6 Steps to Ensure WordPress Security

As a WordPress site owner, you are constantly checking for new and updated security practices to ensure maximum safety for your site and its customers. After all, WordPress is no stranger to security vulnerabilities popping up now and then, thus compromising your business. However, there is a significant role played by users of the platform not following the best security practices approved by experts in the field. If you are looking for WordPress malware removal, follow this guide –

Here are a couple of strategies you can follow to enhance WordPress security.

1. Secure your hosting platform

Your host needs to follow certain approved security practices from its side to ensure that your site isn’t placed in any compromising situations. Along with this, it is ideal that you possess enough technical knowledge to understand and make informed decisions regarding ramping up of security.

Server hardening is the key to maintaining rigid security levels. Here, multiple layers of hardware and software security measures are required to improve the IT infrastructure handling the WordPress site and allow it to defend against all kinds of threats. This means the latest operating system (OS) and security software that’s tested for malware and scanned for vulnerabilities.

We’re also looking at efficient firewall systems, systems that can detect intrusions, and software that is strong enough to protect the site even when WordPress is being installed or constructed. Always make sure that all such software and the hosting platform itself is compatible with the latest database management systems for maximum security and performance.

The right levels of configuration for the system will be based on secure networking and file transfer encryption protocol (SFTP instead of FTP) to barricade sensitive content from prying eyes.

2. Username and Password

This is a repetitive instruction, and yet, frequently violated despite being one of the simplest and most effective ways to strengthen your WordPress site security. Complexity is your friend and the hacker’s enemy. Google has facilities like ‘Strong Password Generator’ that can be used for this purpose, although there is some criticism regarding its security against brute force attacks.

An important provision for using – and remembering – such complex login credentials is storing them in secure channels i.e, password managers. You can either store them online or in a locally encrypted database on the computer. Also, create a unique WordPress username after deleting the default ‘admin’ user (if this exists) – do this by adding a new user under ‘Users’ in the dashboard and then provide it the ‘Administrator’ credentials. Remember to choose ‘attribute all content to’ when deleting the default user and choose your new user for changing the author of the posts on the site.

3. Keep updating

WordPress security hardening is synonymous with updates – be it WordPress or the extensions such as themes and plugins used. Updates always include important security fixes, enhancements, and bug fixes, making it necessary. 55.9% of hacking attempts generate from backdoors established in outdated versions or extensions.

Only install trusted plugins, especially those under ‘trusted’ and ‘featured’ categories; you can also download it directly from WordPress’ official repository. Make it a point to limit the nulled WordPress plugins and themes installed on your site as well.

4. Lock down the WordPress admin access

There is the contrast of being widely available for your customers while being as obscure as possible in terms of admin access. This also makes it difficult for them to find backdoors for entry. Two ways of doing this is limiting login attempts and changing the default wp-admin login URL. There are free plugins that allow you to take both of these measures such as lockout durations, IP blacklisting or whitelisting, login attempts, etc. Keep a tap of your Google webmaster security tab for any issues too.

Add basic HTTP authentication – you can lockdown your admin using this method as well. Using this on membership or ecommerce sites might not be optimal, but it is a good measure against bots targeting the site.

If you’re using a cPanel host, you can also enable the password-protected directories from the control panel manually.

5. Utilize the 2-factor authentication process

To cover for the risk of being discovered in terms of login credentials, we have the 2-factor authentication process which could be as a one-time password (OTP), SMS, or captcha.

6. Use HTTPS for encrypted connections – SSL certification

Installing an SSL certificate and running your site on HTTPS is another simple way to ensure basic security at very little costs and maximum benefits. It allows your browser or web application to securely connect with another website and is useful regardless of whether you accept credit card information. Beyond added security, you also get improved SEO rankings from search engines like Google, and can bypass security warnings from Google Chrome, building trust and credibility with your visitors.

These are a few steps with which you can improve security of your WordPress site – for more efficient methods and minimal effort from your side, check out Astra Security!