One of the hottest topics to be talked about, WordPress security is something businesses need to start taking seriously. The latest botnet attacks on a large number of WordPress websites have seen some people climbing quickly on hands and knees to restore their valuable data.
The 2 major types of hacks that occur during the process of WordPress web development are targeted attacks and the non targeted attack. The targeted attack is one where a hacker makes a deliberate decision to breach the security of your website. This kind of attack occurs with websites that are very popular. In non-targeted attack, hackers send out automated attacks that scan IP addresses looking for known security issues.
Even if you are doing nothing to improve the security of your website, there are some popular tactics like using a WordPress security plugin that can get the job done at ease. However, to ensure the best for you, we are going to focus directly on some ways that can secure your website tightly.
So, let us take a quick dive and beat those evil hackers right away:
Keeping the WordPress website development up to date
One of the hottest topics to be talked about, WordPress security is something businesses need to start taking seriously. The latest botnet attacks on a large number of WordPress websites have seen some people climbing quickly on hands and knees to restore their valuable data. The 2 major types of hacks that occur during the process of WordPress web development are targeted attacks and the non targeted attack. The targeted attack is one where a hacker makes a deliberate decision to breach the security of your website. This kind of attack occurs with websites that are very popular. In non-targeted attack, hackers send out automated attacks that scan IP addresses looking for known security issues.
Even if your are doing nothing to improve the security of your website, there are some popular tactics like using a plugin that can get the job done at ease. However, to ensure the best for you, we are going to focus directly on some ways that can secure your website tightly.
So, let us take a quick dive and beat those evil hackers right away:
Keeping the WordPress website development up to date
With every latest update of the CMS, you don’t just get an enhancing user experience but also add new features. These new features reduce the chances of vulnerabilities. One should always look for updates regularly in the WordPress dashboard and update it as soon as a new update is made available. However, before updating it is recommended to back up your website. There are some updates that are not found compatible. However, with regular backing up, chances are that your data will remain protected.
Themes and plugins should also be updated regularly. Updated plugins are less vulnerable. Similarly, themes and plugins that are of no use should be deleted at the same time. This also improves the performance of your website by increasing load speed.
Prevention of brutal attacks
Brute attacks count to be a common form of security breach. In this type of attack, an attacker tries to guess username and password by making use of different combinations of each of them. Such kind of attacks can be prevented by using secure login and password.
Adding two-step authentication can also save your website from such breaches. This ensures that an authorization code will also be required to login. This code is sent to the phone.
Usage of common usernames like “admin” should be prohibited. These usernames are easily predictable and also makes your website vulnerable to hacking.
It is also recommended to change the password quite often. A password that has random strings of letters should be recommended. Using a password generating software in this case counts to be a wise decision. It helps you create secure and unpredictable passwords.
Installation of security plugins, whenever possible
After updating to the latest version, the next thing that you need to do is the installation of WordPress security plugins. These plugins actively protects your website against hacking attempts. Use of free plugins like iThemes Security and Bulletproof security is highly recommended. These plugins address the issues that could threaten your website.
Some of the other security plugins that can be used to keep your WordPress website secured is Wordfence, Sucuri security and so on. These WordPress security plugins offer a single click security solution to secure your website against XSS, CRLF, SQL injection, code injection and so on.
Backing up the WordPress website
Creating backup should be the first decision. It is important to back-up data regularly. WordPress backup or clone master plugin can be used to keep your data restored. Other than this, you can schedule a backup on a regular basis. Scheduled backups ensure that your website is regularly restored to the previous version. Automated services like BlogVault and BackupBuddy scount to be great for built-in restore.
Lock up WordPress site
There are some hackers who can easily discover the imperfection in your website and easily decrypt the version you are using. A quick scan through your website can help you get the information related to weak sources on the website. If this information gets into the hands of hackers, they can easily damage the data of your website. The best way to save that data is by using Hide My WP plugin that discards all traces of WordPress from the source code of the website.
Limiting the number of login attempts
The number of attempts to login from a certain IP address should be limited. There are many WordPress plugins that can be used to secure your login from different IP addresses. BruteProtect, Brute Force Login Protection, Security-Protection, Antihacker are some well-known plugins that can help.
Role of WordPress hosting
WordPress hosting plays an important role in securing your website. A good shared hosting provider like BlueHost or SiteGround takes extra measures to secure the servers against common threats. On shared hosting, you can easily share the server resources with other clients. This opens the risk of cross-site contamination wherein a hacker can make use of a neighboring website to attack your website.
It is often recommended to use managed hosting provider as it offers a secure platform for your website. Managed hosting services offer automatic backups, automatic WordPress updates and extra advanced security configurations to protect your website.
WPEngine as the most preferred managed WordPress hosting provider is used.
Wrapping it up:
Be it any CMS, website security is of utmost importance. It not only prevents you from losing crucial data but also ensures that your customers are always safe. With the help of tips given above, you will make it difficult for hackers to invade your website.
Now the ball is in your court! We would love to hear what recommendations you have to secure your website. Let us know in the comments section below.
