WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS), powering 45.8% of all websites. However, its popularity makes it a target for cybercriminals who exploit security vulnerabilities.
This doesn’t mean WordPress has poor security; often, breaches occur due to users’ lack of security awareness. It’s essential to take precautionary measures to protect your site before it becomes a target for hackers.
This article will discuss all methods to enhance WordPress security and protect your site from cyberattacks.
WordPress Security Concerns
When running a WordPress website, there are several risks to be aware of. One major concern is hackers. Since WordPress is so popular, it attracts cybercriminals who try to exploit vulnerabilities like outdated plugins or core files to gain access to your site. They can use methods like backdoors, brute force attacks, pharma attacks, denial of service (DoS) attacks, and cross-site scripting (XSS).
If these issues are not fixed, the consequences can be serious. You might face malware that steals visitor information, your website could be redirected to another site, unwanted content might be added, and Google warnings could hurt your search rankings. In the worst case, you might be unable to log in to your website.
Tips for Securing a WordPress Website
1. Choose Good Hosting
The first step is to choose a good WordPress hosting company. With so many options, it can be tough to pick the right one.
For beginners, it’s best to go with a Managed WordPress Hosting provider, which handles all security updates for WordPress and maintains the server.
2. Keep WordPress updated
WordPress regularly releases updates to improve performance and security, protecting your site from cyber threats.
Updating your WordPress version is one of the easiest ways to enhance security. However, nearly 50% of WordPress sites run on older versions, making them more vulnerable.
To check if you have the latest version, log in to your WordPress admin area and go to Dashboard → Updates. If your version is not up to date, update it as soon as possible.
Also, update your themes and plugins. Outdated themes and plugins can conflict with the latest WordPress version, causing errors and security issues.
To update themes and plugins:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Dashboard > Updates.
3. Scroll to the Plugins and Themes sections to see what needs updating.
4. Click Update Plugins and Update Themes. You can update everything at once or individually.
3. Use Secure WP-Admin Login Credentials
A common mistake is using easy-to-guess usernames like “admin,” “administrator,” or “demo.” This increases the risk of brute force attacks. Attackers also target sites with weak passwords.
To protect your site, use a unique and complex username and password.
Alternatively, follow these steps to create a new WordPress administrator account with a new username:
- In your WordPress Dashboard, go to Users > Add New.
- Create a new user and assign it the Administrator role.
- Add a strong password and click Add New User.
4. Install an SSL Certificate
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate encrypts the data exchanged between your website and its visitors, making it harder for attackers to steal information.
SSL certificates also improve your site’s SEO, helping it attract more visitors. Websites with SSL use HTTPS instead of HTTP, making them easy to identify.
Most hosting companies include SSL in their plans. We offer a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with our all hosting plans.
Update your site’s URL from HTTP to HTTPS by going to Settings > General and changing the Site Address (URL) field.
5. Disable PHP Error Reporting
PHP error reporting shows detailed information about your website’s paths and file structure, which is useful for monitoring PHP scripts.
However, displaying these details can expose your website’s vulnerabilities, making it a serious security risk.
For example, if an error message identifies a specific plugin, cybercriminals could exploit that plugin’s weaknesses.
To disable PHP error reporting, you can modify the PHP file or use your hosting account’s control panel.
Modifying the PHP File
Follow these steps:
- Open your site’s wp-config.php file using an FTP or cPanel.
- Add the following code snippet to the file, before any other PHP directives:
error_reporting(0);
@ini_set(‘display_errors’, 0);
- Click Save to apply the changes.
6. Disable File Editing
WordPress comes with a file editor that allows you to change PHP files easily. But if hackers take over, it could be a big problem.
That’s why some WordPress users choose to turn off this feature. To do that, just add this line to your wp-config.php file:
define( ‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true );
If you want to reenable it, you can do so by deleting that line from wp-config.php using an FTP client or your hosting provider’s File Manager.
7. Change the Database Prefix
By default, WordPress uses the prefix wp_ for its database tables. Changing this prefix can make your site more secure, as it adds an extra layer of protection against potential hackers.
To change the default WordPress database prefix, follow these steps:
- Open your wp-config.php file, which is located in public_html. Add the following line of code.
$table_prefix = ‘newprefix_’;
Replace “newprefix_” with your desired prefix. Make sure to include the underscore (_) at the end.
After saving the changes to wp-config.php, you’ll need to update the database tables with the new prefix.
- Open your cPanel.
-
Navigate to Databases > PHPMyAdmin.
-
Choose your Database and add the following code in the SQL tab.
RENAME table wp_options TO newprefix_options;
Replace “wp_options” with each table name, using your new prefix instead of “newprefix_“.
Changing the default WordPress database prefix adds an extra layer of security to your site, helping to protect it from potential threats.
8. Hide Your WordPress Version
The WordPress version is by default visible to the public. There are many plugins available for removing the WordPress version from the source code. However, if you don’t want to install any plugins then you can include the following code in the functions.php file to hide the WordPress version :
/* Remove WordPress version number */
function nm_remove_wp_version() {
return '';
}
add_filter('the_generator', 'nm_remove_wp_version');
9. Disable XML-RPC
XML-RPC is a feature in WordPress that helps you access and post content from mobile devices, and it allows trackbacks and pingbacks. It also works with the Jetpack plugin on your WordPress site.
However, XML-RPC has some weaknesses that hackers can take advantage of. This feature allows them to try logging in many times without being detected by security software, making your site vulnerable to brute force attacks.
Hackers can also exploit the XML-RPC pingback function to launch DDoS attacks. This lets attackers send pingbacks to thousands of websites simultaneously, potentially crashing the targeted sites.
To check if XML-RPC is active, you can use an XML-RPC validation service. If you get a success message, it means XML-RPC is enabled.
You can disable XML-RPC either by using a plugin or by doing it manually.
Disabling XML-RPC Manually
Add the following code in a .htaccess file
<Files xmlrpc.php> order deny,allow deny from all allow from 000.00.000.000 </Files>
10. Prevent Hotlinking
Hotlinking happens when someone displays your website’s content, like images, on their own site. This can slow down your site by using up your server’s resources.
To check if your content is being hot-linked, search in Google Images using this query, replacing “yourwebsite.com” with your domain:
inurl:yourwebsite.com -site:yourwebsite.com
11. Limit The Number of Failed Login Attempts
WordPress allows users to try logging in as many times as they want. But, this can be a problem because hackers might try lots of different passwords until they find the right one and get into your WordPress admin area.
To stop this from happening, you can limit how many times someone can try logging in. This also helps you keep an eye out for any strange activity on your site.
You can limit login attempts by using a plugin. There are lots of good ones out there, like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded, Loginizer, and Limit Attempts by BestWebSoft.
One thing to be careful of is accidentally locking out a real user. But, don’t worry too much because there are ways to help them get back into their account.
Which WordPress Security Plugin Is Best?
Our top picks for the best WordPress security plugins are Wordfence and Sucuri. They both offer features like malware scanning, a web application firewall, and traffic monitoring. If you run an online store, Sucuri is a good choice. But, if you prefer a free option, Wordfence is a great pick.
