Top WordPress Security Tips
Sep 05 2024 Business Marketing
WordPress CMS holds 62.8% of the total market share, making it a popular target for exploitation among hackers. Although WordPress comes with decent security features, backing it up with Australian WordPress hosting mitigates the risk of attacks.
The right Australian WordPress host equips the whole infrastructure with an optimised server that facilitates efficient WordPress performance.
But before you choose to buy a domain and web hosting, let’s understand some simple tips that come in handy for WordPress security.
Is WordPress Secure?
WordPress has a solid foundation for security. Developers work worldwide and periodically monitor WordPress for better updates and patches against vulnerabilities.
However, WordPress security is not independent, as it relies on third-party plugins and themes, which may not always adhere to the best security practices.
For instance, when a website owner fails to update their website and continues to run on outdated plugins. That opens up a window of vulnerability for hackers to enter. Therefore, though WordPress is secure, it needs to be backed up with strong security practices to ensure safety.
What Happens When Your WordPress Security Is Compromised?
A website is the first thing your customers engage with before even reaching out to you personally. Therefore, a website is a representation you create for yourself in the online world. When WordPress security is compromised, it jeopardises both your and your customer’s confidential information, directly impacting your reputation and business.
Top WordPress Security Tips
1. Back up From A Secure WordPress Host
The best and most important tip for utmost WP security is shifting to more managed security rather than continuing with unmanaged one. With managed WP hosting, the responsibility of security falls on the shoulders of the host, who has experts who take care of it. Check for web hosts whose features include malware scanning service, SSL certification and regular backup, as these are indicators that your host prioritises security.
2. Ensure Regular Updation of Themes Plugins WordPress Version
An updated website is a secured website as it is equipped to fight against vulnerabilities. Each new version includes solutions for known issues and improvements in security measures.
Therefore, ensuring regular updation of themes, plugins, and WordPress versions ensures that the scope for vulnerabilities and risks is limited.
3. Keep PHP Updated
For WordPress to work better, its owners need to take care of three major aspects: PHP, MySQL, and HTTPS support. PHP and Hypertext preprocessors are widely used open-source. They are used for scripting language for web development and form the foundation of WordPress.
Therefore, being open source, the vulnerabilities window opens up wide, threatening the WP security. Therefore, keeping it updated ensures better WordPress security.
4. Strong Password Management
A weak password is the easiest way to hack into a website. Therefore, ensuring strong passport management is important for better security. Following are aspects you need to take into consideration for strong password management-
- All the passwords must have at least 12 characters, which must be mixed up with lower and upper cases and symbols
- There should be the adoption of two-factor authentication for every access
- Passwords must be regularly updated and changed
- Passwords should not be predictably related or the same
- Ensure your system is not always logged in, especially where more than one person accesses the system
5. Don’t Allow File Editing
WordPress allows easy modifications of plugins and themes through admin control, which is a really handy feature until it falls into the wrong hands. Therefore, the best way to protect any website from injection or malicious links or code is to disable this feature.
6. Rename Your Login URL
The WordPress database’s default setting uses prefixes like “wp-admin.” Most hackers are aware of this standard prefix and can use it to break in, but having a unique prefix helps protect against SQL injections and brute-force attacks.
Conclusion
Precaution is better than cure, and these tips are the best precautions you can take to ensure the best WordPress security. Therefore, always ensure that your server is updated and choose a host that prioritises security and all the considerations listed above.
So act now and stay aggressive with regard to WP security to reduce the risk of security breaches and maintain a safe, reliable WordPress website.