WordPress Web Development | Top WP Site Security Tips

Are you a WordPress site owner? If yes, this article is a must read for you.

Though it’s true that every WordPress web development company takes advanced security measures to secure websites, this doesn’t make them completely immune to cyber-attacks. Security vulnerabilities are still there.

No matter how much secure you feel it is, there is always a risk of harm, even if you haven’t done anything wrong. This is just how things work in the online world.

However, a huge chunk of threats can be avoided if you just spend a small portion of your time implementing these 10 simple tips:

Two Factor Authentication

A viable strategy for protecting your WordPress site is to secure your site’s login. Executing two-factor authentication gives you an additional security layer during login. This security technique typically comprises:

• Username and password
• Verification code sent through SMS

Aside from username and password, you will need to enter password sent through an SMS to your phone number to complete the sign in process.

Google Authenticator is a top tool for an effective implementation of this feature.

Update WordPress Regularly

With every new release, WordPress security gets updated along with all the other features. Loads of bugs and vulnerabilities are fixed in new versions. Also, if a malicious bug gets found, the WordPress developers deal with it immediately to ensure that the new version doesn’t carry that bug.

Therefore, if you don’t keep up with updates, your website will be vulnerable to brute attacks and malware.

Updating WordPress is very simple. You just need to go to your dashboard where, at the top of the page, there’ll be an announcement that a new version is available. Look for the ‘Update’ option there and click on that.

The whole thing will only take a few seconds to complete.

Limit Login Attempts

A common strategy among hackers is to make login attempts over and over until the point they are able to break the security key. The best way to avoid this is to limit the login attempts on your site. Doing so can easily save it from such attacks.

There are various tools available with the capability of limiting the login attempts by a particular user. They capture the IP address of users and block them as soon as they cross the set limit.

Use Strong Passwords

A powerful method for dealing with WordPress security risks is to have a strong password with at least 10-12 characters. It should be a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Passwords should be difficult to figure and you should change them frequently. The more complex a password, the harder it is to break. Ideally, you should use different passwords for different sites so that if one of them gets hacked, others remain secure. If you can’t think of a strong password, use tools like “Strong Password Generator” for uncrackable passwords.

Run Security Scans

Security scans are something done by web development professionals or specific tools that inspect your entire site, looking for anything suspicious. If they do find something, it is removed promptly to ensure the safety of website.

Delete Inactive Plugins

Inactive WP plugins are prone to threats as you are likely to ignore their updates due to inactivity. Therefore, removing those plugins will be a smart move to lower the risk.

Remember that most website owners make the mistake of just deactivating those plugins but this isn’t sufficient. You have to completely remove them to keep them from turning into security weak links.

Limit User Access

In case you’re not the only one with access to your site, make sure to limit the user access by carefully creating new user accounts. As the owner, you will want to keep everything under control and the best way to do that is allowing limited access to the users.

To do so, you should limit their permissions and allow them access just to the functionalities essential for them to be able to use your site.

So, these were some of the tips for you to enhance the security of your WordPress site. Remember that securing WP sites is a continuous procedure. As the owner of the site, it requires you to keep up with latest tools. If you need assistance on that, your web development service provider might be the best help for you. Get in touch with them today to ensure security of your website. Good luck!