WordPress is the most well-liked and in-demand content management system utilized by 75 million websites. It runs on PHP and MySQL database. But when it comes to the security concern for a WordPress website, hackers target the WordPress websites as it powers 35% of all the websites. Now there will be a question raised by the website owners asking “whether my WordPress website is secure”?
Essential steps to be taken to secure and also widen your WordPress website security:
1. Change your WordPress site from HTTP to HTTPS:
The users, search engines, and web browsers that use the HTTP website are insecure, so they need to be aware of this fact and need to change from HTTP to HTTPS, and this process involves purchasing of SSL certificate. Also, the SSL certificate might be free depending on the hosting company, and you need to add the SSL certificate to link it with your domain name, making your WordPress website more safe and secure.
2. Customize your login page URL:
Many of them might not be aware of the fact that every WordPress website has the same URL for login. So, this feature of WordPress would allow hackers to attack your website. So, to avoid such situations, you can make use of plugin Rename wp-login.php or iThemes Security, which helps you in changing your default login URL.
3. Get updated on WordPress installs:
You need to ensure every update of the WordPress website to keep it safe from the attacks. You can stay updated by signing up for email notification, or you can check the updates from wordpress.org site. Apart from updating your WordPress website, you need to update the plugins to spot any vulnerabilities.
4. Shield your WordPress version number:
It is effortless to identify your WordPress number by viewing your site source code. This small piece of information is an excellent opportunity for hackers to attack your site. You can make use of security plugins such as Sucuri Security or iTheme security plugin to hide your WordPress version number. You can even instruct your developer to change your function.php file to make your WordPress version invisible from places like RSS feed.
5. Have a backup for your website:
Even though some of the security plugins provide the backup, it is still better to install a backup plugin so that in case of any unpredictable situation happening to the website, we need not be panic as it can be easily restored. You can make use of the Updraft plus plugin, which is easy to use.
6. Make use of two-factor Authentication:
One of the best security solutions is a two-factor authentication where the user needs to provide two pieces of information in order to login to the WordPress site. It can be a username and password, which is followed by answering a security question or approving their login through another device such as their smartphone. Without a two factor authentication, a hacker can easily crawl into your website. You can make use of the Google Authenticator plugin to perform two-factor authentication.
7. Modify wp-table prefix to avoid SQL attacks:
The default database prefix for WordPress is wp, which is easily known by the hackers and makes the site vulnerable to SQL attacks. So, in order to get rid of those circumstances, you need to change wp prefix like mywp,askwp, etc. so that the hackers couldn’t identify the prefix. You can also make use of iTheme security plugin to avoid such malware attacks.
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8. Create a password with a Password generator:
Using a password generator also secures your WordPress site from intruders. Easily remembered, passwords are often identified and easily breakable by hackers. You can make use of Lastpass, which is a password manager that can store encrypted passwords online.
Conclusion:
Because WordPress is one of the popular CMS platforms, it also has lot of security threats. It is not only important to have a WordPress website but also one should make sure that the website is safe. There are many other parameters that can be taken into account when it comes to the security of the WordPress website as expressed in the article.
At Krify, we have made many websites in very popular CMS platforms which include WordPress also. But our specialty is to ensure that your WordPress website is safe. Write to us if you have any questions. In addition, Let us know if you would like to have a free audit report of your WordPress website. Contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
