won’t be able to do so unless you add that extra IP in your .htaccess file.

Source

7. Never use “admin” Username

This is the first user that is created when WordPress is installed. You should never use or keep this user. Because in the past multiple loopholes have been found that are linked to Brute Force Attack and admin username, you should refrain from using it. You should create another user using your WordPress admin panel, and assign administrator roles to it. Try to make this username something that is not obvious, so it is harder for the hacker to guess. Then delete the admin user altogether to stay on the safe side.

8. Remove Error Message on the Login Page

When you enter a wrong password or an invalid username, you get an error message in the login page. So if a hacker gets one thing right, the error message will help them identify that. Therefore it is recommended if you remove that error message entirely. Open your functions.php located in your theme folder and paste the following code:

add_filter(’login_errors’,create_function(’$a’, “return null;”));

A plugin called Secure WordPress also accomplishes this and it has other features as well. Check it out to see if you are interested.

9. Use Encrypted Password to Login

When you don’t have SSL enabled, this method comes in handy. There is a plugin that lets you do this job, and it is called Semisecure Login Reimagined. Semisecure Login Reimagined increases the security of the login process using an RSA public key to encrypt the password on the client-side when a user logs in. The server then decrypts the encrypted password with the private key. JavaScript is required to enable encryption.

10. WordPress AntiVirus Protection

AntiVirus for WordPress is a smart and effective solution to protect your blog against exploits and spam injections. Special feature of this plugin is Manual testing with immediate result of the infected files, and Daily automatic check with email notification.

11. Stay Updated with the Latest WordPress Version

Last but definitely not the least is to stay updated with the latest version of WordPress because after each version is release, WordPress also releases the bugs and exploits of the previous version which puts your Admin Area in risk if you don’t upgrade.

Posted by Vinoth@ephrontech.com

More details Please check the URL

http://www.fusioncharts.com/free/Gallery.asp?gMenuItemId=3

VP

posted by rathees

http://www.dustindiaz.com/top-ten-javascript/

posted by Rathees

http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/02/good-web-typography/

posted by Rathees

http://forabeautifulweb.com/blog/about/walls_come_tumbling_down/

posted by Rathees

http://desizntech.info/2009/05/do-you-know-what-is-design-41-answers-to-one-simple-question/

– poster by Rathees

2. Make the content scannable: this is the Internet, not a book, so forget large blocks of text. Probably I will be visiting your site while I work on other stuff so make sure that I can scan through the entire content. Bullet points, headers, subheaders, lists. Anything that will help the reader filter what he is looking for.

3. Do not use fancy fonts that are unreadable: sure there are some fonts that will give a sophisticated look to your website. But are they readable? If your main objective is to deliver a message and get the visitors reading your stuff, then you should make the process comfortable for them.

4. Do not use tiny fonts: the previous point applies here, you want to make sure that readers are comfortable reading your content. My Firefox does have a zooming feature, but if I need to use on your website it will probably be the last time I visit it.

5. Do not open new browser windows: I used to do that on my first websites. The logic was simple, if I open new browser windows for external links the user will never leave my site. WRONG! Let the user control where he wants the links to open. There is a reason why browsers have a huge “Back” button. Do not worry about sending the visitor to another website, he will get back if he wants to (even porn sites are starting to get conscious regarding this point lately…).

6. Do not resize the user’s browser windows: the user should be in control of his browser. If you resize it you will risk to mess things up on his side, and what is worse you might lose your credibility in front of him.

7. Do not require a registration unless it is necessary: lets put this straight, when I browse around the Internet I want to get information, not the other way around. Do not force me to register up and leave my email address and other details unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. unless what you offer is so good that I will bear with the registration).

8. Never subscribe the visitor for something without his consent: do not automatically subscribe a visitor to newsletters when he registers up on your site. Sending unsolicited emails around is not the best way to make friends.

9. Do not overuse Flash: apart from increasing the load time of your website, excessive usage of Flash might also annoy the visitors. Use it only if you must offer features that are not supported by static pages.

10. Do not play music: on the early years of the Internet web developers always tried to successfully integrate music into websites. Guess what, they failed miserably. Do not use music, period.

11. If you MUST play an audio file let the user start it: some situations might require an audio file. You might need to deliver a speech to the user or your guided tour might have an audio component. That is fine. Just make sure that the user is in control, let him push the “Play” button as opposed to jamming the music on his face right after he enters the website.

12. Do not clutter your website with badges: first of all, badges of networks and communities make a site look very unprofessional. Even if we are talking about awards and recognition badges you should place them on the “About Us” page.

13. Do not use a homepage that just launches the “real” website: the smaller the number of steps required for the user to access your content, the better.

14. Make sure to include contact details: there is nothing worse than a website that has no contact details. This is not bad only for the visitors, but also for yourself. You might lose important feedback along the way.

15. Do not break the “Back” button: this is a very basic principle of usability. Do not break the “Back” button under any circumstance. Opening new browser windows will break it, for instance, and some Javascript links might also break them.

16. Do not use blinking text: unless your visitors are coming straight from 1996, that is.

17. Avoid complex URL structures: a simple, keyword-based URL structure will not only improve your search engine rankings, but it will also make it easier for the reader to identify the content of your pages before visiting them.

18. Use CSS over HTML tables: HTML tables were used to create page layouts. With the advent of CSS, however, there is no reason to stick to them. CSS is faster, more reliable and it offers many more features.

19. Make sure users can search the whole website: there is a reason why search engines revolutionized the Internet. You probably guessed it, because they make it very easy to find the information we are looking for. Do not neglect this on your site.

20. Avoid “drop down” menus: the user should be able to see all the navigation options straight way. Using “drop down” menus might confuse things and hide the information the reader was actually looking for.

21. Use text navigation: text navigation is not only faster but it is also more reliable. Some users, for instance, browse the Internet with images turned off.

22. If you are linking to PDF files disclose it: ever clicked on a link only to see your browser freezing while Acrobat Reader launches to open that (unrequested) PDF file? That is pretty annoying so make sure to explicit links pointing to PDF files so that users can handle them properly.

23. Do not confuse the visitor with many versions: avoid confusing the visitor with too many versions of your website. What bandwidth do I prefer? 56Kbps? 128Kbps? Flash or HTML? Man, just give me the content!

24. Do not blend advertising inside the content: blending advertising like Adsense units inside your content might increase your click-through rate on the short term. Over the long run, however, this will reduce your readership base. An annoyed visitor is a lost visitor.

25. Use a simple navigation structure: sometimes less is more. This rule usually applies to people and choices. Make sure that your website has a single, clear navigation structure. The last thing you want is to confuse the reader regarding where he should go to find the information he is looking for.

26. Avoid “intros”: do not force the user to watch or read something before he can access to the real content. This is plain annoying, and he will stay only if what you have to offer is really unique.

27. Do not use FrontPage: this point extends to other cheap HTML editors. While they appear to make web design easier, the output will be a poorly crafted code, incompatible with different browsers and with several bugs.

28. Make sure your website is cross-browser compatible: not all browsers are created equal, and not all of them interpret CSS and other languages on the same way. Like it or not, you will need to make your website compatible with the most used browsers on the market, else you will lose readers over the long term.

29. Make sure to include anchor text on links: I confess I used to do that mistake until some time ago. It is easier to tell people to “click here”. But this is not efficient. Make sure to include a relevant anchor text on your links. It will ensure that the reader knows where he is going to if he clicks the link, and it will also create SEO benefits for the external site where the link is pointing.

30. Do not cloak links: apart from having a clear anchor text, the user must also be able to see where the link is pointing on the status bar of his browser. If you cloak your links (either because they are affiliate ones or due to other reasons) your site will lose credibility.

31. Make links visible: the visitor should be able to recognize what is clickable and what is not, easily. Make sure that your links have a contrasting color (the standard blue color is the optimal most of the times). Possibly also make them underlined.

32. Do not underline or color normal text: do not underline normal text unless absolutely necessary. Just as users need to recognize links easily, they should not get the idea that something is clickable when in reality it is not.

33. Make clicked links change color: this point is very important for the usability of your website. Clicked links that change color help the user to locate himself more easily around your site, making sure that he will not end up visiting the same pages unintentionally.

34. Do not use animated GIFs: unless you have advertising banners that require animation, avoid animated GIFs. They make a site look unprofessional and detract the attention from the content.

35. Make sure to use the ALT and TITLE attributes for images: apart from having SEO benefits the ALT and TITLE attributes for images will play an important role for blind users.

36. Do not use harsh colors: if the user is getting a headache after visiting your site for 10 consecutive minutes, you probably should pick a better color scheme. Design the color palette around your objectives (i.e. deliver a mood, let the user focus on the content, etc.).

37. Do not use pop ups: this point refers to pop ups of any kind. Even user requested pop ups are a bad idea given the increasing amount of pop blockers out there.

38. Avoid Javascript links: those links execute a small Javascript when the user clicks on them. Stay away from them since they often create problems for the user.

39. Include functional links on your footer: people are used to scrolling down to the footer of a website if they are not finding a specific information. At the very least you want to include a link to the Homepage and possibly a link to the “Contact Us” page.

40. Avoid long pages: guess what, if the user needs to scroll down forever in order to read your content he will probably just skip it altogether. If that is the case with your website make it shorter and improve the navigation structure.

41. No horizontal scrolling: while some vertical scrolling is tolerable, the same can not be said about horizontal scrolling. The most used screen resolution nowadays is 1024 x 768 pixels, so make sure that your website fits inside it.

42. No spelling or grammatical mistakes: this is not a web design mistake, but it is one of the most important factors affecting the overall quality of a website. Make sure that your links and texts do not contain spelling or grammatical mistakes.

43. If you use CAPTCHA make sure the letters are readable: several sites use CAPTCHA filters as a method of reducing spam on comments or on registration forms. There is just one problem with it, most of the times the user needs to call his whole family to decipher the letters.

Post by vinoth@ephrontech.com

This is an alpha release, so feel free to post comments/bugs on the IETester forum or contact me directly.
Requirement : Windows Vista or Windows XP with IE7 (Windows XP/IE6 config has some problems and IE8 instance do not work under XP without IE7)

More Details Please check this link
http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage

vp

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-php-batch/
http://www.deshong.net/2007/11/robust-batch-processing-with-php-part-12/
http://brian.deshong.net/talks/2008/phptek/robust_batch_processing_with_php.pdf