As a WordPress site owner, you know that security should be your top priority. There are many steps you can take to prevent costly WordPress hacks and keep your site safe. Quality hosting with security features like a web application firewall can stop threats before they reach your site. Automating backups and storing them offsite ensures you can restore your site if disaster strikes. Using strong passwords and two-factor authentication helps protect against guessing and phishing attempts. Keeping WordPress, plugins, and themes updated eliminates vulnerabilities that hackers exploit. Only installing plugins and themes from reliable sources reduces your risk. Disabling file editing prevents malicious changes. Follow these best practices, and you’ll sleep better knowing your WordPress site is secure.
The Importance of Quality Hosting for WordPress Security
As a WordPress site owner, one of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding security is choosing a high-quality web host. Your hosting provider acts as the first line of defense, securing your site before attacks even reach it.
Look for a host that offers proactive security monitoring and DDoS mitigation. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks flood your server with traffic to overwhelm it and take your site offline. A good host will monitor for these attacks and quickly block them. They should also regularly scan your WordPress installation for known vulnerabilities and alert you to any issues.
In addition to monitoring, a secure host will keep their own software up to date. This includes the latest versions of PHP, MySQL, Apache, and other technologies that power your WordPress site. Running outdated software leaves you open to exploits that target known vulnerabilities.
A quality host will also limit access to your WordPress admin area and database. They should use tools like firewalls, IP address restrictions, and CAPTCHAs to prevent unauthorized access. They may also offer free SSL certificates to encrypt traffic to and from your site.
While no hosting provider can offer 100% protection, choosing a high-quality host that prioritizes security will significantly reduce your risks. Their proactive monitoring and hardening of servers and software establishes a strong foundation on which you can build. With the right host in place, you can focus on keeping your WordPress installation secure with strong passwords, updates, and other best practices. A small investment in quality hosting can save you from the headache of cleaning up after an attack.
Backing Up Your WordPress Site to Prevent Hacker Attacks
To safeguard your WordPress site from malicious hacks and attacks, regularly backing up your site is critical. As a website owner, backing up your WordPress site should be one of your top priorities. If your site is compromised, the only way to recover is through a reliable backup.
Choose a Backup Schedule
You’ll want to determine how often to backup your WordPress site based on how frequently the content changes. For most sites, a daily or weekly backup schedule is recommended. Daily backups ensure minimal data loss in the event of an attack, while weekly backups may be sufficient if your content does not change often. You can also configure incremental backups to only backup content that has changed since the last full backup.
Select a Backup Method
There are several options for backing up your WordPress site. The most common methods are manual backups, plugin backups, and automated service backups. Manual backups involve downloading your database and files and storing them offline. Backup plugins, like UpdraftPlus, handle the backup process but require storage space on your own server. Automated backup services, such as BackupBuddy, automatically backup your site on a schedule and store files off-site. Off-site storage with an automated service is the most secure option.
Test Your Backups Regularly
To ensure your backups are working properly, you should test them regularly by restoring a backup to a staging site. This allows you to verify that the backup was successful and contains all data needed to restore your site. Check that content, images, themes, and plugins are all intact. Testing also confirms that you understand how to restore your site in the event of an emergency.
With a comprehensive backup strategy in place, you can rest assured knowing your WordPress site and all its content are protected. Regular backups, combined with strong security practices, dramatically reduce the risk of losing your site to malicious hacks or attacks. Staying proactive and vigilant is key to keeping your WordPress site secure.
Using Strong Passwords to Lock Out Hackers
To prevent unauthorized access to your WordPress site, it is critical that you implement secure passwords and two-factor authentication. Hackers frequently target WordPress sites to gain access to the sensitive data and account information stored within. By using strong, unique passwords for your WordPress login, plugins, hosting account, and any other access points, you make it extremely difficult for hackers to guess their way in.
Choose Complex Passwords
A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid simple or personal information like names, dates of birth or addresses. The more random the password, the better. Using a password manager tool can help generate and remember complex, unique passwords for all your accounts.
Change Default Passwords
One of the first things hackers will try is logging in with the default WordPress username “admin” and common passwords like “password” or “12345.” Be sure to change the default WordPress admin password immediately after installing the software. Also change the passwords for any plugins or themes you install. Leaving default logins and passwords in place is like leaving your front door wide open.
User Different Passwords
Use a different password on every different site or service you use. Because a compromised website may leak your credentials and these may get sold onto a hackers list. Data breachers are more common than you think see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_data_breaches . There are also some services where yu can check if your email / passord has been leak e.g. https://haveibeenpwned.com/ .
Using different passwords is difficult to manage manually, this is where password managers like BitWarde, DashLane or LastPass help.
Two-Factor Authentication for Added WordPress Security
To further strengthen the security of your WordPress site, enabling two-factor authentication is highly recommended. Two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA, adds an extra layer of protection for user accounts by requiring not only a password but also another piece of information like a security code sent to your phone.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, adds an extra layer of security for your WordPress login. After entering your password, you must enter a code sent to your phone via text or app. This way, even if your password is compromised, hackers still can’t access your site without the code. There are several free and paid 2FA plugins for WordPress to choose from. Enable 2FA for all user roles, especially admins.
How Two-Factor Authentication Works
With 2FA enabled, when a user signs in to WordPress, they will enter their username and password as usual. Then, they will be prompted to enter a security code. This security code is typically sent to the user’s mobile device via text message, phone call, or an authentication app like Google Authenticator or Duo. By requiring this additional code, 2FA helps prevent unauthorized access to accounts even if the account password is compromised.
Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication in WordPress
To enable 2FA in WordPress, you will need to install and activate a 2FA plugin, such as WordPress Google Authenticator or WordPress Two-Factor Authentication. Once installed, you configure the plugin to send security codes to users’ mobile devices. Users will need to enter this security code after their password to log in to their WordPress account. It is recommended you require 2FA for all user roles, especially administrators.
With 2FA enabled for your WordPress site, you can rest assured that your users’ accounts and your site data are much more secure. Requiring a second form of authentication helps eliminate unauthorized logins by verifying users’ identities. For any WordPress site owner concerned with security and protecting their data, two-factor authentication is a simple and effective safeguard worth implementing.
Keeping WordPress Core, Plugins and Themes Updated to Avoid Vulnerabilities
Update WordPress Core
It is critical that you keep your WordPress core software up to date with the latest version. WordPress core updates often contain security patches that fix vulnerabilities that could be exploited if left unpatched. As soon as you receive a notification about an available WordPress update, you should update immediately.
Update Plugins
Plugins extend the functionality of WordPress, but they can also introduce vulnerabilities if not updated. Monitor your plugins for available updates at least once a week and update them promptly when updates become available. Some plugins may require you to also update the WordPress core software to remain compatible, so be sure to check for any WordPress updates at the same time.
Update Themes
Like plugins, themes provide functionality and also require occasional updates to patch vulnerabilities. Check for theme updates at the same frequency as you check for plugin updates. Even if your theme appears to be functioning properly, there may be security issues addressed in an update. It is not worth risking your site’s security by avoiding available updates.
Only Use Plugins and Themes from Trusted Sources
To ensure the highest level of security for your WordPress site, only download plugins and themes from trusted sources like the official WordPress Plugin and Theme directories and reputable plugin businesses like Fullworks Plugins. Third-party sources, like GPL clubs, may contain malware or spam that compromises your site. The plugins and themes on the official WordPress directories are vetted to meet WordPress standards for security and functionality.
Keeping your WordPress install and all plugins and themes updated with the latest versions is one of the most important things you can do to secure your site. Vulnerabilities are frequently discovered and patched in new releases, so updating promptly is critical. Following recommended security practices like using trusted plugin and theme sources will help prevent issues and keep your site secure.
Securing your website is your responsibility, no one elses.
Ultimately, it is up to you to secure your WordPress site. By choosing quality hosting, backing up your site regularly, using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping WordPress and plugins updated, installing add-ons from trustworthy sources, and disabling file editing, you can help prevent your site from being hacked. While it takes some time and effort on your part, the peace of mind of knowing your site is secure is well worth it. Don’t wait until it’s too late – take steps today to lock down your WordPress site and protect your hard work. With some smart precautions, you can avoid the hassle and headaches website hacks can cause.
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