Website security is one of the most important things you can do for your site. It protects your reputation, SEO and money.
Hackers often gain access to sites by brute forcing their way into a password by trying different combinations until they find the right one. Limiting login attempts is a great way to prevent these attacks.
1. Use a strong password
A password is a key to your website, and it’s the first step in securing your site. If hackers discover a weak password, they can use it to gain access to your site and steal data. Strong passwords are long, complex, and unique. They must include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes it harder for hackers to guess the password and increase the chances of your other security measures protecting you.
Another important step is to prevent users from reusing passwords across multiple accounts or websites. If hackers find your site’s password in a data leak, they can use it to login to other sites and potentially steal other people’s information. To avoid this, you should use a third-party password manager like LastPass or 1Password to store all your usernames and passwords in one place.
In addition to setting a strong password, you should also set a limit on the number of login attempts. This will prevent hacking attempts that try to brute-force their way into an admin account. It’s also a good idea to change your wp-config file and salt keys to add an extra layer of security.
Although these measures will reduce the chance of a hack, it’s still a good idea to monitor your website regularly for any suspicious activity. If your site is compromised, it’s important to detect the malware and get it removed as soon as possible. MalCare’s advanced scanner is able to detect even the most well-hidden malware and will alert you immediately. It also provides detailed reports of all the malicious activity on your site, making it easy to track and mitigate any problems.
2. Set a limit on the number of login attempts
By default, WordPress allows unlimited login attempts, which is an easy target for hackers. They can use password-guessing bots to try every possible combination of usernames and passwords until they find the right one. This is called a brute force attack, and it is one of the most common ways hackers gain access to a website.
This is why it’s so important to use a strong password that contains numbers, special characters, and a mix of lower and uppercase letters. It’s also a good idea to disable plugins you no longer need, limit the number of admin users, and log out inactive users regularly.
You should also make sure that you’re using the proper permissions when setting up folders and files. For example, you should set folders to permissions level 755 and files to permissions level 644. These levels will ensure that only the main user can read and edit them, and other users can’t even view them. This will prevent people from making changes to core files and potentially breaking the site.
Adding a cap on the number of login attempts is another way to protect your website from hacking. It’s not foolproof, but it will help deter most attackers.
The easiest way to do this is with a dedicated plugin. There are several options available, but we recommend installing Limit Login Attempts Reloaded. This plugin will keep track of how many times a person has tried to login, and it will lock them out after a certain number of failed attempts. It will also log the IP address of the person trying to break into your website, so you can blacklist them if necessary.
3. Change your wp-config file
There are several settings you can change in the wp-config file that will improve your site’s security. One of the most important is changing the $table_prefix variable, which dictates what letters are attached to the beginning of all database tables within WordPress. By default, this value is wp_, which makes it easy for hackers to target your database. By modifying this value to something more random, such as pahfh_, you will help prevent hackers from easily targeting your database and website.
Another setting you can change is the $base_path variable, which determines where WordPress will look for core files and folders. By moving these folders outside of your wp-content directory, you can help thwart hackers who might be using automated scripts to find these particular files and folders. Finally, you can also set the variables ‘WP_CONTENT_DIR’ and ‘WP_PLUGIN_DIR’ to set custom directories for themes and plugins.
The wp-config file also contains the security keys and salts that encrypt your login information stored in cookies when you log into your WordPress account. These keys and salts are crucial for protecting your site from brute force attacks, which are used to try and guess your password. By changing these keys and salts periodically, you can make it much more difficult for hackers to access your information. You can also use a plugin like Salt Shaker to generate these keys for you automatically. When you change your security keys and salts, WordPress will invalidate any existing cookies and force users to log in again, forcing them to re-enter their passwords and making it harder for them to break into your site.
4. Change your salt keys
One of the most important steps to take when securing your WordPress site is changing your salt keys. This adds an extra layer of protection and makes it more difficult for hackers to crack your passwords or other sensitive information on your site. It’s recommended that you change your salt keys on a regular basis to reduce the risk of hacking attacks and other security threats.
When you log in to your website, WordPress stores your authentication details in a cookie. This is convenient for you, but it can also expose your site to attack if hackers get ahold of these cookies. This is why it’s important to limit login attempts on your website to prevent brute force attacks.
Changing your salt keys is an easy way to prevent hacking attacks and keep your website safe. You can do it manually or use a plugin to automate the process. Using a plugin is the best option because it will do much more than just change your salts. It will also update your wp-config file, which can help to improve the security of your website.
There are a few ways to change your salt keys, but the easiest way is to use a security plugin that offers this feature. Once you’ve done that, you can select how frequently you want to change your salts. For most websites, a weekly or monthly change is enough to protect against hackers.
If you’d rather change your salts manually, you can do so by modifying the wp-config file on your website’s host. To do this, you’ll need to access the wp-config file through FTP or your site’s hosting provider. Then, you’ll need to create a new line of code in the file that contains the new salts. Once you’ve done this, you can test your site to ensure that it is secure.
5. Update your themes and plugins
Whether your website is brand new or has been online for years, security threats are always on the horizon. Hackers are constantly looking for ways to take advantage of vulnerabilities in your site. If left unchecked, malware can wreak havoc on your site and cause massive losses for you and your users. But thankfully, most attacks can be prevented with some simple steps.
One of the most important things you can do to keep your WordPress site safe is to update your themes and plugins regularly. Outdated plugins and themes are a common source of security breaches. It’s recommended that you update your plugins and themes as soon as a new version becomes available. This will ensure that any new bugs or security issues are fixed before they can be exploited by hackers.
Also, you should make sure that your permissions levels are set appropriately. This will ensure that only people who need to have access can edit your files. For example, you should have folders with a permissions level of 755 and files with a permissions level of 644. You should also disable the ability to edit files from within your admin area. This will prevent attackers from easily changing core WordPress files.
It is also a good idea to password protect any pages that you don’t want the general public to see. You can do this by going into the Pages section of your admin panel and clicking “Edit” on the page you want to protect. Once you’ve done this, select the “Password protection” option. This will help to keep out hackers who are looking for a place to hide their nefarious activities on your website.
