Blogging, or ‘web blog’, is a term that describes one of the founding blocks of the internet experience that has officially existed since the early 90s. Blogging is something that all of us interact with as we peruse the cornucopia of information on the World Wide Web. Blogging is a big piece of the internet pie, with over 30 million estimated ‘bloggers’ in the U.S. alone. Blogs are everywhere, literally, and you probably know someone that blogs in your circles. At the very least, you will encounter blogs every time you search for something on any search engine. You may have also heard of a CMS, or Content Management System, such as WordPress. WordPress, in particular, makes up over 40% of the entire internet (web.) This means that almost half of all of the vast amount of internet web pages are of the blog type. Although blogging is an international endeavor, it is a fact that blogs in English are published the most -are the most popular choice. This is why it is important to look at how to blog safely, and why setting up your social media privacy settings is key for your cybersecurity.
What do The Statistics Show?
According to online statistics, almost 80% of the 4 billion+ global internet users read blogs daily. Millions of blog posts are published daily and are an integral part of social media, and even business. Social media is tightly intertwined with blogging, without which it would be difficult to boost search results and reach people. On the other hand, when it comes to business, blogs move the internet economy, sell products and boost online sales. Many people looking to move to remote work, WFA, or WFH models (Work From Anywhere and Work From Home) most often look to blogging as a good exit strategy from commuting to offices for the daily grind.
At present, there are almost 600 million blogs comprising pages reported by Squarespace, Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, and more website builders. Among these, Tumblr and WordPress make up the majority of blogs followed by Squarespace, Blogger, and others. Internet users are always on the hunt for quick fixes and easily digestible information.
Blogging is Key For Modern Connected Business
Blogging also reports a fantastic success rate for those who blog. The difference between a run-of-the-mill and a quality blog means a lot, as good blogging is a proven way to increase the traffic for a website, as well as very important SEO-related criteria like ‘organic traffic.’ Businesses that have an active blogging business strategy report almost double the ‘inbound links’ or other pages linking to them (which is key for website authority and good SEO.) For all of these reasons, this is why blogging takes up a big piece of the internet pie chart as one of the most popular ways that online users entertain and educate themselves online. However, let us not forget the power of video, too. Blogging isn’t exactly on par with watching YouTube videos, because video content always gets more clicks and generates a lot more traffic than blogs alone. According to research, those who combine video and lengthy, quality blogs released in relatively high frequency have the best possible results.
Why Blogging Can be Unsafe
Can blogging be unsafe? Absolutely. What does this mean exactly? Well, the internet itself is not monitored, nor is it under any jurisdiction in that no authority can control it. The internet is a truly open, free space. This free space is also filled with individuals who are ill-intentioned and have the tools to disrupt, damage, and steal data as well as intercept data transmissions. On the other hand, there are myriad privacy issues online today which means that bloggers (whether individuals or belonging to a business) have to practice good internet hygiene and cybersecurity practices.
Here is a succinct list that includes the most common problems you may run into as a blogger;
- As a blogger, depending on how sensitive what you post is, your identity and personal details may be at risk
- Remember that what you blog tends to remain online permanently
- Blogs can be intercepted and ‘hacked’ by cybercriminals given weak website security
- Blogs can be a risk for the younger generation
- What you blog about may be illegal in your location/country
How to Stay Safe While Blogging
Staying safe while blogging in today’s internet era is a must, simply because there are a host of malicious users out there as well as the factor of human error. It is crucial that anyone who utilizes blogging is aware that owning a website or blog means the potential for cybercrime as well as consequences from human error. Just one example of this is that the world’s leading CMS WordPress is subject to attacks and software weaknesses quite often. So, to avoid any headaches below is a list compiled with tips to help bloggers or businesses blog safely;
- It is recommended that bloggers try to be as anonymous as possible unless identity is explicitly required due to the nature of the blog
- Applying cybersecurity best practices like password protection is paramount for the safety
- Malware is out there (malicious software) and cannot always be detected or avoided
- Keeping your blog software up to date is critical for cybersecurity fundamentals
- Implementing a type of multi-factor authentication (2FA or MFA) helps reduce risks
- The practice of backing up blog data is essential for the survival of a blog
For the reasons above, that relate both to privacy and outright cybersecurity, we have seen how blogging requires a certain level of precautions to avoid incidents in the internet jungle. In conclusion, let’s recap on the most important aspects of keeping a blog safe; use anonymization software such as a premium Virtual Private Network, use strong passwords, backup your data, remember that what you blog about can be permanent once it is out in the ether, and finally always apply cybersecurity common sense while blogging.
