Here Are 5 Main Dangers in Using Nulled WordPress Themes

/ Law Firm Technology / / By
Malware

We have lawyers and others asking about the best WordPress themes and it is something that occupies the minds of many small businesses and others who want to save costs by using nulled themes, being essentially ‘rip off’ or pirated themes.

As with any pirated software of entertainment, it is an ethical question that should raise serious concerns for lawyers, in particular but anyone in business.

The use of nulled WordPress themes carries risks relating to website security, SEO, legal and privacy issues all of which can be avoided with free WordPress themes and plugins.

WordPress is open source and so it can be argued that using pirated themes that are based on premium wordpress themes is therefore an open season for anyone wanting to build a website.

Maybe, but it is also depriving the premium themes owners of revenue and, much more significantly for the website owner, exposing them to potential risk through malicious code or seriously compromised security.

1. The Security Risk

While the idea of getting a free theme may sound great, it carries the major downside of potential malware or malicious code.

Whatever your business of operation online may be, the last thing you want is to be hacked via a coding problem, risk having your data and website hacked, incur data theft and potentially risk being dumped by the search engines because you have malicious code on your theme.

Paying for premium plugins and premium WordPress themes may be an issue for you, but it’s nothing compared to the risk of losing everything with data loss, reputational damage and all the other issues that come with using either a nulled WordPresss theme or nulled WordPress plugins.

2. The SEO Risk

Using a pirated WordPress theme can also create major SEO problems. If your theme is one that carries the bad code then it can not only be difficult to detect, after all that’s what it’s malicious for, but it can attract spam links to your site and generally create a situation where any SEO advantages and your website’s SEO rankings that you might have been developing will be lost.

The losses incurred, including potential loss of customers’ personal information and personal data, may be sufficient to actually require a complete website rebuild, or even a business rebuild and rebrand given the damage that can occur to both the site and your business brand.

3. The Compatibility Issues Risk

Having a nulled version of a theme can also create ongoing issues, such as compatibility with plugins that you need. If you have key plugins that you need that are failing to work with the theme then you once again have problems.

This can happen with SEO plugins, plugins for a membership website, achieving the regular updates that the legal developer would be providing and so forth. The lack of compatibility and support from original developers is a big downside to using a nulled theme, just as using an outdated version of a ‘legitimate’ theme can create issues.

4. The Privacy & Legal Issues Risks

We have already mentioned issues relating to potential loss of personal data, but the invasion of privacy that can occur through having a valid license for your theme can be yet another major problem. Security breaches that occur through malware and the like are a headache you do not want, let alone legal issues and data loss coming from a nulled theme.

There is also the possibility that your site could be helping to distribute illegal material, become embroiled in a dark web application or compromise the security of other sites, which can lead to legal issues.

So too with the question of copyright over some of the code being used. The licensing of code and that used in both themes and plugins can vary considerably, so part of a license may validate the use of some plugins, but not others.

The same with themes, which can see an illegal breach of copyright of the license owner as a result of the use of nulled wordpress themes.

5. The Advanced Features and Functionality ‘Miss’

Any good website needs to keep pace with the changing environment online and having access to the new features from the theme developer, as well as the functionality and security that a good WordPress developer will provide is something that helps you to maintain and enhance your web presence.

However being unable to use the latest version of a theme and use the WordPress updates that developers of these products will provide means that such advanced functionality and new features is lost, as are the automatic updates that come with premium wordpress plugins and wordpress themes.

The lower price of having nulled plugins or free wordpress themes is well and truly nullified itself by the downside risks.

What You Can Get As Free Downloads

There is plenty of free plugins and free WordPress themes that can be used to avoid the problem of using nulled WordPress themes.

For instance, you can use some of the top rated WordPress themes that often come with all sorts of built-in functionality and top support.

These are terrific, fast themes like Astra, OceanWP, Bento, Blocksy along with plenty of others that are fast, lightweight and with features that can create very successful websites.

Certainly you can add the premium versions of most of these themes for more features, but the free download you can get from these themes is often enough without the need for playing around with some nulled wp theme that can bring you nightmares.

The same goes for the wordpress plugins that can build up your website for nothing (other than some effort and occasionally some hard work).

For instance, if you popup plugin you can get a free version of OptinMonster. If you want a contact form you can get a free version of WPForms Lite, if you want an SEO plugin you can get  All in One SEO for WordPress and so it goes.

The reality is that with these free themes and plugins you can sometimes get more than you might from even a paid, premium product. You can also ensure you’re getting the latest WordPress version and have free alternatives from the WordPress repository that save you the stress, potential legal liability and the worry of having nulled software.

Finally, consider the ethical aspects of this issue. With the open source software provided via WordPress you have a ton of opportunity to obtain some very smart functionality and software for your website without the need to undermine the people who are working to create these products.

Part of your web business must be the requirement to ensure you are protecting customers’ personal information, avoiding unnecessary security issues and legal proceedings and getting great website rankings.

‘Premium’ features do not need to require a paid theme and they certainly do not require a nulled theme when so many WordPress products offer the opportunity to build a robust, secure and successful website.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments. We would love to hear how you run, what themes and plugins you love. And subscribe to our site here to get more key insights and advisory articles like this.

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Diversity in Law Grows With UK & Australian Appointments

/ Law Firms / July 27, 2022 / By

The diversity movement in the law profession continues to gather pace as the UK Law Society elects its first Asian and Muslim president, Lubna Shuja, who is due to become the first Asian, the first Muslim and the seventh female president in October 2022..

Lubna Shuja (left) set up her own practice and was one of the very few Asian, Black or minority ethnic solicitors practising in Britain. There are now over 20,000 and half the UK profession is women as it is in New Zealand and elsewhere.

An interview in Australia with the National Vice-President of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA), Molina Asthana who said the Shuja election “. . should also help build the collective effort that is needed to improve racial equity and inclusion across the legal sector and wider society.”

The AALA supports Asian Australian lawyers has branches throughout Australia with some 1300 members and undertakes a variety of programs to assist Asian lawyers advance in the profession, including through scholarship programs, mentoring, networking, advocacy workshops, and initiatives for foreign qualified lawyers.

Molina Ashtana

While Australia’s South Asian community was the fastest growing in Australia, the statistics within the legal profession do not demonstrate diversity is occurring as it should. There are few partners, judges or other senior members of the Australian legal profession.

They are, she says, hitting the “bamboo ceiling” in the law. In her case she says she has faced a “double-glazed glass ceiling”.

“We have just started seeing a few but you could count them on the fingers of one hand.” She said the issues within the legal profession are more extreme than other industries.

“There are strong stigmas and biases that exist in many industries, but tends to be worse for those that are traditionally hierarchical like the legal industry.

“As a woman of colour myself, I face the double glazed glass ceiling. Though successful in my own right, I am the first woman of south Asian heritage to be elected as president elect of any Law Society in Australia, however I still face barriers and biases.

“I have had to work doubly hard to prove myself, my mistakes are picked up and highlighted more so than people of Anglo-Saxon background, my efforts are constantly undermined, I am often spoken over and considered a troublemaker for having a different opinion.

Similar experiences have been shared by other members of our association and lawyers of diverse backgrounds.”

She believes that diversity breeds diversity and that having clear objectives towards achieving greater diversity, including the use of quotas and inclusion committees is one path forward towards diversity in the law.

“Organisations should report on cultural diversity in addition to gender equality. Accountability is important. A plan is as good as the paper it is written on if there are no key performance indicators. Simply ticking the box is not going to cut it.”

Advice From Lubna Shuja

The Advice From Lubna Shuja, as a member of a minority community within the law but who has risen to the highest level of the profession in the UK and for those seeking to advance their careers was outlined in an article in UK’s Legal Women magazine:

“My advice to others is to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone.  Take every opportunity that presents itself, as you never know where it may lead.  Keep an open mind about your career path as you may find success in unexpected places.  Block out the negative voices and take a leap of faith.  After all, what have you got to lose? ” 

The diversity in the law problem will remain but as the communities they represent become more diverse, so too will the numbers of minority groups reaching the higher levels within the profession.

See the New Zealand Gender Diversity Survey Here

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