WordPress, being the most popular Content Management System is widely used by businesses all over the world. That is why the security of WordPress websites often gets breached by hackers as it is an easy target.
Although WordPress is the most effective content marketing tool that can be used to create visually appealing blogs, websites, and other resources, it is extremely prone to cyber-attacks because of the open source web development of WordPress.
Hackers want to change the content, use the server, redirect the website to malware and unauthorized websites and install malware. However, the good news is that we can easily ensure the safety of WordPress website by following some simple ideas.
Let’s take a deep dive into the security insights to make your WordPress website secure.
Table of Contents
Tips To Secure WordPress Website
1. Do not allow multiple password attempts
Most frequently, cybercriminals try out several usernames and passwords in an endeavor to guess the correct one. The catch here is that if you try to login to your website, you would not take so many attempts. That is why it is recommended that you program WordPress not to allow anyone to multiple attempts. You can use WordPress plugins such as Jetpack and iThemes Security to do so.
2. Guessed usernames are a strict no-no
You should not have usernames like “admin” as it is very easy to guess. If anyone uses the username admin to login, there are WordPress plugins that give you the provision to ban that person. This simple idea can prevent numerous hacking attacks.
3. Passwords should be changed at fixed intervals
Your password should be strong enough to prevent cyber crimes and you should change it regularly to make sure that your WordPress website remains safe.
4. Use a secure HTTPS connection
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate allows data transmission by encryption, thereby preventing the hackers to retrieve any confidential information from the website. It is advisable to have a secure HTTPs connection to enhance your search engine rankings too.
Buying a genuine SSL certificate can help you stay ahead in competition with other websites. Besides, it also helps to avoid SQL injection and XSS attacks. I suggest you visit Cheap SSL Shop to choose SSL certificate from different types of certificates with great discounts.
5. You must update WordPress and its Plugins as and when needed
Update your WordPress and WP plugins regularly to make sure that your website remains free from hackers. The main reason for this is that hackers can easily figure out the vulnerabilities in older WordPress versions.
This applies to plugins too. Plugins also have weak points that can facilitate the access to website information to hackers. As a result, it is vital to keep your plugins up-to-date.
You can use add the below code to functions.php of your theme to update your themes and plugins automatically.
add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_true' ); add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_true' );
6. Do not reveal your version of WordPress
It is recommended that you keep the version of your WordPress hidden so that cyber-criminals cannot discern the vulnerable areas. This can be achieved simply with the help of some plugins offered by WordPress. You can also use security plugins that offer this feature.
7. Refrain from using third-party plugins
Third-party plugins are likely to get exposed to malware, because of which it is recommended that you do not use these plugins and only rely on authentic plugins from WP.
8. Have a two-factor authentication while logging in
To be sure of your website security, it is a tried and tested method to have two-factor authentication while logging in. This builds an additional password protection on the WordPress website by redirecting you to a second authentication screen. You have to add your security information in order to verify the login.
9. Get the admin section password protected
WordPress allows you to protect your admin section in addition to the central login page. You can even add another password in this part by using plugins offered by WP.
10. Avoid indexing the admin section
Search engine spiders search websites over the World Wide Web to index them. Through this index, they get access to relevant results faster at the time someone searches anything on the search engines.
Nevertheless, the issue with the indexing process is that the search engines index every page on the website including the private information in the admin section. It is obvious that indexed pages can be easily hacked.
The good news is that x-robots-tag HTTP header is a code that directs Google’s spiders that it should not index the respective pages on which it is added. If you are not technically sound, you can seek the help of web developers to employ this technique.
11. Conceal the configuration file
All the sensitive information about your website’s WordPress installation lies in the wp-config.php file. Access to this file is the main requisite for hackers. As this file is housed in the root directory, hackers can retrieve it without any extra efforts. An effective way to secure your website is to disallow anyone to access this file. You may need expert intervention for this technique.
12. Regular backup of the website is a must
Do not change the content or layout of your website before creating a backup. By doing so, you can restore the previous layout if any issue comes up with the changes. It can also save you from the troubles that may follow if your website gets hacked. You can use the Updraft plus for creating automated backups.
13. Select a trustworthy hosting company
You should first determine whether you are looking for shared hosting or dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting gives you only one folder that includes the files of the website. On the contrary, shared hosting has numerous folders with different websites included in them.
14. Execute security scans on your WordPress website
Just like your computer has an anti-virus program, it is advisable that you have anti-virus software on your WordPress website too. WordPress offers plugins that run security scans on the website and enables better information safety. Wordfence is the best plugin to run automated scans for malware on your website.
15. Changes on the website should be tracked everyday
Be wary of the activity that happens on the website. Use plugins like Activity Log, WP Security Audit Log and Stream so that you are aware of the changes that take place and hackers cannot get away with their malicious activity.
Wrapping Up
Being one of the most renowned Content Management Systems, it is prudent to use WordPress to build your content marketing strategy. Just follow the mentioned tips to keep your website free from any malicious agents and hacking activities.