WordPress is the most utilized platform to build efficient & powerful websites quickly. WordPress powers almost 40% of websites in the world.
But this popularity of WordPress makes it the primary target of hackers & cyber criminals. Hackers target all sorts of WordPress websites, ranging from those belonging to Big Enterprises to SMBs. So if you are not taking certain steps to ensure your website’s security, you are jeopardizing your business.
On this page
In this detailed guide, I have discussed Why WordPress security is important & how to secure your WordPress website from hackers.
Let’s get started.
Why WordPress Website security is important?
As per a report, around 30,000 websites are hacked daily, I repeat, DAILY! Imagine the risk associated with your WordPress website security.
These websites face a plethora of cyberattacks like malware, ransomware, phishing, viruses & countless more. These attacks are intended for multiple purposes, and it ranges from stealing your critical data & your user’s data to making the website’s owners pay the ransom.
When your website is hacked, it impacts your reputation in the worst possible manner. Even your oldest users will think twice before visiting your website. This will have a severe impact on your revenue.
Every year, thousands of website owners end up paying millions of dollars as ransom to such attacks.
So if you are dealing with customers & you own a business website, WordPress website protection becomes critical for you.
How to protect WordPress websites from hackers?
Say no to cracked themes
When you use WordPress to build your website, you get multiple options to customize your website. There are thousands of WordPress themes available to you in the market. Some of them are free while for others, you have to pay.
But these paid themes are well-coded by professional website developers & designers. They are rigorously tested in real-life conditions before they are put up for sale. So when you buy these themes, it’s obvious that you will enjoy regular updates & better security.
But some intelligent folks take another route. They use cracked versions of these paid themes. This is morally unethical & illegal. Apart from that, they pose a serious threat to your website. They are often infected with viruses & malicious codes that will steal your crucial data.
So it’s better to say no to cracked themes.
Get WordPress Security Plugins
WordPress websites are highly vulnerable to malware attacks. If you do not keep a manual watch on the source code of your website, you might not even know that your code is infected.
Unfortunately, you need to excel in coding to ensure this. But, there is a better & easier option. Get the best WordPress Security Plugins. Such plugins are specifically designed to identify & eliminate malicious codes & malware from your website.
The best part is, they work round the clock & you won’t have to do anything. Some of the best examples of WordPress security plugins are Succuri & Wordfence.
Use strong & complex passwords
The most common reason for compromising WordPress website security is hacked passwords. So it’s critical to create strong & complex passwords & alter them at regular intervals. People often avoid strong passwords as they are difficult to remember. But this is a mistake. Instead, try using some of the best Password Managers to do the job.
And when you set your passwords, don’t stop at the WordPress admin area; repeat the process for WordPress hosting accounts, your email addresses & FTP accounts.
This will ensure your website stays fully secured.
Select your Hosting Partner Carefully
The internet is flooded with cheap & “affordable” hosting providers right now. These providers are hell-bent on offering you some of the most amazing hosting plans in the market. But before you choose one, take a pause & think it over for a moment.
Your Hosting is the most crucial part of your website. Can you seriously risk your website security to save a few bucks?
Using such Hosting often leads to either complete data loss of your website, or you might end up with a hacked website.
So it’s better to pay some more bucks & get secured hosting.
Set-up WordPress Backup Solution
It’s possible that even after taking all the necessary precautions, your website might fall prey to cyber-attacks. In this situation, there is only one way to stay safe.
Creating Backups allows you to restore your WordPress website from the previously saved version. There are multiple WordPress Backup plugins available online, like BlogVault.
BlogVault – WordPress Backup Plugin
A WordPress backup plugin is also a cloud service that manages, security, migration, and backup. You can save your sites directly to Dropbox, restore your site anytime, generate reports, and more.
But it is important to note that when you save your WordPress website backup, you do it on some remote location. Also, the ideal time interval for backup is 1 day.
Turn On the Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Firewalls are probably the best way to protect your WordPress website from cyber attacks. The best part about a firewall is that they prevent malicious threats from reaching your system. In short, prevention is better than cure.
You can either go for a DNS-level firewall. This firewall filters all the incoming traffic to your website via its proxy servers to eliminate all malicious threats.
Another option available is an Application-level firewall. These firewalls analyze the traffic once it reaches your server.
Depending on your goals, you can choose anyone.
Invest in an SSL certificate
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is a great way to secure your website from hackers, and it encrypts the data transfer between your website & your user.
This eliminates any possibility of data theft while your data is in transit. SSL certificates are free as well as paid.
Paid SSL certificates start at $80 per annum. But you can also opt for a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. It’s a non-profit organization that offers highly secured SSL certificates to websites.
When installing an SSL certificate on your website, you’ll get a padlock sign near your website address. Also, your website will use the HTTPS protocol instead of unsecured HTTP.
Keep your WordPress version updated
This goes without saying. If you keep updating your WordPress site regularly, the chance of it being attacked by hackers reduces drastically.
Every update comes with bug fixes & security updates, adding an extra layer of security to your website.
Final thoughts
I hope this WordPress security checklist will help you safeguard your website from malicious attacks. Although there is no guarantee in the digital world, these tips will surely act as a shield for your website & Business.
To know more about the WordPress theme framework, do read my detailed article here.
FAQs
Is SSL certificate chargable?
Yes u0026amp; No. If you use paid SSL certificates, you will be paying anything between $80 to $800. But if you use services, like Let’s Encrypt, you can get an SSL certificate for free.
Is the cracked WordPress theme safe?
Not at all. These themes often contain malicious codes that can destroy your website. So I strongly recommend against using them.
Is shared hosting safe?
If you are buying shared hosting from a reliable provider, it’s safe. But make sure you are not falling prey to some cheap marketing or you will end up losing your website.
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