WordPress is the most successful CMS (content management system) and is one of the best tools for creating a high-level website quickly and without extreme technical skills. However like any type of software it has its vulnerabilities. And those who manage to “crack” the CMS by exploiting WordPress vulnerabilities may be able to wipe out years of work by those who own the website and put the security of all users at risk.
Even if a website owner manages to maintain access to the web server after a hacking attack, owning an unsecured site even temporarily may cause Google and other search engines to block the site and exclude it after an automatic check for malware.
In this way a site, even if immediately put under maintenance and freed from malicious codes, can lose all the ranking gained in search engines. Not to mention e-commerce where users’ payment information could be stolen, resulting in theft of money. For these and many other reasons, it is most important to secure WordPress.
Fortunately, a number of fairly simple steps can be taken to secure a WordPress site, including installing security plugins that protect it, go to change the login URL automatically, and more to make the site secure. In this guide you will learn how to secure a WordPress site with plugins and simple methods, without needing programmers, systems engineers or other outside help.
Securing the site with WordPress
following methods are for securing a site using only WordPress, without leaving the CMS. Therefore, these are simple methods that can be carried out even by users with little experience and little technical knowledge. Should you need further help, as Oltrematica is a company specializing in web solutions, we invite you to discover our services and contact us via the dedicated form in the Web section of the site. Finally, we invite you not to forget that good security also requires good hosting.
Install security plugins: wordfence
The fastest and at the same time effective way to protect and secure WordPress is to install a security plugin. Plugins are WordPress add-ons that add new functionality to the system.
The best plugin we recommend for securing WordPress is Wordfence, which you can install by logging into the WordPress dashboard, clicking on Plugins in the left-hand menu, then Add Plugin, and finally typing Wordfence in the search bar at the top right. Wordfence is a WordPress security plugin that includes a firewall, anti-malware, login page URL change and many features to protect any website based on this CMS.
Keep WordPress, plugins and themes up to date
Whenever an update is available for plugins, your site’s theme, or for WordPress in general, we recommend that you make them as soon as possible. Outdated components are often the avenue used by attackers to successfully attack a site, and updates are often used to fix security-related issues as well.
To check for updates for your Plugins just click on Plugins on the left menu in the main WordPress dashboard. On the other hand, to check for updates for themes you need to select Appearance on the same menu, then choose Themes. WordPress updates, on the other hand, are automatically notified with messages in the main dashboard (for those who haven’t figured out what the dashboard is, it’s usually the one found at nomesito.it/wp-admin).
Create complex passwords and manage permissions
Never choose trivial passwords for accounts if you want to make WordPress as secure as possible. At least for accounts with site administration and page and article editing privileges, choose complex passwords. To be complex, a password should generally have the following characteristics:
- Don’t be short
- Contain numbers
- Contain uppercase and lowercase letters
- Contain special characters
By selecting the Users item in the menu, then All Users, and then Edit under each user’s name, you can change the password for each account, and WordPress will also automatically give the password complexity information. If you want, you can ask WordPress to generate a complex password automatically.
Securing the site outside WordPress
Sometimes securing WordPress with exclusively internal WordPress methods may not be enough, especially for websites with a lot of traffic. To be on the safe side, you need to act externally as well, and you can do so with the following methods.
Choosing a good hosting
Around the web you can find a lot of hosting that can host a website. However, each hosting takes different security measures and software to protect its servers and data centers. The advice is to inquire about the security of a hosting and choose one that offers protection commensurate with your expectations, even if it means spending more. An insecure server could mean not only putting your site’s security at risk, but also losing all your data irreversibly.
Switching to HTTPS
The HTTPS protocol is used to secure WordPress and the site for visitors. HTTPS is a protocol for communication that uses an encrypted connection to secure the data of those browsing. Initially it was only important for e-commerce as it was necessary to secure the data that users entered on sites for orders and payments.
Now it has become a real ranking factor-Google rewards sites that use the HTTPS protocol more. To make your site accessible via HTTPS you need to install a certificate (also free) on your server and configure redirects. For more information, if you are unable to do this yourself, please contact us.
Schedule backups
In case of a hacker attack, technical problems with the web server, or changes made by mistake, it is possible to lose your website data and configuration settings of all WordPress elements. To avoid this, it is strongly recommended to make periodic, automatic backups of your website.
There are many WordPress plugins that allow you to do this, but the most effective method is to set them up server-side with the help of your hosting or system administrator (many hosting services already have the ability to make automatic backups included in the hosting plan).
Entrust us with the security of your website
If you are a business and have one or more websites regardless of whether they have WordPress installed or not, and you want to protect them while minimizing security-related risks as much as possible, you can entrust your servers, sites and infrastructure to Oltrematica.
We have been offering 360-degree web solutions for over 10 years and can take over the entire cybersecurity management of your website. For more information, please feel free to contact us through our infrastructure and security.