WordPress is a secure platform out of the box, but there’s still more you can do to protect your website. Here are 25 different strategies to help you up your website security game.
A monitoring system can alert you when suspicious activity is happening on your site. For example, if someone is trying to change passwords or alter core files, you’ll want to know right away.
1. Change your password
As a website owner, you need to ensure that your site is as secure as possible. This means making sure that your passwords are strong, keeping your site updated, and installing a firewall. There’s no guarantee that you’ll never experience a hack, but following these best practices can help you minimize the risk.
One of the first things you should do if you think your website has been hacked is to change all the passwords. This will stop any further changes being made to your site and will also force any users who may still be logged in to log out. You should also consider alerting your customers and stakeholders, especially if their personal information was breached.
You can change passwords in WordPress by going to the admin dashboard and clicking on “Users.” Then, hover over the user whose password you want to change and click “Edit.” Then, enter a new password and confirm it.
Another way to change passwords is to use a WP-CLI command. To do this, you’ll need to know the user ID of the person who has their password changed. If they’re the site administrator, this will be 1, but you can use the same process to change any other user’s password.
It’s a good idea to change passwords regularly and use two-step authentication whenever possible. This will make it harder for hackers to break into your site, and it will also prevent them from accessing other accounts on your computer. Additionally, try to use a strong password that contains a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. It’s also a good idea to run your password through a strength indicator to make sure it’s as strong as possible.
2. Install a firewall
A firewall is one of the best ways to protect your website. It can prevent hackers from stealing sensitive information, installing malware, or even bringing your site down entirely. It can also block brute force attacks and spam, and it can prevent attackers from accessing your site using a compromised host. In addition to blocking IP addresses, a firewall can also monitor your site and alert you of suspicious activity.
There are many firewall options available for WordPress websites, but the best option is a security plugin. Security plugins are easy to install, and they offer a variety of features that can help you protect your site from hackers. For example, the iThemes Security plugin has over 30 security features that check for things like plugin vulnerabilities, obsolete software, weak passwords, and other common loopholes. It can also stop automated attacks, improve password strength, and provide two-factor authentication.
Another popular plugin is Wordfence, which offers several security features including malware scans, brute-force login protection, threat notifications, and more. Its free version provides a lot of functionality, but if you want more advanced features, you can upgrade to the premium version.
When choosing a security plugin, be sure to read reviews and check the developer’s history. It’s important to choose a developer with a good track record and who is responsive to issues. You should also look for a plugin that is updated regularly. It’s also important to back up your files regularly. This can be done manually, or you can use a backup solution such as Updraft Plus. This will ensure that you can restore your files if they are ever affected by a hacker attack.
3. Install a security plugin
With malware, data breaches, and other threats on the rise, it’s important for website owners to take security seriously. However, it can be difficult to know where to begin. That’s where a website security plugin comes in handy. These plugins are designed to help boost your site’s security, protect you from hackers, and more. However, choosing the right one is crucial. There are plenty of options out there, but the wrong one can break your site or slow it down to a crawl.
There are several security plugins available for WordPress websites, but some are better than others. For instance, Sucuri’s all-in-one security solution offers a firewall, backups, and malware removal. It also tracks other installed plugins to prevent security vulnerabilities. Another feature that makes this security plugin stand out from its competitors is its ability to identify and block malicious traffic.
A security plugin can be a great tool for boosting the security of your site, but it’s not a replacement for the hard work you need to put into maintaining your site. Moreover, these plugins can also use up a lot of resources, which can be a major problem for sites with limited hosting capacity.
One way to avoid this is by installing a security plugin that uses fewer resources. This way, it’ll be able to run malware scans and other security checks without putting too much strain on your system. Moreover, it’ll also be able to provide you with the latest threat detection and response features. However, this is only possible if you install the plugin on a clean installation of WordPress. If you have multiple sites, then you should consider using different security plugins for each site to ensure that all of them are protected.
4. Upgrade to the latest version of PHP
Like WordPress themes and plugins, PHP gets frequent updates to fix bugs and improve performance. Using an outdated version of PHP can slow down your site and expose it to hackers. Keeping your website up-to-date is the best way to protect your site from cyber attacks and keep it running at its maximum speed.
PHP is a server-side programming language that makes WordPress websites dynamic. It takes the information that users enter on your website and sends it back to the server, where it is processed. It then sends the results to the user’s browser in HTML format. Without PHP, your website would be static and could not be updated.
In order to continue running a secure, fast-loading, and stable website, you should upgrade to the latest version of PHP as soon as possible. The process is relatively simple, regardless of your hosting provider. You can do this in your WordPress dashboard by going to Tools > Site Health and selecting the Info tab. Then, select the Server section to see what version of PHP you’re using.
When a new version of PHP is released, your hosting provider will notify you through your dashboard or by email. It’s important to follow these notifications and upgrade your PHP version as quickly as possible.
Upgrading to the latest version of PHP can significantly increase the speed and security of your website. This will not only keep your visitors happy by making the site load faster, but it will also help you avoid the expensive and damaging effects of a hacking attack. With these benefits in mind, you can see why it’s so crucial to keep your website’s PHP version up-to-date.
5. Install a monitoring system
If you don’t monitor your website and discover a breach after the fact, it can be a real headache. In addition to resetting passwords, you will have to contact customers and stakeholders to let them know that their information may have been compromised. Additionally, malware can slow down your site, damage your search engine rankings and even distribute ransomware to visitors.
Fortunately, there are plenty of plugins to help you keep tabs on what’s going on with your WordPress website. The All-In-One Security & Firewall plugin, for example, provides a real-time audit log that lets you see if anyone is accessing your website or making changes they shouldn’t be. This can alert you to any suspicious activity before it gets out of hand.
Another popular plugin is Sucuri Security, which features tools like brute force attack protection, a firewall, a malware scanner, and site uptime monitoring. It also offers SSL certificate integration, website backups, and the enforcement of strong passwords.
Keeping your website secure is a big job, and it’s important to understand that not all threats are the same. But if you take the time to implement these simple website security wordpress tips, you can greatly reduce your risk of being attacked. So don’t wait – take action now! And remember to keep up with your regular updates, because attackers are always looking for ways to take advantage of unprotected websites. After all, it’s not just your business that’s at risk: if enough sites are targeted, attackers can easily spread malware and destabilize the entire internet.
