As of July 2024, more than 474 million sites use WordPress. That’s over 43.4% of all sites. This huge number makes WordPress a prime target for cyber threats.
Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just starting out, securing your WordPress site is a must. (Yes, even when you are just at the beginning and your blog is minuscule).
Caring about WordPress security isn’t just a techy task – it’s about preserving your hard work and keeping your readers safe.
Think about it: hackers constantly come up with new ways to exploit vulnerable sites with malware, phishing schemes, and brute force attacks. By prioritizing security, you can outsmart these threats.
You’ll keep your site a safe, trustworthy space for your audience and continue to build your credibility.
And you’ll see that it’s actually not that hard 🙂 Ready? So let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
NOTE: All my WordPress tutorials focus on WordPress.org, not WordPress.com. If you’re curious about the differences, here’s everything you need to know ☺️
Why You Really Need to Protect Your WordPress Website
The internet is amazing, isn’t it? It connects us, lets us share our stories, and makes it easier than ever to build a business from anywhere. Whether you’re blogging about motherhood, wellness, or personal finance – your voice can reach people across the world.
But here’s the not-so-fun part: the more connected we are, the more vulnerable we become.
Cyberattacks are growing fast. In fact, between 2021 and 2023, data breaches jumped by 72%, affecting over 343 million people (yep, million).
And guess what? Small websites – like brand new blogs – are more likely to get hacked. Why? Because they often skip over security, thinking they’re too small to be a target 🤷♀️
That’s exactly what hackers are counting on.
Here are just a few threats you might face as a website owner:
- Spamming: Hackers can use your site to send spam emails. They take advantage of your server’s reputation to send out their junk messages.
- Malware distribution: Your blog can be used to spread malware to your visitors. Hackers can inject malicious code into your site, putting your readers at risk.
- SEO spam: Hackers might insert links to their own sites, improving their search engine rankings at the expense of your blog’s credibility and performance.
- Botnet recruitment: Your site can become part of a larger network of infected sites (a botnet) used for various malicious activities like DDoS attacks.
- Data harvesting: Even if you don’t collect user information, hackers can still gather email addresses or other data from comments and interactions on your site.
- Ransom: Some hackers might hijack your site and demand a ransom to give you back control. It’s not just big sites that get hit with ransomware. I friend of mine, who has a small business was also a victim of a ransom attack.
- Resource exploitation: Hackers can use your site’s resources (like server space and bandwidth) to run their own operations, costing you money and slowing down your site.
If someone gets into your WordPress site, the damage can be serious. You could lose your content, your traffic, and the trust you’ve worked hard to build.
Regular Updates: Your First Line of Defense
Keeping your WordPress site updated is crucial for maintaining security. With the frequent updates released throughout the year, staying current helps protect your site from hackers and other security breaches.
Each update addresses newly discovered vulnerabilities, keeping your site ahead of emerging cyber threats.
Regular updates not only boost security but also improve your site’s performance. They optimize speed and efficiency, enhancing the user experience and giving your site’s SEO a nice bump.
Additionally, updates fix bugs and glitches, making your site more reliable and helping it run smoothly without errors.
Updating WordPress also means gaining access to the latest tools, design options, and improved user interfaces. As themes and plugins evolve, they often need the latest WordPress version to function correctly.
By keeping everything updated, you maintain compatibility and smooth operation of your site. Both your WordPress core and your themes and plugins need regular updates to keep everything running seamlessly.
Here’s a detailed and easy to follow guide on How to automatically update your WordPress website ☺️
Use a High-Quality Security Plugin
The harsh truth is – you need to protect your website, even when you’re just starting your blogging or business journey.
I highly recommend installing a good security plugin. I have a whole article on how to choose a good security plugin and protect your website. There are some very good (and even free!) plugins that will protect your site from brute force attacks, malware and other security risks.
I’ve tried different security plugins and now I use Wordfence for my blogs. They have robust security features in the free version and those guys are really good at what they do. And they can even help you if you get hacked ☺️
Enhance Your Login Security
Good login security is your first line of defense if someone is trying to break into your WordPress dashboard.
Create a strong password
This one is obvious. You need a strong password to protect your site – just use those well-know (and a bit annoying) common rules for creating your password:
- Use a mix of characters: Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes the password harder to guess. Avoid using common words or easily guessable information like birthdays.
- Make it long: Aim for at least 12 characters. Longer passwords are more secure. Even if it seems like overkill, it adds an extra layer of protection.
- Avoid reusing passwords: Never reuse passwords across different sites. If one site gets compromised, hackers can’t use the same password to access my other accounts.
Use a password manager
The best passwords are complex, but they can be hard to remember. That’s why I use a password manager. It stores all my passwords and helps me generate strong ones (which I then don’t have to remember! 😃)
I’ve tried different ones and prefer LastPass. I use the paid version, but the free is also good.
Change your default user name
If your default user name is “admin” change it to something else. You can do this in your Dashboard, under Users.
Change your default login page
The default WordPress login page is an URL that looks something like this:
yourwebsite.com/wp-login.php
So in my case, it would be https://theblogsavvyva.com/entermysite
This is the “door” to your WordPress dashboard. Now, you can rely on a strong password and user name… or, even better, you can hide it 🙂 It’s easy to do and once you set it up, you can move on to other things.
I use a lightweight plugin called WPS Hide Login, which enables me to change the login URL to anything I want.
Only one note on that – once you change your login page, don’t forget to bookmark the new URL!
Limit login attempts
You can limit the number of login attempts to prevent brute force attacks. Several security plugins allow ypu to set a maximum number of failed login attempts before the account is temporarily locked. This stops automated bots from trying multiple passwords.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Plugins like Wordfence give you the option to enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). It’s an extra layer of security, use it if you can.
With 2FA, logging in requires a password and a code sent to my phone. You can use free apps like Google Authenticator or Authy, it’s very easy to set-up.
Monitor Your Website With Regular Scans
I run regular security scans to detect any vulnerabilities or malicious activity. Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri can automatically scan your site and alert you to potential issues.
You can also set up alerts for any suspicious activity. This includes login attempts, file changes, or new user registrations. Plugins like Wordfence or Jetpack can send you real-time notifications, so you can take immediate action if something looks off.
For example, I get an email every time someone logs into my WordPress. I also get an email from Wordfence if there’s an attack on my website.
Regular Backups: Your Safety Net
Keep an eye on your site’s performance. Slow loading times or frequent downtime can indicate problems.
Backing up your website is crucial to protecting your blog from unforeseen disasters. Imagine dedicating countless hours to crafting posts, designing your site, and engaging with your audience, only to lose it all due to a cyber attack, server failure, or accidental deletion.
Regular backups serve as an insurance policy for your digital content, ensuring that your hard work isn’t lost forever. Even with robust security measures, no system is entirely foolproof, making backups an essential part of your blog’s security strategy.
And it’s so easy to set it up. Here’s a detailed guide how to set up automatic backups for your blog or site, so you don’t even have to think about it. But in case you need it, you know where to find it 🙂
I know that securing your website can feel like a huge task. But it’s not if you know what to do. To help you out even more I created WordPress Security for Beginners – a simple, step-by-step course to help you protect your WordPress website from hackers, malware, and security threats – even if you’re not tech savvy.
Secure your website before it’s too late! Your hard work deserves protection 😊
Happy blogging! ❣️
