11 Proven Tips to WordPress Security (Updated 2023)

wordpress security

Whether you’re a WordPress pro or are using it for the very first time, one thing you know for sure is that your WordPress security shouldn’t be compromised.

After many hard-working days and sleepless nights, you have your dream site ready and live, now WordPress security issues and hacking attacks are the last things in the world you would want to happen.

WordPress Vulnerabilities

The common WordPress security vulnerabilities that weaken your website and also make it prone to hackers’ attacks include:

  • Malware
  • Brute-force attack
  • SQL injection
  • Cross Site Scripting
  • File Inclusion Exploits

These vulnerabilities can seriously damage your business and provide hackers root access to your website from any part of the world. Yikes! Who wants that?

It’s better to stay safe than sorry. Thus, it’s better to improve your website’s security with these proven WordPress security tips for a better, safer and stronger WP site.

Top 10 WordPress Security Measures for an Enhanced Website

  1. Fortify Administrator Username & Password
  2. Take up a Secure WordPress Hosting
  3. Updation is the Key
  4. Disable Login Hints
  5. Prevent Brute Force Attacks
  6. Reliable Security Plugins
  7. Enable WAF
  8. Disable PHP Error Reporting
  9. Hide WordPress Version Number
  10. Enable Two-Step Authentication
  11. Bonus Tips

1. Fortify Administrator Username & Password

Change your default “admin” username into something clever and uncommon.

Why?

  • Because using “admin” as your login name would make it too obvious for the hackers to predict and enter your website easily.
  • Also, keep updating your password using tough and strong combinations of letters, numbers, special characters and symbols, time to time. You don’t have to brainstorm, simply use Strong Password Generator to generate strong passwords. Fortifying username and password is one of the most common yet proven WordPress security best practices.
  • Moreover, you should avoid accessing your WordPress website with your admin role login credential every time; make the use of the editor’s account instead. This would offer an extended protective shield to your WP website.

2. Take up a Secure WordPress Hosting

Guess what keeps the hackers and bots on the top of their dirty game?

1. It’s the use of an outdated WordPress version, poor WP management, and imperatively the lack of necessary web and security knowledge among non-techie users.

2. Your shared hosting doesn’t pay off when it comes to the high-end protection of your website. There is always server-level security that your web hosting company is responsible for. So, make sure to hire professionals for this task.

Take up a managed WordPress service from a known and reliable source and help secure your site even better.

P.S. Hiding your website from the hackers’ eyes is a consistent task that requires thorough knowledge, proper WordPress security monitoring, immediate attention, and continuous actions for years; only professionals can do that for you!

3. Updation is the Key

Frequent, latest updates are crucial for your WordPress security. Being open-source software, WordPress is regularly maintained and updated. Many hosting providers by default install minor security updates and patches. However, for major releases, manual updating remains your only option.

You must seek the latest WP core updates, recent themes and plugins update,d and also new technology & tool updates to keep your site secure and powerful.

4. Disable Login Hints

Login hints work like cheat codes for hackers.

If these hints are on/enable, you are offering a golden chance to the bots to break into your website. So, make sure to disable the login hints in the script of the functions.php file, like this:

function no_wordpress_errors(){
return 'There are no Login hints, Bad Luck!';
}
add_filter( 'login_errors', 'no_wordpress_errors' );

This will give hackers and bots hard times when they try to break into your website. Thereby, this WordPress security tip can keep your site away from hackers’ reach.

5. Prevent Brute Force Attacks

Limiting the failed login attempts can provide extra protection to your site.

Whenever the hackers would attempt with repetitive wrong passwords, your site will get locked, and you will get notified about this unauthorized activity.

source: softstribe

There will be no more continuous brute force attempts, and you’ll be safe from the bots! ‘Loginizer’ is one such plugin to limit failed login attempts.

6. Reliable Security Plugins

Use of reliable security plugins can lower your risk of attacks and threats to a great extent.

A weak plugin or an outdated plugin that you are not using for long may create a loophole in your website security making it vulnerable. However, a reliable, professional WP security plugin can prevent your website from getting hacked and puts your mind at ease.

These awesome plugins offer you that much-needed protection with their wide range of features.

7. Enable WAF

Want a better and stronger WordPress site? Here comes the Web Application Firewall in the role.

A WAF (Web Application Firewall) is a powerful security measure that’s capable of preventing not just malware and hacking but also XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks, SQL injection attacks, and buffer overflows. This is a custom set of security rules writing by hosting providers.

source: sunnyhoi

A WAF is considered one of the best WordPress security tips of all time.

That’s why, today, it’s used by most online businesses to protect their web applications against vulnerabilities. It can be your website, your social media platforms, and more.

8. Disable PHP Error Reporting

Your WP site throws an error popup or message when any of your plugins or theme doesn’t work right. It’s definitely handy when troubleshooting; however, these error reports often have your server path.

All the bots out there would just need to observe your error messages to get your full server path and have root access to every nook and cranny of your WordPress website. Yikes!

Eliminating PHP error messages is one of those WordPress security tips that can improve your WP security up to many times.

In order to disable the PHP error reporting on your site, just add this small one-liner code to your wp-config.php file:

error_reporting(0);

9. Hide WordPress Version Number

WordPress displays your WP version number by default. However, sometimes it can also create problems for the website owners by making them an easy target.

The hackers can easily scan and attack your website with your WordPress version number.

Want to hide your WordPress version?

To hide it, simply add this given code to your functions.php file:

add_filter( 'the_generator', '__return_null' );

10. Enable Two-Step Authentication

An extra verification step is always good for your website’s health. You can, no doubt, see a long and strong password as a sign of better security.

However, enabling a two-factor authentication always puts your website on safer side by providing an extended layer of security apart from just using a ‘password’.

credit: iremove

The two-step authentication often takes the form of a code that site owner receives via text message, email, or even an app.

Then, the user has to enter the same code in conjunction with their password to access his WP site.

11. Bonus Tips

11.1 Keep a Complete Backup of your WP Site

Backups are your real lifesavers after any WordPress attack.

Remember, even after implementing the fail-proof rules and proven tips, your WP site is still not 100% secure.

If government websites and large business websites can be attacked, then yours can be hacked too!

Thus, keeping regular backups of your WP site allows you to quickly restore your data in case of malware, brute force attack, data loss, or any other WordPress security issues.

Being a wise WordPress website owner you must store full-site backups time-to-time to a remote server or cloud, or simply go with managed web hosting providers.

11.2 Have an SSL Certificate

Securing your site with HTTPS is another amazing WordPress security tip for an improved WP security. HTTPS encryption can be acquired through SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. Installing an SSL certificate is an intelligent move to secure your admin panel.

It aids in authenticating the websites and ensuring that hackers can’t peep into or intercept the data your users share on your WordPress site.

credit: sucuri

It not just indispensable for your website security but also act as a seal of trust between your brand and your customers.

Final Verdict

A hacked website can seriously harm the revenue and reputation of your business.

You can’t afford to put all your sensitive information, passwords, installed software, and personal data on the stake at any cost.

Now ask yourself – “Is my WordPress security worth the risk?”

The answer is surely a “NO”.

So, take a step before it’s too late!

Talk to us for top-notch WordPress security monitoring and more.

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