WordPress is great for setting up a website quickly and easily. If you want to ensure that your WordPress services are secure, you are going to have to take some steps. WordPress prioritizes security and ensures that the people using their products do not face issues. There have been a few cases where some big security issues were found and proper WordPress maintenance had to be done to fix the issues. You need to make sure that as soon as there is a WordPress fix available, it is applied to your website as soon as possible.

Keep Your WordPress Updated

The main reason that there are so many vulnerable websites out there is that people do not bother updating their WordPress. Without proper maintenance, your website will begin facing issues. The updates for WordPress services often include security fixes. WordPress takes security very seriously, and when vulnerability becomes known, they immediately start fixing it. As soon as they are done with the fix, they immediately upload an update.

Way too many people do not update it. The updates fix all known vulnerabilities. So, if you do not update, it means you are open to a method of attack, which is now widely known to hackers. Imagine if someone figured out a way to pick the lock of your house. Would you change the locks, or just keep living in the house knowing people can just unlock your door any time you want? Keep the same approach when it comes to your website.

Do not install anything from a source you do not trust

This isn’t really something that you need to fix, but it is one of the most important rules of WordPress. Any theme or plugin you install can affect your whole website. If you download a theme or plugin from a shady website or torrent, you are essentially sending out an invitation to hackers. Anyone could have injected code in your pirated copy and you could end up getting hacked or face downtime. No matter what, do not install a plugin or theme unless you are absolutely sure about the source. Simply searching for free downloads of paid plugins can lead you to websites filled with malware.

Manage Your Plugins

Keep up with information regarding the plugins you are using. Some of the biggest plugins were revealed to be vulnerable to a security exploit in 2015. It included some of the most popular plugins out there. The issue occurred because the codex did not fully explain a function and it was misused by many plugin creators. You can protect yourself from such issues by keeping all your plugins updated. You should make reading about WordPress security issues a part of your WordPress maintenance routine. If an update isn’t yet available, disable the affected plugins.

Install Plugins That Can Save Your Website

WordPress’ strength lies in the modularity of the platform. You can extend and add functionality through plugins and there are some fantastic plugins available which will allow you to keep your website secure.

You need plugins which can protect your website from malicious attacks. These plugins can save your website from brute force attacks, cross scripting, Denial of Service attacks, and much more. These are the plugins you should install if you are running a basic website and want to protect yourself from basic attacks. Denial of Service attacks, for example, can bring a website down but are not complicated to thwart at all.

Remember that these plugins will not be able to stop sophisticated attacks on your system or new exploits.

Once you have taken care of prevention, you need plugins which can scan your website for issues. Think of them as an anti-virus scan for your website. If you think that your website has been compromised then you need to install such a plugin. They will test your website for out-of-date vulnerable plugins. You can only fix the issue if you know what the issue is and that what these plugins accomplish.

Limit Login Attempts

This is very basic but very important. A website that does not limit login attempts keeps itself open to brute force attacks. Brute force attacks are generally ineffective, however, if the attacker knows even a few alphabets from your password they become effective. If you limit login attempts, you limit the number of times people can try different password combinations.

Use the Right Security Tools

There are many security utilities available which will make your website more secure. One basic tool you need to have is a backup. If you have a backup, you are secure. Whatever problem your website encounters can simply be removed through a WordPress restore. If you do not have a backup, then you will have big issues. There are many backup tools which create automatic backups and will ensure that your website is secure.

There are also many security toolsets available such as Sucuri and WordFence Security. Toolsets like these are a collection of highly useful security tools that can make WordPress repair and maintenance easy for you. These toolsets save you from multiple issues at the same time. These toolsets ensure that you can fix issues without having to code things yourself.

Understand Security

Now that you know about protecting WordPress website yourself from attacks, you should also think about other ways your website can be compromised. Things like two-factor authentication will keep you safe from people using keyloggers to find out your password. You should also never store your WordPress password in your browser. Someone with access to your system can make catastrophic changes. Remember that many hacks happen through social networking. Keep yourself updated about WordPress security and read up as much as you can.

Most of the time you are fine when it comes to WordPress. Just having the right backup will keep you safe. However, if your website deals with commerce, then you need to get as much professional security for your website as possible. Proper WordPress maintenance and updating will keep you safe from most of the issues.