WordPress is one of the most preferred content management systems among startups, big enterprises & individuals. Actively used by more than 75 million websites, it’s free to install, offers a user-friendly interface, caters to the variety of business requirements and offers seamless user experience.
Majority of the security issues on the internet do not arise from software’s incapacity to detect threats but from the users inability to maintain passwords, backups and other relevant configurations. WordPress like many prominent websites becomes an easy target for cybercriminals because the users are not aware of the basics of securing their sites. For e.g., many users believe that simply installing an SSL certificate would be enough for securing their WordPress site which isn’t entirely true.
WordPress is one of the most secure systems if one gets into a habit of taking simple measures to keep their sites up to date with robust password and other relevant settings.
Let’s look at the most common security issues faced by the users and what they can do to prevent any potential threats.
#1 Password Strength
One of the most overlooked aspects of the WordPress security is the password strength that the user engages with. Its significance to thwart off threats is often overlooked which has the possibility of inviting unwilling threats and vulnerabilities.
A hard guessed password containing punctuation, numbers and case-sensitive alphabets is an effective way to deal with threats altogether. They should be changed often and must be hard to guess. Hackers with the power of brute force attacks test a user’s WordPress security by trying various combinations of passwords and usernames until the sites get compromised.
By adding CAPTCHA protection one not only prevents brute force attacks but also prevents spamming by bots and other malicious actors. Having a strong password with a minimum of 10-13 characters coupled with CAPTCHA protection is a good way to keep your website unharmed of external forces.
#2 Login Attempts Limit
There are no restrictions whatsoever on the login attempts by a user on the WordPress site. By default, any individual can undertake innumerable username and password tryouts which gives hackers a good reason to test the vulnerabilities on their own terms which more often than not results in their success with brute force attacks. To prevent this a user can utilize a wide variety of plugins which are available through WordPress.
These plugins are sort of locking mechanism that restrict the number of login attempts and they do it by blocking the IP addresses of users that are overdriving login attempts indefinitely.
#3 Updated WordPress Version
WordPress releases updates to its core files on a regular basis. The patches that are available contain installation files that can fix any unwanted issues and helps strengthening the security of the WordPress sites. One should keep an eye on the updates and it’s recommended to apply the patch soon after the latest release. Same goes for installed themes and plugins.
The developers follow the release cycle of the WordPress core files to ensure that the plugin remains compatible with the latest versions.
WordPress is known to release an updated version of the patch whenever a security issue arises. A user running an older version of the WordPress will always be at risk to unwanted threats. Therefore, its critical to update the website at its due time.
#4 Scheduled Backups
Backing up a WordPress site is part of an effective crisis management and security. It’s important to have a scheduled backup plan for inconceivable threats like data loss which is easily avoidable.
If something goes wrong, you can rely on the backups that can easily restore the version prior to site that got compromised.
Plugins like backup buddy and vaultpress take regular backs and provide restore options. Updraft plus is also one of the world’s leading backup, migration and restore WordPress plugin that backs up a site to off-site storage solutions such as Google Drive, Amazon S3 and Dropbox.
A local backup is created when your WordPress site is on the hosting provider’s server. There are many WordPress cloud hosting service providers who render a local backup process in which the entire server can be backed up manually or automatically. The entire server can be backed up on the likes of AmazonS3 and cloudways.
Always make sure to regularly back up your site to prevent any unwanted issues.
#5 Removing Unused Themes and Plugins
To optimize websites, testing out the latest themes and plugins seems to be mandatory for many because it elevates the experience of the viewer. However, many are just left unused over a period of time that in turn has the tendency to pose a threat to the website.
Users tend to deactivate instead of uninstalling the plugin entirely. Therefore, its critical to delete all the unused themes and plugins to clear out the excessive data from the WordPress database. One should always download the latest version of plugins and themes from trusted resources to ensure the safety and security of the website. Deactivating is not enough to prevent cyber attack, one has to delete them entirely to fix recurrent issues.
A WordPress development company not only addresses the above mentioned issues but also guides one to pick the desired themes and plugins for wide range of projects.
Conclusion
Powered by millions of blogs and websites, WordPress benefits outweighs its costs. However, a hacked WordPress site has the tendency to cause serious damage to the company’s reputation and revenue. Hackers can easily steal the user passwords, and relevant information to use it against them. They can install malicious software and can also spread malware for their petty gains. Therefore, its critical to maintain the website for hassle-free experience.
The 5 most common WordPress security issues have been addressed bearing in mind how easy it is to implement them to prevent cyber attacks. Whether its passwords, backups, themes or plugins, managing a WordPress website will always be an ongoing process that demands continuous attention from the user.
Opt for WordPress development services that takes care of all your business needs coupled with security measures.
