In today’s digital landscape, security is not just an option but a necessity. Whether you’re running a personal blog or a large e-commerce platform, protecting your WordPress site from potential security risks is vital. Why? Because it safeguards your information, maintains your reputation, and ensures that your users have a secure experience. Not to mention, Google gives preference to secure websites, making security an essential part of your SEO strategy.
Why WordPress Security is Important
- It Protects Your Information and Reputation
Your website contains sensitive data, from user information to business records. A breach could not only leak this information but also tarnish your brand’s reputation. Once trust is lost, it’s difficult to rebuild. - Users Expect Secure Websites
Today’s users are more security-conscious than ever. They expect the websites they interact with to be safe, reliable, and free from threats. A secure website ensures a smooth user experience and prevents users from turning to your competitors. - Google Prioritizes Secure Websites
Search engines, especially Google, prefer secure websites. With the advent of algorithms that emphasize user experience, having proper security measures in place can boost your site’s ranking and visibility.
Common WordPress Security Issues
- Brute-Force Login Attempts
Hackers use automated tools to try thousands of password combinations to break into WordPress accounts. - Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Malicious scripts are injected into web pages, often targeting unsuspecting users who interact with these scripts. - SQL Injections
This attack allows a hacker to manipulate your database by injecting malicious SQL code, compromising your data integrity. - Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
These attacks overwhelm your website’s server with traffic, causing it to crash and deny access to legitimate users. - Phishing
Phishing involves tricking users into revealing personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers by disguising malicious pages as legitimate ones.
How to Secure Your WordPress Site
1. Secure Your Login Procedures
Why it’s important: Brute-force attacks are one of the most common methods hackers use to break into WordPress websites. By using weak passwords or common usernames (like “admin”), you’re leaving the door open for hackers to gain access to your site.
How to implement:
- Strong, Unique Passwords: Use a password with a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using personal information like birthdays or names. A password manager (like LastPass or 1Password) can help you generate and store strong passwords.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This requires users to provide a second piece of information after entering their password, such as a code sent to their mobile phone. Plugins like Google Authenticator or Duo Two-Factor Authentication are popular choices.
- Limit Login Attempts: Limit the number of login attempts per user, which will lock out the user temporarily after multiple failed attempts. This makes it much harder for brute-force attacks to succeed. Plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded are effective for this.
2. Use Secure WordPress Hosting
Why it’s important: Your hosting provider is the foundation of your website’s security. A poor-quality host can leave your website vulnerable to various attacks. Quality hosting ensures server-level security measures like firewalls, malware scanning, and server hardening.
How to implement:
- Choose a hosting provider that prioritizes security with built-in security measures such as:
- Firewall Protection: Filters and blocks unwanted traffic.
- Malware Scanning: Monitors and eliminates any malware found on the server.
- Automatic Backups: Ensures that you can restore your site in case of a breach.
- DDoS Protection: Mitigates Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Some hosting providers known for strong WordPress security are WP Engine, SiteGround, and Kinsta.
3. Keep Your WordPress Version Updated
Why it’s important: WordPress regularly releases updates to address security vulnerabilities. An outdated version of WordPress can have known security holes that are easily exploited by hackers.
How to implement:
- Enable automatic updates for minor versions (security and maintenance releases). You can do this through your WordPress dashboard or by adding code to your wp-config.php file.
- Regularly check for major updates and apply them as soon as possible. While minor updates can be applied automatically, major updates often need to be manually reviewed and applied to ensure compatibility with your themes and plugins.
4. Keep Plugins and Themes Updated
Why it’s important: Plugins and themes are essential to WordPress but can also introduce security vulnerabilities. Outdated or poorly coded plugins are a common way for hackers to inject malicious code into your site.
How to implement:
- Only install plugins and themes from reputable sources, such as the official WordPress repository or trusted premium providers like Elegant Themes or ThemeForest.
- Remove any unused or outdated plugins and themes. If they are no longer maintained by the developer, they could be a security risk.
- Use a plugin to automate updates (like Easy Updates Manager) or check for updates regularly in the WordPress dashboard.
5. Update to the Latest Stable Version of PHP
Why it’s important: PHP is the programming language that runs WordPress. Each new version of PHP not only improves performance but also includes important security patches. Running an outdated version of PHP could leave your site vulnerable to attacks.
How to implement:
- Check your current PHP version by navigating to the Tools > Site Health section in the WordPress dashboard.
- Contact your hosting provider to upgrade to the latest PHP version. Most quality hosts allow you to upgrade via cPanel or the hosting dashboard.
- Test your site after upgrading PHP to ensure compatibility with your themes and plugins.
6. Install a Security Plugin
Why it’s important: Security plugins offer a suite of tools to protect your site against various threats. These plugins provide features such as firewalls, malware scanning, brute-force attack prevention, and more.
How to implement:
- Install and configure one of the top WordPress security plugins:
- Wordfence Security: Offers real-time monitoring, firewall protection, and malware scanning.
- Sucuri Security: Provides server-side scanning, remote malware scanning, and post-hack actions.
- Solid Security: Focuses on hardening WordPress, limiting login attempts, and scanning for vulnerabilities.
- Review the security plugin’s settings and customize them to fit your site’s specific needs. Most security plugins come with a guided setup wizard to make this easier.
7. Enable SSL/HTTPS
Why it’s important: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts the connection between your site and its visitors, protecting sensitive data like login credentials and payment information. It also builds trust with users, as they see the secure padlock icon in the browser, and helps improve your search rankings, as Google prioritizes secure websites.
How to implement:
- Many hosting providers offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt. You can enable this in your hosting dashboard.
- Once SSL is activated, you’ll need to redirect your site from HTTP to HTTPS. The Really Simple SSL plugin makes this process easy by automatically updating your site’s URLs.
- Check your site for mixed content (elements loading over HTTP instead of HTTPS) and fix them to ensure full encryption.
8. Install a Firewall
Why it’s important: A firewall acts as a barrier between your website and the internet, blocking malicious traffic before it even reaches your WordPress installation. Web Application Firewalls (WAF) are designed specifically for website protection and can filter out threats like SQL injections and XSS attacks.
How to implement:
- There are two types of firewalls you can use:
- Plugin-based Firewall: Plugins like Wordfence and iThemes Security come with built-in firewall functionality.
- Cloud-based Firewall: Services like Cloudflare or Sucuri offer cloud-based firewalls that stop malicious traffic before it even reaches your server.
Cloud-based firewalls generally provide better performance and security, as they can block threats earlier in the process.
9. Conduct Regular Security Scans
Why it’s important: Regular security scans can detect vulnerabilities and malware that may not be immediately obvious. They help you identify and fix problems before they escalate into major security issues.
How to implement:
- Most security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri, Solid Security) offer automatic malware scanning as part of their features.
- For an extra layer of assurance, consider using external scanning services like Google Safe Browsing, Sucuri SiteCheck, or VirusTotal to check your website for threats.
- Schedule regular scans and review the results to take immediate action if vulnerabilities or malware are detected.
10. Backup Your Site Regularly
Why it’s important: Even with the best security measures, things can go wrong. Backups are your safety net, allowing you to restore your website quickly if it gets hacked, crashes, or is corrupted.
How to implement:
- Use a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus, VaultPress, or BackupBuddy to automate your backups. These plugins allow you to store backups off-site on services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.
- Set up daily or weekly backups depending on how often you update your site. Ensure you store backups in multiple locations for extra security.
- Periodically test your backups to make sure they can be restored without any issues.
Need Help Securing Your WordPress Site?
Securing your WordPress site can be a complex task, but it’s essential to protect your business, reputation, and users. If you need help implementing any of these steps or would like an expert to review your security measures, contact the experts at Exceedion. Our team can assist with everything from plugin updates to full security audits, ensuring that your WordPress site stays secure and performs at its best.
Get in touch with Exceedion today to safeguard your website and give your users the confidence they deserve.