Strengthen Your WordPress Site’s Security With These Easy-to-follow Tips

While WordPress is considered to be one of the most popular content management system out there, interestingly enough, its popularity is also the reason that makes WordPress a favorite target for hackers.
When it comes to maintaining security of a WordPress site, one holds the idea that using a security plugin is enough to protect their site against attacks. Did you know that out of 10 vulnerable plugins, 5 were actually a security plugin?

That is not to say that you should not consider using a security plugin. Of course, a security plugin can help safeguard your website from getting attacked to a certain extent. But unfortunately, there is not a perfect solution that can ensure keeping a WordPress website 100 percent secure.

While you might not find a perfect security solution, but you can certainly reduce the likelihood of getting your website hacked, by following a few simple tips such as:

1. Update Your WordPress Site Regularly

At times, neglecting a simple thing can have a profound impact on your website security. Take for example, the “Update available” banner that appears on the top of your website admin dashboard screen whenever you login to your site’s admin interface. For example, if you’re using an old WordPress version, then you’ll get a message with a message “WordPress 4.3 is available” (as you can see in the image below).

While, clicking on the available updates help fix the security holes found in the previous version, avoiding it means that you’re running an outdated website which is vulnerable and more susceptible to hacker’s attacks. Even if you’re opting for WordPress site development services, make sure that your developer takes care of all the updates that help in making your site secure. 

Note: In case, you’re worried that running an update will break something, make sure to create a backup before installing any update.

2. Keep Your Theme and Plugins Up-to-date

Apart from keeping your WordPress core up-to-date, it is also very important for you to update your website theme, as well as, plugins installed on the site. Remember that the all the installed themes and plugins on your site act as a backdoor for malicious users, enabling them to break into your site’s admin interface and access your personal info.

So, make sure to keep all plugins and themes installed on your website updated. Furthermore, get rid of the unused plugins or themes, or the ones that are not of much use for your site. Also, it is recommended that you should download your website theme and plugins from trusted sources, such as WordPress.org, Themeforest, and Elegant Themes to name a few important ones.

3. Don’t Forget to Change The Default “admin” Username

If the username of your WordPress install is “admin” or something that is easy to guess, then it is advised that you must choose a custom name as your website administrator. Not being able to guess your username, will give a hard time for hackers to find a way to break into your account when they request for posts in the wp-login.php page. This helps in creating an extra step for the hackers since they won’t have to guess only your password to inject a way into your site.

4. Make Use of Strong Password, and Change It After a Fixed Interval

This is the most obvious, yet commonly overlooked point that can put your site at risk. Hackers often launch brute force attack on WordPress sites, and if your password is weak, then they just need to crack the username to enter into your website admin area. Therefore, to increase security of your site, make sure to create a strong password that contains a random string of letters, numbers, and special symbols. In the case, you can’t think of a good password combination, you can consider using a password generator to fulfill the task.

What’s more? Make it a habit to change the password after a fixed interval may be a few months or a year.

5. Setting Up Correct File Permissions

Setting up correct file permissions is the last thing that WordPress users have on their mind. But, keep in mind that wrong file permissions enable hackers to inject malicious code in your file and folders. To avoid such a situation, make sure not to configure your directories with “777” permissions. Rather, choose 755 or 750 permissions for configuring your WP directories. And, opt for 640 or 644 when setting up permissions for your website files.

A Few Other Recommendations For “Hardening” Your Website Security

• Oftentimes, virus or malware on your computer system could damage your site in terms of security. To avoid such a situation, make sure to install a firewall on your system.

• The majority of hackers launch brute force attacks in a bid to break a WordPress site. They’ll try to login into your site until they’re able to crack the password. This is why you must limit the login attempts made by visitors.

• Another great way to deal with brute force attack is to make use of two-step authentication. Using such an approach will help add an extra layer of security to your site, as it require users to enter not only password but also an authorization code (sent on your mobile via SMS) to login into your website.

• Possibly, you may be using an antivirus software on your computer system to ensure that it doesn’t contain malware. Likewise, you must also monitor and scan your WordPress theme for malicious code.

Final Words

WordPress security demands a lot more than using a security plugin to safeguard your site from a hacker attack. There are a few easy to follow tips that can keep your website protected to a large extent. I’ve tried to cover some of the most important considerations that you must take into account, to secure your site.