Google is improving the WordPress plugin for web stories

Google is improving the WordPress plugin for web stories: -

Web Stories plugin updates make it easier to earn money, and new design features help publishers create more engaging web stories.

Google has announced updates for the WordPress Web Stories plugin, bringing it to version 1.3.0.

The upgrade supports a form-based advertising option for easier monetization, as well as additional creative design options like additional animations and layouts.

Web stories for the WordPress plugin:

Web stories are a new type of content for the web.

The idea is to provide “snackable” content, short-lived content that consumers can read during short breaks.

Web stories are a format for people who want information in rapid bursts.

Google's ad claims that web stories should be considered main content, just as articles or blog posts are considered main content.

Monetization is easier.

Perhaps the most significant update to the WordPress Web Stories plugin is easier integration with AdSense and programmatic beta demand through the Ad Manager feature.

Google has enabled a forms-based method of adding advertising to web stories, with no coding required.

AdSense is Google's automated ad sales service that connects advertisers with publishers and handles all backends of the auction and display process.

Another way to serve ads through Ad Manager is the programmatic request feature for web stories.

New layout and animation section:

The web stories plugin now has a layout section that will allow an editor to easily mix and match different layout designs. This new design section makes it easy to add attractive design features without having to change the layout of the entire web store.

Google has also added more complex animations built into the templates, making it possible to create professional-looking web stories with just the push of a button.

Border Style Designs:

Google also added a way to add curved borders to layouts.

Pre-release checklist and bug fixes.

To complement feature upgrades, a pre-post checklist alerts publishers of improvements that will make a web story eligible for Google Discover as well as accessibility issues.

Google fixed bugs that interfered with other plugins. Interoperability is a quality of a plugin that makes it work with other plugins.

These improvements make it easier for more publishers to win with the web story format.

It also makes it easier for non-designer editors to use point-and-click template options to create engaging web stories.

The new report identifies top security threats and most common attacks against WordPress sites.

WordPress sites are increasingly infected with malware from pirated themes and plugins, according to a new WordPress security report.

Security firm Wordfence released a report on threats and attacks targeting WordPress sites, with data gleaned from the 4 million customers who have installed its software.

The main threats that WordPress sites face falling into three categories:

Malware from pirated themes and plugins.

Malicious login attempts.

Exploits of vulnerability.

Here is a summary of the main highlights of the report.

Malware from pirated themes and plugins:

The most prevalent threat to the security of WordPress is malware from hacked (canceled) themes and plugins.

Wordfence has detected more than 70 million malicious files on 1.2 million WordPress sites in the past year.

Over 17% of all infected sites contained malware from a canceled plugin or theme.

WP-VCD malware was the most common threat to WordPress, accounting for 154,928 or 13% of all infected sites in 2020.

When a plugin or theme is hacked, its license verification features are disabled or removed, giving hackers easy access to a backdoor.

The best way to defend the WordPress site from this type of attack is to buy the plugins and themes legitimately and keep them updated.

If the budget does not allow the purchase of a premium theme, a free alternative from a reputable provider is the safest option.

Malicious connection attempts:

Wordfence has detected (and blocked) over 90 billion malicious login attempts from over 57 million unique IP addresses.

That's a rate of 2,800 attacks per second targeting WordPress sites.

These attempts are said to include credential stuffing attacks using stolen credential lists, dictionary attacks, and traditional brute force attacks.

WordPress site owners can protect themselves from malicious login attempts by setting up multi-factor authentication.

This will ensure that no one can enter without a password and a special code to which the only one has access.

The 5 most common attacks during the year include:

Directory traversal: this represents 43% of all vulnerability exploitation attempts (1.8 billion attacks).

SQL injection: accounts for 21% of all exploit attempts (909.4 million attacks).

Malicious file downloads: These accounted for 11% of all exploitation attempts (454.8 million attacks).

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): represents 8% of all attempts (330 million attacks).

Authentication bypass vulnerabilities: These represent 3% of all attempted exploits (140.8 million attacks).

The 4 million sites tracked as part of this report experienced at least one of each of the above exploitation attempts.

WordPress site owners can protect themselves against vulnerability exploits with a firewall.

New WordPress vulnerabilities are exposed every day.

Stay true to Montti's coverage as he is often the first to deliver the news on the latest threats and how to stay safe.

WordPress Response to Unauthorized Plugin Updates WordPress has reminded plugin publishers not to exceed their authority and that violators will continue to be reported.

WordPress.org has issued a statement to plugin developers to respect user decisions about automatic updates.

The recall comes after the publishers of the All in One SEO plugin turned on automatic updates without asking for permission.

The statement warned that those who violate users' express wishes regarding automatic updates will continue to be reported by WordPress.org.

WordPress automatic updates:

Automatic Updates is a feature of the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) that allows a user to choose to allow a plugin to update automatically.

The functionality was made easily accessible with the release of WordPress version 5.5.

This feature also allowed publishers to choose not to receive automatic updates.

Automatic plugin update has been a hidden feature for many years.

Publishers who previously wanted to enable automatic updates had to change the code in their configuration files.

The downside of automatic updates is when an update goes awry and causes unintentional conflicts with other plugins or themes.

The All in One SEO plugin updated to version 4 and at one point unilaterally enabled its plugin's automatic updates without asking for user permission.

WordPress All in One SEO's automatic updates cause a backlash.

Warning of WordPress issues on automatic updates.

While All in One SEO isn't the only plugin to enable automatic updates, it may certainly be the most popular plugin creator since the introduction of WordPress 5.5.

WordPress has issued an official statement reminding the plugin software development community to not enable automatic updates without the express permission of users.

The announcement also said that automatic updates can lead to unexpected results on publisher websites and can affect the trust publishers have with plugin developers and with WordPress itself.

WordPress 5.7 will offer updated admin colors.

WordPress.org has announced progress towards an updated admin color scheme for WP 5.7 that will be more accessible and easier to read.

WordPress has announced a major milestone for WordPress 5.7 in updating the admin color palette.

The new palette produces higher contrast and is easier to read.

This represents a step forward in making the WordPress admin backend more accessible.

WordPress 5.7:

One of the goals of WordPress version 5.7 was to update the admin color scheme.

The color scheme is the official color available for anything in the WordPress admin area.

This update will affect everything seen in the admin panel, including plugin and theme notifications that are seen in the WordPress admin area.

Accessibility and simplification of the administrative area:

The two goals of the color palette update were to simplify the process of choosing colors for developers as well as to make the admin area more accessible.

This new version features a higher contrast between light and dark colors, which should make the admin area easier to read for color-blind editors.

This update affects all users.

The difference between the old version and the new version makes it easier for all users with access to the WordPress backend.

WordPress has managed to reduce the number of colors in the current color scheme from 199 colors to just 99.

Easier to read admin area:

Progress continues on WordPress 5.7:

They still need to create a color palette using CSS custom properties and a logical naming scheme.

WordPress.org deserves to be recognized:

The Make WordPress development team has made great strides so far.

There are good things to come in the next version of WordPress, 5.7.