Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Security Concerns and Possible Solutions in Blog

We can implement different levels of security in Blogs:

Level 1 (Highest level): Keep the blog private accessible only to those who are added as reader by you in the readers list. They will require to sign-in before they can access your blog. Don't allow posting or comments by anybody including readers. Or have strict moderation on all comments and posts. Set comment and post notification to your email address so that even if someone hacks Google server and posts something on your blog, you get notified.

At this level of security, people will use the blog only when they have strong interest in this. Normally, it will be useful in collaborating in some project. This level can be recommended in programmes for external organizations as the participants may get a high feeling of getting something that is not available to common people. They may feel special.

Level 2: Keep the blog private but have multiple authors. Allow comment posting. People will have to log-in to read, post or comment.

I don't find much is added to the risk. But if uncomfortable keep moderation on.

Level 3: Blog is made public, not searchable by search engines and not listed on blogs. Comments moderated. Only those people who know the exact address of the blog can read it. They don't require log-in for reading. They can also comment without log-in, but the comment can be published only when you as a moderator allow that.

Level 4: Public blog. Anonymous comments allowed. Mechanism of posting by emails shared. No moderation. Posts and comments gets published immediately. But email alerts to your email address set for any posting and comments.

In a Security Vs. Utilization situation, this level can become a preferred level. But, keep it for initial few days only and remain on high alert. Later, allow posts through emails, but only after you see that and publish. (This blog is right now at this level of Security)

Level 5 (Lowest level): Something like Level 4 above and without email alerts to yourself. One can try this level also but consider your task completed only after deleting it.

There can be many levels depending on the combination of few features like, private-public, one or multiple authors, comments permission, moderation of posts, email alerts, word verification, email subscription etc.

All these points will be covered in few video files. We will have arrangements of sharing them shortly.

And there can be a  Security Level 0 also which is a higher security level than the highest one. That is to why take risk, don't use blogs or social media or web2.0. But then it has a bigger risk of making us obsolete.

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