WordPress Security: How To Improve Your Websites Security
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world. It powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, and with great power comes great... risk!
WordPress websites are often targeted by hackers and malicious bots. WordPress sites are attacked on a daily basis. It’s important to have a solid WordPress security setup to protect your website from potential threats.
Is WordPress Secure?
WordPress is a secure platform, but like any other software, it can be vulnerable to security threats if not properly maintained. WordPress has a dedicated security team that regularly releases security updates to fix any vulnerabilities that are discovered. But with the many free extensions, it’s important to keep your WordPress installation, themes, and plugins up to date. This is to ensure that your website is protected against potential threats all the time.
Using proper security measures goes a long way. Strong passwords, implementing two-factor authentication, and using security plugins can drastically enhance the security of your WordPress website.
What are the security issues with WordPress?
One of the most common security issues with WordPress is outdated plugins and themes. If you don’t update your WordPress installation, themes, and plugins regularly, your website can become vulnerable to security threats.
WordPress websites can be infected with malware and viruses. Which can compromise the security of your website and put your visitors’ data at risk. Brute force attacks are a type of attack where hackers try to guess your login credentials by repeatedly trying different combinations of usernames and passwords. XSS attacks are a type of attack where hackers inject malicious code into your website. They do this to steal sensitive information or take control of your website. SQL injection attacks are a type of attack where hackers inject malicious SQL code into your website. This is to either steal sensitive information or take control of your website.
Plugin and theme updates don’t only fix issues with functionality, but also with security. That is why you need to keep them up to date, enforce use of strong passwords and install a security plugin. Security plugins can also scan your website for malware and virus on the go.
How can I make my WordPress site secure?
One of the easiest ways to secure your website is by keeping your WordPress installation, themes, and plugins up to date. Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated plugins to gain access to your website. Therefore, it’s important to update your website regularly.
Use strong passwords!
Weak passwords are one of the most common ways that hackers gain access to websites. Therefore, it’s important to use strong passwords that are difficult to guess. Ideally, your password should be a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Use two-factor authentication!
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your website. It requires users to enter a code in addition to their password to access the website. This makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your website even if they have your password.
Install security plugins!
There are many security plugins available for WordPress that can help you protect your website. These plugins can help you detect and block malicious traffic, scan for vulnerabilities, and monitor your website for suspicious activity.
Personal favourite security plugin for WordPress is WordFence, which also allows you to set up two-factor authentication and disable use of weak passwords for users. WordFence also works with WooCommerce if you are running an e-commerce site.
Disabling XMLRPC
Disabling XMLRPC can improve the security of your website by preventing potential attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the XMLRPC protocol. XMLRPC is a remote procedure call (RPC) protocol which allows third-party applications to communicate with your website. It is frequently in use by attackers to launch brute force attacks on your website’s login page, or to perform Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.
Disabling XMLRPC can prevent these types of attacks from occurring and improve the performance of your website by reducing the amount of unnecessary traffic.
// Add the following line to functions.php in your theme
add_filter( 'xmlrpc_enabled', '__return_false' );Final notes
With just a few simple implementations, you can drastically improve WordPress security on your website, which can save your bum in the long run.