ABOUT THIS EPISODE
WordPress 5.2, which is available now, comes with some great and much needed security features.
Cryptographically-signed updates
Starting with WordPress 5.2, the WordPress team will digitally sign its update packages with the Ed25519 public-key signature system so that a local installation will be able to verify the update package's authenticity before applying it to a local site.
Adding support for cryptographically-signed updates is an important step in preventing threat actors from carrying out a supply-chain attack on all WordPress sites, something that security firms have warned for more than two years now.
"Before WordPress 5.2, if you wanted to infect every WordPress site on the Internet, you just had to hack [the WordPress] update server," said Scott Arciszewski, Chief Development Officer at Paragon Initiative Enterprises, and one of the developers involved in securing the WordPress update system.
"After WordPress 5.2, you would need to pull off the same attack and somehow pilfer the signing key from the WordPress core development team."
Modern Cryptographic Library
Supports the Libsodium library for all cryptographic operations, instead of the now-deprecated and removed mcrypt.
Libsodium is now part of the WordPress CMS source code, along with the sodium_compat library that works as a polyfill for older PHP servers that don't support Libsodium.
Libsodium's addition to the WordPress CMS core, this also means plugin and theme developers can start supporting it as well.
New Site Health Section
Site Health Status
The Site Health Status page works by running a set of basic security checks and delivering a report with the findings, along with recommendations to fix any discovered issues.
This section comes with a series of bundled tests, but site owners and developers of security plugins can also write their own to expand security checks to more areas of a WordPress site.
Site Health Info
The second section, named Site Health Info, is what its name implies. It provides a plethora of information about the website and server setup and is meant for debugging purposes or when needing to share server details with an IT professional for support services.
Info is provided about the WordPress install, the underlying server, plugins, themes, and file storage usage.
Servehappy Feature
Includes a feature called 'White Screen Of Death' (WSOD) protection, also known as "Fatal error protection," and works as a "Safe Mode" for WordPress sites.
WSOD protection works by temporarily disabling themes and plugins when a PHP fatal error is encountered, so that site admins can regain access to their sites' backends and fix the error.
The Future
After 5.2, there are other projects such as project Gossamer, which will come in 5.4 which aims to provide the same code-signing system from core into a framework that developers can use to code-sign updates for themes and plugins.
Resources: https://www.zdnet.com/article/wordpress-finally-gets-the-security-features-a-third-of-the-internet-deserves/, https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/04/25/site-health-check-in-5-2/
Software
Dropbox (backup and sync software) - https://db.tt/l33vnUkr6L
Dashlane (password storage) - https://www.dashlane.com/en/cs/_FHtTXN3Rkdg
Podcast Gear
Blue Yeti USB Microphone (Silver) - http://amzn.to/2BjKEh9
Blue Yeti USB Microphone (Blackout Edition) - http://amzn.to/2By4byE
Premium 6-inch Pop Filter For Blue Yeti Microphone by Auphonix - http://amzn.to/2DtK2aq
Video Gear
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera w/ 1 Inch Sensor and tilt LCD screen - Wi-Fi & NFC Enabled (Black) - http://amzn.to/2Bwd0ZK
Rode smartLav+ Lavalier Microphone for iPhone and Smartphones - http://amzn.to/2Dtt38f
JOBY GorillaPod 3K Kit. Compact Tripod 3K Stand and Ballhead 3K for Compact Mirrorless Cameras or devices up to 3K (6.6lbs). Black/Charcoal. - http://amzn.to/2BOh44L
Computer Gear
Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse - http://amzn.to/2BYuH3O
Anker PowerCore 10000, One of the Smallest and Lightest 10000mAh External Batteries - http://amzn.to/2CVMohk
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive - http://amzn.to/2Dr98GL
Recommended Gear
STM Impulse, Backpack for 15-Inch Laptop and Tablet - Black (stm-111-024P-01) - http://amzn.to/2CUxRm3
STM Myth Backpack Featuring Luggage Pass-Through 28L / 15" Laptop - Granite Black (stm-117-187P-01) -
Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series I) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling - Black (updated and wireless version) - http://amzn.to/2BN3yy0
Other Gear
Kogan - https://www.kogan.com/au/r/TX4FTG/
