I had some technical difficulties with my blog recently. Some files got corrupted, and I wasn’t able to log in. I don’t know if I was hacked, but it made me wonder.

Since then, I’ve been a lot more interested in WordPress security. That’s how it goes, right? We’re not concerned about what could go wrong until something happens. But if you have a blog, there’s a good chance that someone will try to hack it someday. When that happens, you don’t want them to succeed.

John Hoff from WpBlogHost offers a WordPress security upgrade, normally priced at $49.95. From now until Thursday 5/7/2009, use the promo code “Hunter” to get it for just $24.95.

Here are some of the things included in the security upgrade:

• Rename your database tables so they don’t start with “wp_,” making them harder for hackers to find.
• Protect your login page from brute force password attacks.
• Prevent other people from accessing pages and directories you don’t want them in, such as your login page.
• Block people who attempt common hacker attacks, such as SQL injection.
• Hide your WordPress version number, so you won’t be seen as a target if your version isn’t up to date.

Of course, nothing is 100% secure. But just like a bank is far more secure than a hot dog stand, a blog with these security upgrades is far more secure than a blog using the default installation. I highly recommend a one-time investment in this security upgrade to all WordPress bloggers. I feel way more secure now than I did before.

Whether you have a blog or not, take a minute to consider all the passwords you use online. Just because your password is a little harder to guess than “password1″ doesn’t mean it’s secure. Make sure you’re not using dictionary words, or names, or sequential numbers. Use a mix of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use the same password for every site, and change them periodically.