This is a very short but hopefully a useful security tip which could come in handy if you wish to protect your downloads which may include zip files, documents or images via your Joomla web site.

First you need to download the remository component for Joomla which is basically a great component for storing, managing and downloading files within a secure environment. ( IE ) people need to log into your joomla web site and be part of a specific ACL group to get access to the downloads.

Once you have downloaded and configured the remository component then its time to start uploading your content. This is where the useful tip comes in handy. In the past I would use .htaccess to protect a specific directory where my files are stored but then I found out the repository component can access files outside the normal home or public_html directory which is not directly accessible via a browser.

So the tip is to create a directory at the root level outside of the home or public_html directory and upload your content to that directory. Then all you need to do is configure the download path via the Joomla remository component to point at the new directory.

Quick security tips

Also on a side note just three more tips for securing Joomla.

1) Always make a monthly backup of your web site which could come in handy if you need to recover the site after a possible hacking attempt.

2) Stay up to date with the latest version of Joomla as the developers release new versions of the CMS which includes security updates.

3) Always make sure after the Joomla installation or when you have made a development change you apply the CHMOD 644 permissions to your configuration.php file.