Wordpress 2.7.1 is available for download via Wordpress.org and should be installed in an environment running PHP 5 and mySQL 5 (although some previous version with). Once the ZIP file is extracted to your web directory, you must perform a couple quick tasks.

You will need to create the mySQL database (I use phpMyAdmin for all mySQL interaction) and create a wp-config.php file. Wordpress provides a sample config file in the root directory called wp-congif-sample.php. You’ll want to copy the sample file, and rename it wp-config.php. Edit the file and update the database constants (host, user, pass, database).
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Smashing Magazine has a great article on securing the wp-admin folder in Wordpress. There are a number of preventative steps you can take that only take a few minutes to set up. The tips list is primarily focused on authentication and file path / folder names.

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