HomeSEOTop 5 Tips to...

Top 5 Tips to Strengthen Your WordPress Site Security

As an owner of a WordPress site, WordPress Site Security is always first and foremost on your mind. While other CMS platforms may be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, WordPress hacks are more commonly heard of.

Despite a number of guides on optimal security practices, most WordPress sites still have a high number of vulnerabilities that can be easily resolved.

Before stepping into certain tips and tricks you can employ for WordPress site security, always remember to secure a backup of your site.

Even if the changes made are to increase WordPress Site Security, you shouldn’t take unnecessary risks that can permanently disable your site.

WordPress Site Security Measures

If your site is already hacked, follow this WordPress Malware Removal guide Some of these methods can be easy or too difficult to implement, depending on your comfort and expertise. If you’re doubtful about the process behind any step, make sure to ask for help from an expert before moving forward.

1. Maintain strong login credentials

This is one of the most common instructions and yet, the one that’s most neglected. The more enthusiastic you’re about setting a suitably difficult username and password combination, the more likely you’ll forget it.

However, it’s very important that you follow the basic rules behind setting strong passwords and unique usernames. If you’ve to, you can always maintain a secure password manager with all of this information.

This is especially important if you’ve multiple users handling your site. You don’t have to exert manual effort either, just use the automated software that WordPress provides for ensuring strong passwords. You can also check out plugins that set expiry for your passwords, forcing the user to change it after a specific time period.

2. Blocking PHP execution in certain vulnerable folders

Some files and/or folders on your WordPress site use the PHP coding script, like ‘wp-config.php’. Hackers often try to gain access through these files, then create new ones of their own or insert malicious PHP functions into the existing ones. To prevent this, you can remove the option of executing PHP functions from unknown folders.

However, this step requires a certain level of expertise with backend files and database tables, so ensure this before proceeding with the steps below:

  • Check cPanel > File Manager – or use an FTP client if this isn’t possible.
  • Click on ‘public_html’ which has three folders – ‘wp-admin’, ‘wp-includes’, and ‘wp-content’.
  • Look out for the ‘.htaccess’ file (if there isn’t one, you can open a file in Notepad and save it as ‘.htaccess’). Use the code:

<Files *.php>

deny from all

</Files>

If you’re creating a new file, you’ll need to upload it to the ‘wp-includes’ and ‘wp-content/uploads folders.

3. Monitoring login attempts

Maintaining a log of login attempts, and other aspects like file modifications or any additions is a smart move. This will allow you to keep an eye out for all the major activities that happen on the site and knowing which user is responsible. For example, if the login attempts suddenly increase beyond your usual expected traffic, you can suspect a potential brute force or DDoS attack.

There are also features to limit login attempts so as to prevent events like brute force attacks from happening. By default, WordPress allows unlimited login attempts, so you’ll have to either install a plugin that limits them or install a WordPress Site security plugin that comes with this feature. Otherwise, you can insert specific code in the ‘functions.php’ file by adding the action and hook feature, with a callback response.

You can also design your site to log out inactive users which protects it from unauthorized access – this is offered by some plugins. Set up alerts for any suspicious login activity which can be tagged along with the auditing log or offered by your security plugin.

4. Disabling the file editor

Most of the WordPress hacks happen through the editing of core files when hackers place malicious scripts. It ranges from defacement, pop-up ads, questionable external links, to displaying unknown content on your site. For disabling the editor:

  • You can access the File Manager > ‘wp-config’ file > ‘Edit’
  • Then, you should press on the ‘Disable Encoding Check’ > ‘Edit’.
  • You’ll find a line that says ‘That’s all, stop editing. Happy publishing.’ Above this, put in this code:

define( ‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true );

  • Save all the changes and close the editor. If you follow the steps given above again, you’ll find that the ‘Editor’ option no longer shows.

5. Secure the ‘wp-config.php’ file

This is one of the more important WordPress files, also containing the database access credentials, making it the favourite target of hackers. To improve security, you can change your security keys, disable the file editing option, and remove options for installing plugins.

You can also hide or simply deny access to the ‘wp-config’ file. For the latter, you can type in this code at the beginning of the ‘.htaccess’ file:

<files wp-config.php>

order allow,deny

deny from all

</files>

There are many more steps one can follow to increase the WordPress Site Security. Sometimes, some security measures may not apply to you, or you find out that you’ve been hacked despite all of the precautions.

Check out: Top 9 WordPress Tips That Are Worth Knowing

Most Popular

More from Author

From Keyboard to Stage: The Magic of Online Speech Writing Assistance

Are you ready to dive into the captivating world of online...

How Conducting an SEO Audit Can Improve Your Online Presence?

A strong online presence can make or break a business in...

10 Things to Consider When Crafting SEO Strategies for Niche Businesses

As a business owner operating in the digital landscape, it's essential...

7 ways Social Media Marketing can Boost Your Car dealership

Social media has undeniably become a cornerstone of our modern society,...

Read Now

Legal Due Diligence: Critical Questions to Ensure Regulatory Compliance in M&A

When engaging in a merger or acquisition (M&A) deal, conducting comprehensive due diligence is crucial to identify potential risks and ensure regulatory compliance. Legal due diligence is key in assessing the target company's compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Here are due diligence questions for M&A that...

How To Get Your Name On Top Of Google Searches?

As you know, Google is a popular search engine, and taking your brand name to the peak of its searches holds significant importance. Knowing how to get your name on the top of Google searches is critical. This is what a business, brand, or organization strives for,...

What is Direct Mail & Why It Is Still an Effective Marketing Tool

Direct mail is a tried-and-true marketing strategy now. As technology advances, businesses may prioritize digital marketing channels such as email and social media, but direct mail continues to be effective. In our article, we will define direct mail, fantastic ideas for doing it right, and explore why...

Data-driven Decisions: The role of Analytics in Effective Marketing

In today's digital landscape, data is a powerful currency that fuels strategic decision-making and drives business success—of marketing, analyzing its pivotal role in empowering businesses to make informed choices based on data-driven insights. By harnessing the power of analytics, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their...

The Growing Challenge Of Ranking For Commercial Keywords: Overcoming Obstacles 

In the ever-evolving landscape of search engine optimization (SEO), one of the biggest challenges website owners and marketers face is the increasing difficulty in ranking for commercial keywords. Commercial keywords are those that directly relate to products, services, or industries with the intent to make a purchase....

4 Reasons to Focus More on Online Marketing

In today’s fast paced, technology-driven world, everything is changing – including the way we do business. In 2023, online marketing is all but replacing traditional advertising channels, and if you start leaning more in this direction, it will only boost your business and help you keep up...

What Are The Best Ways To Increase My Brand Awareness Online?

One of the most apt idioms to highlight the importance of brand awareness in digital marketing is: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.” For example, it doesn’t matter how much traffic you have heading to your website, if you have very...

How to Optimize Your Site For Mobile Users

Mobile devices have become our constant companions in today's world, and their influence on web browsing continues to soar. With growing smartphone users, ensuring your site delivers an exceptional mobile experience is crucial. In this blog, we'll unveil the best practices to make your website mobile-friendly, capturing the...

6 Best WordPress SEO Plugins for Boosting Website Traffic

Do you know why only a few websites appear at the top of search engines? The answer is ‘good SEO. If you put the needed and the right efforts into this vital part, you can grab the topmost seat on search engine results. A website is built with...

Does Email Marketing Have Any Impact On Your Search Engine Optimization?

In the world of digital marketing when there are so many different strategies available to you, it’s always worth looking for ways in which two or more methods can be used to complement one another – for example, using video marketing to increase social media engagement. But...

From Dated to Dazzling: Transform Your Website with Professional Redesign Services

The development pace of websites is skyrocketing. And in 2023, site owners can't afford to have their pages look the same for months or years on end. But how can you revamp a site such that it's worthwhile to the business? This article will show you EXACTLY how...

Top 7 SEO Trends to Increase Organic Traffic

Search engine optimization is one of the best ways to boost organic traffic; however, keeping up with its ever-evolving trends can be challenging. SEO specialists work tirelessly to stay abreast of trends in order to deliver relevant content at exactly the time users search for it - and...