WordPress, one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, powers over 40% of websites on the internet today. Its widespread use comes as no surprise, given its flexibility, ease of use, and vast ecosystem of themes and plugins.
However, the popularity of WordPress also makes it a prime target for cyberattacks. As more businesses and individuals rely on WordPress to host their websites, ensuring the security of your site becomes increasingly critical.
Without proper security measures, secure your WordPress site can become vulnerable to a range of attacks that threaten not only your data but also your reputation.
In this article, we’ll delve into why WordPress security is essential, explore some common security threats, and provide actionable steps to protect your WordPress site from potential attacks.
Why You Need WordPress Security
1. It Protects Your Information and Reputation
Your website likely contains sensitive information, whether it’s customer data, private communications, or proprietary business information. A breach can result in loss of valuable data, financial losses, and harm to your reputation.
When visitors trust your site with their personal data, they expect it to be secure. If your website gets hacked and that trust is broken, the damage to your reputation can be irreparable.
Beyond personal data, your website’s content and brand image are also at risk. Hackers may deface your website, inject malicious code, or redirect users to harmful websites.
This not only diminishes your site’s credibility but also could result in legal and financial repercussions, especially if user data is compromised.
2. Your Visitors Expect It
In an era where data breaches and cyberattacks are increasingly common, internet users are becoming more cautious about the websites they visit. They expect websites to prioritize security to protect their personal and financial information.
A hacked or insecure website could prompt users to abandon your site, leading to loss of traffic, leads, and sales.
Moreover, if your site is compromised, users may receive warnings from their web browsers or antivirus software, alerting them to potential risks. This could scare away potential visitors and drive down your site’s credibility.
Maintaining a secure site ensures that your visitors feel safe, which in turn helps build trust and fosters long-term relationships.
3. Google Likes Secure Websites
Google and other search engines are paying increasing attention to website security. If your site lacks security measures, such as SSL encryption (which enables HTTPS), you could find yourself penalized in search rankings.
Google prioritizes secure websites in its search results, and an insecure website may receive warnings that discourage users from visiting.
A secure website not only improves your rankings on search engines but also helps ensure that your site does not get blacklisted.
If your site becomes compromised, Google may flag it as unsafe, which can severely hurt your SEO and overall web traffic.
Avoiding these penalties is another reason why strong WordPress security is essential.
How Safe is WordPress?
WordPress itself is a secure platform when properly maintained and updated. The WordPress core development team constantly works to patch security vulnerabilities and release updates that enhance the platform’s security.
However, many WordPress security issues arise from improper user practices, outdated software, poorly coded themes or plugins, and inadequate hosting environments.
It’s important to remember that no platform, including WordPress, is entirely immune to attacks. Given the vast number of third-party plugins and themes available, WordPress websites can be prone to vulnerabilities introduced by external components.
This is why it’s crucial to take proactive steps to secure your site, as websites that use WordPress are a popular target for cyberattacks.
In WordPress’s security report, a firewall service named Wordfence blocked a whooping 18.5 billion password attack requests on WordPress websites. That’s nearly 20 billion attacks on WordPress websites alone.
Common WordPress Security Issues
Several common security issues affect WordPress websites. Understanding these threats is the first step toward protecting your site. Below, we outline some of the most prevalent WordPress security risks:
1. Brute-Force Login Attempts
Brute-force attacks involve hackers repeatedly trying to guess your WordPress login credentials, such as your username and password.
Automated tools allow attackers to attempt thousands of login combinations in a short period. If your login credentials are weak, they may eventually be cracked, giving attackers access to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a type of attack in which malicious code is injected into your website, usually through forms or user inputs.
When a user interacts with these inputs, the malicious script runs on their browser, potentially giving the attacker access to sensitive information or the ability to redirect users to malicious websites.
3. Database Injections
SQL injection attacks occur when hackers exploit vulnerabilities in your website’s code to insert malicious queries into your WordPress database.
This can allow them to manipulate your database, steal data, or even gain admin-level access to your site. Such attacks can be devastating, as they often target your website’s most critical data.
4. Backdoors
A backdoor is a hidden method that allows attackers to bypass normal authentication and access your website. Hackers often create backdoors by exploiting vulnerabilities in plugins or themes.
Once a backdoor is installed, attackers can access your site whenever they want, making it difficult to fully secure your site until the backdoor is found and removed.
5. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks
A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack occurs when hackers overwhelm your website with a flood of requests, causing it to slow down or crash entirely. These attacks can disrupt your site’s availability, making it inaccessible to legitimate users.
In some cases, attackers use a network of infected computers (a botnet) to amplify the attack, known as a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack.
6. Phishing
Phishing attacks involve hackers creating fraudulent copies of legitimate websites to trick users into entering sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers.
If your site is compromised, attackers may create phishing pages on your domain, potentially damaging your reputation and putting your users at risk.
7. Hotlinking
Hotlinking is the practice of other websites directly linking to your images or media files, consuming your bandwidth without permission.
While not as dangerous as other security threats, hotlinking can result in increased server costs and slow site performance. In some cases, attackers may hotlink to malicious images or content hosted on your server.
How to Secure Your WordPress Site
To mitigate these risks and safeguard your WordPress site, you need to implement a combination of security best practices. Below are 20 essential steps you can take to protect your website from attacks.
1. Secure Your Login Procedures
Start by using a strong, unique password that includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid predictable patterns or commonly used words.
Additionally, refrain from using a default username like “admin” or “administrator,” as these are easy targets for hackers. Instead, create a custom username that isn’t easily guessable. Beyond these steps, implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) provides an extra layer of protection.
With 2FA, even if someone gets hold of your password, they still need a second verification, like a code sent to your phone, to gain access. Additionally, limit the number of login attempts to help prevent brute-force attacks.
Many security plugins allow you to configure limits on failed login attempts, locking out users who repeatedly fail to enter the correct credentials.
2. Use Secure WordPress Hosting
Selecting a secure and reliable WordPress hosting provider is one of the most critical steps to ensuring the safety of your website. Not all hosting providers offer the same level of security, so it’s essential to research and choose one that prioritizes website protection.
Look for hosting providers that offer built-in security features such as firewalls, malware scanning, and automatic updates for server-side software. Many hosting providers also offer server-level caching, which can improve both performance and security.
Managed WordPress hosting providers, in particular, often go the extra mile by offering enhanced security measures, such as dedicated WordPress environments, optimized for the CMS. Regular backups, malware detection, and DDoS protection are features you should expect from a top-tier hosting provider.
3. Update Your Version of WordPress
Keeping your WordPress core files up to date is not just a recommendation but a crucial security measure. Each new version of WordPress includes security patches that address vulnerabilities discovered in previous versions.
When you neglect to update, you leave your site exposed to threats that hackers can easily exploit. WordPress updates also often contain performance improvements and new features, but their primary purpose is to keep your website secure.
Always ensure that you back up your site before updating to the latest version, in case any compatibility issues arise with themes or plugins.
You can set your WordPress installation to automatically apply minor updates, which usually include security patches, reducing the risk of running outdated software.
4. Update to the Latest Version of PHP
WordPress is built on PHP, a scripting language that powers its backend. Using an outdated version of PHP not only hinders your website’s performance but also leaves it vulnerable to security risks.
Newer versions of PHP contain important security fixes that address potential threats found in earlier versions. When your website is running on an outdated PHP version, it becomes a target for hackers who look to exploit known vulnerabilities.
Make sure your hosting provider supports the latest, stable version of PHP, and update your site’s PHP configuration when new versions are released. This will also improve your website’s speed and compatibility with future WordPress updates.
Regularly check your hosting control panel for PHP update notifications, and collaborate with your hosting support team if you need assistance with the upgrade.
5. Install One or More Security Plugins
WordPress security plugins offer robust protection by guarding against malicious attacks and monitoring potential vulnerabilities. Popular security plugins, such as Wordfence, Sucuri offer a wide range of features to keep your website safe.
These plugins can help block suspicious traffic, scan your website for known vulnerabilities, and offer firewall protection to filter out harmful requests before they reach your site.
Additionally, many security plugins provide alerts for suspicious activity, enabling you to react swiftly before any real damage is done.
Some plugins even offer login protection, malware scanning, and file integrity checks, ensuring that your WordPress site remains secure from the most common threats.
For the best results, consider using multiple security plugins that complement each other’s features without causing performance issues.
6. Use a Secure WordPress Theme
Ensure that the theme you use is reputable, secure, and consistently updated. Themes from untrusted or unknown sources may contain hidden malicious code, poorly written scripts, or vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.
It’s always recommended to use themes from the official WordPress repository or from well-established theme developers with a good track record for providing security updates and support.
Regularly checking for updates and patches for your theme is also important, as theme developers frequently release fixes for any potential security issues that arise over time.
7. Enable SSL/HTTPS
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts the data that is transmitted between your website and your visitors, ensuring that sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card details, and personal data is protected.
By enabling HTTPS, not only do you provide your users with a secure browsing experience, but you also improve your website’s SEO rankings, as search engines like Google prioritize secure sites.
Additionally, displaying the padlock icon in the browser reassures visitors that their data is safe while they navigate your site, boosting trust and confidence.
8. Install a Firewall
A firewall acts as a security barrier between your website and potential threats, working to filter out malicious traffic before it can reach your site and cause harm.
Web Application Firewalls (WAF) are specifically designed to protect websites from attacks such as SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and DDoS attempts.
You can install a WAF through your hosting provider or use a security plugin that offers firewall functionality. A firewall ensures that harmful requests are blocked before they can exploit vulnerabilities or disrupt your website’s performance.
9. Back Up Your Website
Regular backups are an essential safeguard that allow you to quickly restore your website in the event of a security breach, malware infection, or accidental data loss.
A reliable backup plugin or service should be used to schedule regular automatic backups, and these backups should be stored in a secure, offsite location to avoid any risk of being compromised along with your site.
In case of a breach or failure, having a recent backup enables you to recover your data and restore your website with minimal downtime or disruption.
10. Conduct Regular WordPress Security Scans
Regular security scans are necessary to identify vulnerabilities, malware, and potential issues that could compromise your website. Many security plugins offer automated scanning features, while online services can provide additional scanning options.
Conducting frequent scans ensures that you can detect and address any problems before they escalate into significant threats.
By integrating regular security audits into your maintenance routine, you stay proactive about identifying and fixing potential weaknesses in your website’s infrastructure.
11. Filter Out Special Characters from User Input
Preventing malicious code from being injected into your website through forms or user input is crucial for maintaining security. Input sanitization involves filtering out special characters, such as symbols and scripts, to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) or SQL injection attacks.
These attacks target your site by attempting to insert harmful code into user inputs, such as comments or form fields. By ensuring all user inputs are validated and sanitized, you minimize the risk of attackers injecting malicious scripts into your website.
12. Limit WordPress User Permissions
Only grant users the level of access they need to perform their tasks on your WordPress site.
Limit administrator privileges to a select few trusted individuals, and assign lower permission levels, such as editor or contributor, to others based on their roles. By restricting user access, you minimize the risk of accidental errors, misuse, or vulnerabilities being introduced through unnecessary administrative privileges.
It’s also good practice to periodically review and update user roles, ensuring they remain appropriate over time.
13. Use WordPress Monitoring
Monitoring tools allow you to keep an eye on your website’s files, database, and overall traffic, providing real-time alerts of suspicious activities or potential security threats.
WordPress monitoring plugins can help detect file changes, unexpected spikes in traffic, or attempts to exploit vulnerabilities.
By actively monitoring your site, you can react quickly to mitigate any issues before they escalate into serious problems, allowing you to maintain your website’s security and functionality at all times.
14. Log User Activity
User activity logs track the actions performed by users on your website, providing valuable insights into who did what and when. Activity logs can help you identify any unauthorized changes, failed login attempts, or suspicious behavior on your site.
If a security breach occurs, logs can provide crucial information for investigating the incident and taking appropriate corrective measures. Keeping detailed records of user actions allows for better oversight and helps maintain accountability among users.
15. Change the Default WordPress Login URL
Changing the default WordPress login URL (e.g., /wp-admin or /wp-login.php) makes it harder for hackers to locate your login page and launch brute-force attacks.
By customizing your login URL, you add an additional layer of obscurity and protection. This simple change can significantly reduce the chances of automated bots targeting your login page, as many attackers rely on knowing default WordPress login paths to initiate their attacks.
16. Disable File Editing in the WordPress Dashboard
By default, WordPress allows administrators to edit theme and plugin files directly from the dashboard. However, this feature can be a significant security risk if an attacker gains access to your admin account, as they could easily inject malicious code into your site.
Disabling file editing prevents this possibility by restricting file changes through the dashboard. You can do this by adding the following line of code to your wp-config.php file: define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); This ensures that no one can modify core files from within WordPress.
17. Change Your Database File Prefix
WordPress uses a default table prefix for its database, typically “wp_.” Hackers often target this default prefix when launching SQL injection attacks, as it makes it easier for them to exploit your database.
Changing the prefix to something unique adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for attackers to guess and access your database tables.
This change can be made during the installation process or manually after installation, but should be done with care to avoid disrupting your site’s functionality.
18. Disable Your xmlrpc.php File
The xmlrpc.php file allows for remote communication between your WordPress site and external applications, such as mobile apps or publishing services.
However, it is also a common target for brute-force attacks and other vulnerabilities. If you’re not using XML-RPC functionality, it’s best to disable the xmlrpc.php file to reduce the attack surface of your site.
This can be done through your security plugin or by adding code to block access to the file in your .htaccess file.
19. Consider Deleting the Default WordPress Admin Account
Many WordPress installations come with a default “admin” account, which is widely known and often targeted by attackers. If you’re still using this default account, it’s highly recommended that you delete or rename it to reduce the risk of a brute-force attack.
By changing the username to something unique and difficult to guess, you make it more challenging for hackers to target your admin login. Always ensure that your admin account uses a strong, complex password.
20. Consider Hiding Your WordPress Version
Revealing your WordPress version number in your website’s source code can give hackers valuable information about your site’s vulnerabilities. If they know you’re using an outdated version, they can exploit known issues with that version.
To hide your WordPress version number, you can either use a security plugin or manually remove it from your site’s HTML source code. This step reduces the risk of hackers using your WordPress version as a means to identify potential weaknesses in your site.
Final remarks
Securing your WordPress site is not optional—it’s essential for protecting your data, reputation, and users.
With the increasing number of cyberattacks targeting WordPress websites, taking proactive steps to enhance your site’s security can help prevent costly breaches and downtime.
By understanding common security threats and following best practices, such as securing your login procedures, using a secure hosting provider, keeping your site updated, and using security plugins, you can significantly reduce the risk of attack.
Taking these steps not only ensures the safety of your website but also builds trust with your visitors and helps maintain a positive reputation online.
