Updating Cookie Consent and Introducing SMTP Mail Feature to Brochure Website
Two tasks today on a client’s website. The first task was to update the cookie consent mechanism – resulting in a more transparent, controllable, and maintainable cookie solution.
The second task was then to add encryption to email messages sent from the website. This can be contact form messages or administration back office messages. The result of this work will provide better website security in terms of electronic communication.
Cookie Consent
A cookie consent plugin was already in place, but the one having been deployed a few years’ ago did not have all the features deemed necessary with the current understanding of GDPR (UK personal data privacy) compliance.
It’s required that the website visitor can view and select which cookies can be used (or all cookies can be enabled or disabled) on the website. Also required was a script blocker, so that all scripts are temporarily disabled on page-load, until consent is given by the visitor. And finally a simple and easy mechanism to update the cookie list was the final requirement.
With all the above in mind, it was decided to use the free (lite) version of CookieYes by WebToffee. The plugin is easy to configure, and by using a registered account, a cookie scan on the site is executed, before a cookie policy declaration statement is generated and published on the website.
SMTP Mail
Using the mail() PHP function to send email messages from a WordPress website is widely considered a security risk. It should be the perpetual goal of every web developer to improve the security of any website.
All our client website are being updated (if not already) with the addition of the WP Mail SMTP plugin (by WPForms).
Using the Stackmail SMTP service provided by our hosting party, 20i, the TLS encryption method is selected, with authentication always a necessity.
All messages generated either by contact forms, other administrative built-in WordPress functions, or other plugins will now be sent via the encrypted SMTP service. The result is a much securer WordPress-based website eco-system.
Links:
Website: Craig Y Don Dental Practice
Portfolio Page:
Plugin(s): Cookie Yes; WP Mail SMTP
