If you are new to the world of WordPress and you do not wish to be among those individuals then fear not, in this article I am going to cover some of the best tips to improve WordPress security. Improving your website security is always very important.
As a matter of fact, it can even save your site from being blacklisted by search engines. So much so that you may even be penalized by PayPal or by other online payment processing companies. Therefore, improving your website security is always very important.
So, let’s find out how to increase the WordPress website security for your personal data.
Improve Your WordPress Security
In the first place, what would be the best tips to improve WordPress security? First, you should make sure you use the secure version of your WordPress installation. If you have the old version, there are numerous exploits that allow an intruder to view your personal data like usernames, passwords, emails, etc.
That is exactly the reason why two-factor authentication is now becoming more popular with WordPress. Two-factor authentication usually involves two pieces of information that have to be entered on the forms.
The first one is the username and the second one is the password. When you use the default setting of user names containing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numerals the chances of an intruder seeing your passwords increases. So, this is one of the best tips to improve WordPress website security.
Install Plugins Selectively
One of the most common WordPress topics for discussion is how to allow developers to install WordPress plugins selectively and safely. WordPress plugins are reusable pieces of code that are designed to enhance the functionality of WordPress and allow WordPress users to add new features, alter existing functions, and create additional options.
Before you begin building a plugin, it is important to understand the source code. You must be able to find out what the file is written about and what WordPress plugin version it corresponds to. Most WordPress plug-ins are released under a free license, which gives users full freedom to install, edit, and share these code modifications.
WordPress plugins can be classified into two broad categories: those that add functionality to WordPress itself and those that modify the core WordPress functionality. Allowing users to install these WordPress plugins selectively allows them to quickly and easily add the new feature or modify their current WordPress installation to suit the new plugin.
Security considerations must also be addressed when developing these plugins. Since WordPress plugins have access to the WordPress database, there is a possibility that an unscrupulous user could execute a security-threatening attack and gain control over the WordPress database.
WordPress security concerns go beyond those involved with the WordPress code, however. Since WordPress users have the ability to upload a third-party plugin code to their WordPress website, malicious attacks on WordPress websites have the possibility to spread to other sites.
Even if you’re a little unsure or feel insecure about some plugins, you can try WordPress plugin development to build a plugin especially customized for your website.
It is in this case that security concerns become particularly urgent, since installing WordPress plugins selectively could allow hackers to install malware or adware as a side effect of the security action. It is for this reason that any time you develop a WordPress plugin, make sure to allow both the end-user and the WordPress developers to update the plugin whenever they feel it is necessary.
Change Your Permalink Structure
Secondly, when you create your WordPress blog using the dashboard, you should change the Permalink structure so that it doesn’t contain any keywords. It is very easy for a non-authority to edit or manage your personal data by changing your WordPress IP address. When you use two-factor authentication your IP address becomes visible to anyone who can access your site and take a snapshot of it. This means that a hacker can then view your passwords and other important information.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Besides using two-factor authentication, another of the WordPress website security tips is to limit access to your website. There are several plugins available for WordPress, which are used for gaining access to the administration panel. However, you should disable such plugins to keep hackers at bay.
Define Your IP Addresses
There are other plugins that can be installed to monitor all outgoing traffic. This is useful if you have some employees visiting your site from the workplace or from other locations that are outside your IP address range.
The problem with these plugins is that they record everything even when the user has chosen not to capture any information on his or her personal data. In other words, such plugins are very useful for hackers who can use such information to break into your website and gain access to your database and personal data.
Limit Plugin Installations
Other than limiting plugin installation, you should also limit the use of expired domains and hidden services. You should also update your WordPress blog regularly. WordPress uses a plugin called All-in-One-SEO. This plugin can be enabled by setting a certain title for each blog post. With the help of this plug-in, you can optimize all keywords in the body of each blog post thus reducing the usage of keywords.
Try a Better Payment Gateway
Finally, you should avoid writing sensitive information on your website or in your blog. WordPress provides several security threats especially for those who are blogging for profit. If you want to keep your blog free from hackers then you should never use credit cards for payment. Instead, you can make payments using PayPal which is quite safe as it is one of the most popular payment methods online today.
