As kids, we all loved Sesame Street‘s Cookie Monster. (Who couldn’t relate to a guy who loves snacks?!) But now there’s another CookieMonster on the street, and he’s not so nice.
This CookieMonster is a toolkit that tricks your browser into handing over sensitive information, and it’s one of a number of new tactics used to steal your data and, potentially, hijack your accounts.
WordPress has always taken steps to ensure that your data is safe. Now we want to make it easier than ever for you to avoid evil blogjackers that prey on security vulnerabilities.
Click on Edit Profile in the My Account menu of your dashboard and you’ll see a new field called Browser Connection. There, you can opt to “Always use HTTPS when visiting administration pages.” Click Update Profile to save the change, and you’ll be logged out. Sign back in, and you’re rolling with SSL, which encrypts your connection and helps prevent data scavengers from stealing your password and other info.
HTTPS has always been supported on WordPress.com, but it’s now even easier to remember. HTTPS is highly recommended when you’re accessing your account on a public network. Check out this video to learn more:
New Note: Using HTTPS will slow down your blogging speed significantly. Go Turbo with Gears to help speed things up. Check out this page of the FAQ for more information on using Gears — now supported on Safari for Mac!
WordPress.com News 
Done 🙂 Thank you!
waw
Phew. Im glad that you have found a way to protect us from the ‘CookieMonster’ lol
Heather, I always knew you were the Brains in this outfit. Thank you.
@Lauren: Thank our brainy developers 🙂
COOL
Cool! SSL is always the right way to go with the Internet. 🙂
Thanks!
The shields are raised captain!
I hope the dilithium crystals can stand the strain of defending us from the data klingons.
Thanks; great enhancement!
But why the heck are you not just activating it by default??
@CB: Enabling HTTPS all of the time would introduce unnecessary slowness to your blogging experience. A password-protected home or office network is more secure than public networks, so HTTPS is likely not needed when you’re logged in at home or work. But the choice is yours if you’d like to enable it all of the time. That’s the beauty of options 🙂
Wow… Sounds cool. Might wanna try it later. 🙂
Nice work…. i’ll do that…. we’re now safe…. thanks 🙂
WordPress is Awesome
Thanks !!
Good feature, security is a think that is obtained in many levels, This is a step 😉
excelent improvement! Thanks!
I did it but it didn’t log me out. So did I do something wrong or are your instructions off? (I’ll log out manually)
Awesome! I get protection! WordPress ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s the best blogging site ever!!!
Sound and safe
Thank you
thanx for this
after the updating profile step – i was not auto logged out
so do i need to log out? and back in for the https thingy to kick in?
will it slow down up/download time?
@David Ker + @hoh: You won’t get logged out after clicking Update Profile if you’ve logged in using https before. Don’t worry, it’s still working!
If you don’t remember logging in using https previously and you aren’t getting logged out, please contact Support.
I must be missing something – I can’t find the Browser Connection field anywhere. I’m trying to follow the instructions you give above, but where exactly is it?
@kaet: Log in to your dashboard and go to the My Account dropdown in the upper left. Select My Profile and you’ll see Browser Connection just below Admin Color Scheme on your profile page.
Check out the video for a more detailed walkthrough. Promise it will be worth the watch 🙂
Awesome news, I wasn’t aware that SSL was supported but I’ll be sure to use it now.
I admin my site from 2 or 3 different computers, so any extra security I can get is good.
Great stuff, but is there a way to stop Internet Explorer from popping up a security warning every time I go to a new bit of my dashboard? I changed my settings about five minutes ago and I’m already annoyed about it enough to just try and trust my password…
And please no-one answer my question with ‘yes, use Firefox.’
Heather! – you got my back!!
I like that!
ThanX,
Mr. A® (or IZ it?)
Enabling NOW!!
Thanks for looking out for us.
Thank you for this valuable update.
WordPress Rocks!!!
OK. But now two Microsoft warnings come up everytime I change a page. What to do about that?
If you’re using Internet Explorer, you can turn off those warnings by following these steps:
1) Add *.wordpress.com to your list of trusted sites under the Security tab.
2) Set Internet Options> Security> Trusted Sites> Custom Level> Miscellaneous> Display Mixed Content to “Enable.”
Please contact Support if that doesn’t resolve the issue.
Thanks, this will be helpful!
Great!
Thanks for explaining the “why” part as well :3
I especially, having had a major security issue a week ago, am so happy to see that little padlock in Firefox! 🙂
My WordPress has never been hacked, but it happened to me back in the old MySpace days. It’s not a good feeling. Apparently “I” was sending all my friends ring tone ads. Yuck.
wooww.. thanks guys.. u r all the best! 😀
Very nice! Security is never enough! 🙂
thanks for this, i don’t notice about this option before. Security is important thing when we connect to internet. if we open in home PC, is it still possible someone steal our cookies?
hm, Let’s try it and see, how my blog slows down 🙂
Amazing… I remember writing you guys to request this feature weeks ago… I guess you must’ve already had the request from other users and were working hell hard to see it come to life.
Thank you. Keep up the great work and innovative designs!
Cool! ….ur I think?
gracias!! 🙂
Surely WordPress is the best! XD
I’m gonna do that right now. Thank you!
Great, thanks for the Video
Good idea.
HTTPS:// for my administrator page at WordPress. Impressive.
I tought https:// is only needed when you try to type in your credit card number or placing online order.
Million thanks WP Guys.
Hi Heather,
I’m guessing this is for WordPress hosted blogs? I tried it my self-hosted blog and there is no field in my profile area for using https.
Sue
Gees! when I think you guys cannot get any better…You do! Way to go guys! Cheers!
Give it a try. Thanx!
Yeah…it so good
m using google chrome .. and it says that,
– There are several SSL errors on this page: This page contains some insecure elements, This page cont…, ….
Couldn’t find a way to resolve it .. coz it’s accepted the certificate, it says that the page is coming from trusted source and everything … no problems whtsoever in accepting the certificate but some page elements are becoming source of this error … !!
plz … F1.. F1 …
Superb…done that 😉
Really the most needed tool to stall the hawkers from hijacking the sites and data
– a boon to the millions of WordPress Bloggers. I was always worried –
what happens if some hawkers intercept and undo our blogs. You know, we are so much attached
with our blogs and interaction that it has become another virtual life
to us. Now at least I feel assured.
The data, information available on the WordPress in the form of Blogs are
not less than a Global Encyclopedia, which you dont find in traditional cut and censored
sources. I tell, the uninhibited expression of thoughts and outburts that has come
on the Blogs are of immense value and that ‘ll go a long way in the evolution and
recycling of the process of our humanity and world on a new paradigm.
great job!
thank u
Thanks very much, my wordpress blog hacked once and i’ll definetly configure this
awesome–thanks WordPress for staying on top of it! protection without wearing a raincoat!
Thanks heather!
Done. That was my concern. Thank you.
1. What if I use WP at home or work and SSL (as well as TLS) are already used through Internet Explorer Settings?
2. Will enabling HTTPS affect posting via Windows Live Writer?
@andydash:
1. Those settings just enable the browser to connect over HTTPS. You’ll still need to enable the option to visit WordPress via HTTPS in your profile.
2. No, LiveWriter will not be affected by or have an effect on HTTPS.
Awesome great thanks.
thanks
Thank’s
Gentials…..
Now no body can steal myself from me!!!
Excellent enhancement.
Thank you.
Done. Thanks for the heads up!
Zuper, thanks guys!
Love those Secure socket layers Matt and crew “well done”
Cool!! Thanks 😉
Thanks Heather – I found it this time!
You never stop to amaze. Every other day you come up with new features that makes it so much easier and secure to use wordpress. Not for nothing is this the best blogging platform. I feel like sacrificing a hundred virgins in your honour. Keep up the good work.
Thank for your great effort
want to be the best
Thanks so much. This even helped fix a bug I had on my blog when adding links to previous posts so I’ll be using this all the time now. Cheers!
Done that – thanks. Problem is now, within Admin, page transitions are painfully slow (nope, it’s not my computer or connection). Is this going to be the norm from now on, or is it a temporary glitch?
For the sake of enhanced security it’s a small price to pay, I suppose. . .
COOL! Most Security now for wordpress blogs.
Abraços.
Brilliant, you guys did a great work
well chances of blogjack decreased a bit
Thanks WP tema
Sorry – it really is way too slow and I’m unchecking the option – I’ll take my chances, especially as I’ve just lost an entire post in the transition from text box to full screen, and that really is too high a price (yeah, I should have saved it first, but that’s not the point). . .
Thanks!
😛
Ok, that vidz is epic.
Thanks .
Thankyou to you and our brainy developers! 🙂
I just did it, and found very easy to do ~~ so easy even I could do it.
nice step ahead wordpress!
i like that SSl things, makes me feel secure when blogging..
Thanks Heather, that SSL tip and the IE alert setting were great pieces of advice.
great idea, don’t know why I was thinking all admin pages were already ssl enabled, thanks.
its the best
Brilliant 😉
Thank you!
nice Its cool
Dynamite. Thanks, Heather.
Awesome!
thanks again
Cool! Really Good feature.
good…..thanks