Is your WordPress site safe?
Are your customers’ and visitors’ passwords, credit cards, and personal information safe from the growing number of cyber security threats?
Hackers are working hard, and it is up to you to safeguard your website even more thoroughly. This post will explain why security is important and what you can do to secure your WordPress website.
Why WordPress Security Is Important
More than 86 billion password attack attempts were rejected in the first half of 2021, and it is predicted that 30,000 new websites are hacked every day.
Hackers and viruses of all varieties are relentless in their attempts to get access to websites and sensitive data.
The end result?
At the moment, we are witnessing an unprecedented number of cyber security assaults.
This problem impacts companies of all sizes, including yours.
In reality, 43 percent of all internet attacks now target small firms, with just 14 percent of those organizations able to protect themselves.
Many hackers target huge corporations in search of a larger payout.
Due to a lack of finances and security knowledge, small and medium-sized enterprises are an easier target for hackers
Attacks are never predictable. If you are not continuously monitoring your WordPress security, it is difficult to recover swiftly.
Fortunately, there are several actions you can do to secure your WordPress website.
Begin With These Simple Security Basics
There are several simple things you can take to improve the security of your WordPress site while putting it up.
Here are some of the initial steps you should take to secure your website.
Use SSL certificates.
SSL certificates are an industry standard that millions of websites use to safeguard their online transactions with their consumers.
Obtaining one should be one of your first actions in securing your website.
An SSL certificate can be purchased, however, most hosting companies supply these for free.
Then, with the help of a plugin, force HTTPS redirection, which enables the encrypted connection.
This industry standard creates an encrypted connection between a web server (host) and a web browser (client).
You may assure that any data transmitted between the two stays private and intrinsic by adding this encrypted connection.
Use strong passwords
This industry standard creates an encrypted connection between a web server (host) and a web browser (client).
You may assure that any data transmitted between the two stays private and intrinsic by adding this encrypted connection.
Require and Use Strong PasswordsIn addition to acquiring an SSL certificate, one of the first things you can do to safeguard your site is to use and require strong passwords for all logins.
It may be tempting to use or reuse a familiar or easy-to-remember password, but doing so endangers you, your users, and your website.
Improving the strength and security of your passwords reduces your chances of getting hacked.
The more secure your password, the less likely you are to get hacked.
If you’re not sure if you’re using a strong enough password, test it using a free tool like this handy Password Strength Checker.
Setup a Security Plugin
WordPress plugins are an excellent way to add valuable features to your website quickly, and there are numerous excellent security plugins available.
Installing a security plugin may provide additional levels of safety to your website with no effort.
Check out this list of suggested WordPress security plugins to get started.
- Wordfence Security – Malware Scan & Firewall
- WP Security & Firewall in One
- iThemes Safety
- Jetpack – Security, Backup, Speed, and Growth for WordPress
Maintain WordPress Core Files Up to Date
It is vital to keep your WordPress up to date at all times in order to ensure the security and stability of your site.
When a WordPress security vulnerability is disclosed, the core team gets to work on releasing an update that resolves the problem.
If you aren’t upgrading your WordPress website, you are most certainly running a vulnerable version of WordPress.
There are an estimated 1.3 billion websites on the internet as of 2021, with more than 455 million of those sites utilizing WordPress.
WordPress is a common target for hackers, malicious code distributors, and data thieves due to its popularity.
Don’t expose yourself to assault by using an outdated version of WordPress. Set auto-updates to on and forget about it.
Consider a Managed WordPress Hosting service with built-in auto-updates if you want an even easier approach to handling updates.
Take Note of Themes and Plugins
Keeping WordPress updated guarantees that your core files are secure, but there are other sections of WordPress that are susceptible that core updates may not protect — for example, your themes and plugins.
To begin, only install plugins and themes from reputable developers.
If a plugin or theme was not created by a reputable source, you are usually better off not using it.
Additionally, ensure that your WordPress plugins and themes are up to date.
Using obsolete plugins and themes, like using an outdated version of WordPress, makes your website more open to attack.
Make Regular Backups
One strategy to safeguard your WordPress website is to keep an up-to-date backup of your site and crucial data.
The last thing you want is for something to go wrong with your website and you to be without a backup.
Regularly backup your website.
If something goes wrong with your website, you may simply restore a prior version and get back up and running.
Intermediate Security Measures to Provide Additional Security
If you’ve finished all of the fundamentals but still want to do more to secure your website, there are some more sophisticated measures you may take.
Never use the username “Admin.”
Because “admin” is such a commonly used username, it is easily guessed, making it much simpler for fraudsters to deceive users into disclosing their login credentials.
Never use the username “admin.”
As a result, you are vulnerable to brute force assaults and social engineering frauds.
Using a unique username for your logins, like having a strong password, is a smart idea since it makes it much more difficult for hackers to crack your login information.
Change your WordPress admin username if you are presently using “admin.”
Hide Your WordPress Admin Login Page
The majority of WordPress login pages are accessible by default by appending “/wp-admin” or “/wp-login.php” to the end of a URL.
This makes it simple for hackers to begin attempting to breach your website.
Once a hacker or scammer has discovered your login page, they might try to guess your username and password to get access to your Admin Dashboard.
Hide your WordPress login page to make yourself less of a target.
Hide the WordPress admin login page with a plugin like WPS Hide Login to protect your login information.
Turn off XML-RPC.
WordPress extends functionality to software clients by utilizing an implementation of the XML-RPC protocol.
This Remote Procedure Calling protocol allows instructions to be executed and data provided in XML format.
The majority of customers do not require WordPress XML-RPC capabilities, and it is one of the most prevalent weaknesses that expose users to attacks.
That’s why it’s a good idea to turn it off.
It is really simple to accomplish this with the Wordfence Security plugin.
Protect the wp-config.php file
Your WordPress wp-config.php file includes very sensitive information about your WordPress installation, such as your WordPress security keys and database connection information, which is why you don’t want it to be easily accessible.
You may “harden” your website by using your .htaccess file to safeguard your wp-config.php file.
This essentially implies that you are arming your website against hackers.
Utilize A Security Scanner
Your WordPress website may include a vulnerability that you were unaware of.
It’s a good idea to employ tools that can detect and repair vulnerabilities.
The WPScan plugin searches WordPress core files, plugins, and themes for known vulnerabilities.
When new security vulnerabilities are discovered, the plugin will notify you through email.
Improve Your Server-Side Security
You should have performed all of the aforementioned precautions to secure your website by now.
However, you may wonder whether there is anything else you can do to make it as safe as possible.
The remaining steps you may take to improve your website’s security must be performed on the server side.
Look for a hosting company that offers this service.
When looking for a hosting provider, you want one that is quick, dependable, secure, and provides excellent customer service.
That implies they should have enough, robust resources, a minimum uptime of 99.5 percent, and employ server-level security measures.
A host isn’t worth your time or money if they can’t tick those simple boxes.
Choosing the appropriate hosting provider to host your WordPress website is one of the finest things you can do to secure your site from the start.
Use the most recent PHP version.
Outdated versions of PHP, like ancient versions of WordPress, are no longer safe to use.
Upgrade your PHP version if you are not on the most recent version to defend yourself against attack.
Host on a completely isolated server
There are several benefits to using private cloud servers.
One of these benefits is that it increases your security.
A robust mix of antivirus and firewall protection is required for all cloud settings, but a private cloud operates on unique physical equipment, making physical security easier to secure.
Aside from security, a fully-isolated server offers other advantages such as extremely high uptime and simple integration of managed hosting.
Are you looking for the ideal cloud environment for your WordPress site?
Don’t look any further.
Server-to-server migrations, safer upgrading, on-the-fly security patching, and industry-leading performance are all included with InMotion Hosting’s Managed WordPress Hosting.
Make Use Of A Web Application Firewall
Using a web application firewall is one of the final steps you can take to improve the security of your WordPress website (WAF).
A WAF is often a cloud-based security technology that adds an extra layer of protection to your website.
Consider it a portal to your website.
It prevents all hacking attempts and filters out other sorts of harmful traffic, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults and spammers.
WAFs often need monthly membership costs, but if you value WordPress website security, it is well worth the investment.
Make certain that your website and business are safe and secure.
If your website is not secure, you may be opening yourself up to a world of trouble.
Fortunately, safeguarding a WordPress site doesn’t take a lot of technical expertise if you have the correct tools and hosting package for your purposes.
Instead of reacting to attacks as they occur, you can proactively safeguard your website to avoid security difficulties.
That way, if someone does attack your website, you’ll be ready to limit the risk and continue doing business as usual rather than racing to find a recent backup.
