Business bloggers should take steps to protect their online reputation from a number of common threats according to a new secure guide to blogging from online security firm Network Box.

The most common threats to blogs are comment spam that may contain links to a Web site with malicious code and SQL injection attacks that exploits a vulnerability in the blogging platform that allows a hacker to inject malicious code in the blog, that can be used to put malware on a reader’s computer.

“From the blog user’s perspective, the usual rules apply: never click on a link in a blog if you don’t know or trust its source (in the same way you wouldn’t in an email); make sure your security is up to date (network protection should prevent company employees clicking on a blacklisted link but there is no alternative to keeping your system’s software up to date); and always keep your wits about you - common sense,” said Simon Heron, Internet Security Analyst, for Network Box.

Heron recommends using a Captcha, a free tool that checks to see if the person posting a comment is human and blocks automated comment spam.

He also recommends Aksimet another free tool that protects blogs from comment and trackback spam. It works by submitting all blog comments to a central service that analyses the comments and blocks or allows as appropriate.

Another free service is Spambam, a WordPress plug-in that blocks comment spam.

You can see more of the guide for secure blogging here.