phpBB Tutorial

• >Advanced system of authorization
  
• >Efficacious encryption, that keeps passwords safe in the database
  
• >Running both cookie and URI-based sessions
  

Perhaps, you must have already understood that phpBB is not absolutely protected from all the exploits which constantly occur on the net, but the people who are engaged with the development of this software keep on trying to provide a product that is as secure as possible. To avoid hacking of your forum it would be better to take the necessary precautions. The consequences might be really unpleasant if you do not keep your forum installation secure and up-to-date.

phpBB security is not the only action for protecting your forum against definite hacks, but other risks should also be reduced or eliminated - not just the software code, but also the personal data and information that it contains, as well as the integrity of your community and member list. Problems include email address harvesting, automated signups, dropping links, member list abuses and other similar irritations which take up valuable moderator and admin time.

Some ways of protecting your forum.

Spam Protection

You should know that SPAM is not a security threat; at worst you will have to go through your board and delete some topic/users. Rather than install every MOD you come across, you should first try using the built in SPAM protection features that come with the latest version of phpBB 2.0.x. Then, if necessary, install a MOD or two until you find the best working combination for your board.

Carry on Updating!

With each new version of phpBB, security is improved and bugs are fixed. Update as soon as possible if you are not running the latest version. For more detailed information check the phpBB upgrade tutorial.

Set activation to 'user' or 'admin'

This feature sends an activation email to either the user registering or the administrator. If you do not plan to activate all members personally, you should leave this set to 'user'. Many bots use fake emails when registering, so this will stop them from activating the account. It will also discourage some human spammers because each time they register they will need to provide a valid email account. Not only does this stop some spam, it also helps make sure that all members have valid email accounts on file (which will prevent emails from bouncing back when you send mass emails). You can activate this option in the 'configuration' section of the administration panel.

Enable visual confirmation

This is the image with the numbers/letters you had to enter into the box when registering on this site. While doing nothing to prevent human SPAM, it should block most of the bots. This feature has been improved in recent versions and even further improvements are in the CVS (will be in the next release). You can activate this option in the section 'configuration' of the administration panel. Your template is likely out of date if you are using the latest version of phpBB but do not see this option in the administration panel.

Disable guest posting

If you allow guests to post, SPAM bots will not even bother registering. It is therefore generally recommended that you disable guest posting on your board.

These things will gradually reduce the risk of exploiting your phpBB software. If your forum gets hacked, despite the measures taken, do not hesitate to contact a person well aware with this stuff or simply look for help in the phpBB community forums where you will find precise and professional help almost at once.

You can download the newest versions and extra features of phpBB for free from the official web site which is permanently updated and provides all the necessary information - phpBB Downloads.

You will be kept informed on every issue concerning phpBB that might be of some interest to you by regularly checking the updates and download options offered. The possibility to keep in touch with over 240 000 phpBB community members is a considerable support for every problem that might appear.

Currently, phpBB is the most widely used forum script on the web. It is a free and very powerful piece of software that can easily be installed and administered; it is also flexible in terms of design and organization. You can use all phpBB features with TMDHosting hosting.