How to Secure Your WordPress Site
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2025 10:11 am
Now that we’ve gotten the scary part out of the way, let’s talk about what you can do to reduce the risk of a cyberattack on your WordPress site. Website security, and WordPress site security in particular , comes down to following a number of best practices. Some of these apply to all websites in general (like strong passwords and two-factor authentication , SSL , and firewalls), while others apply specifically to WordPress websites (like using secure plugins and a secure WordPress theme ). To keep your site as secure as possible , we recommend following as many of these best practices as possible. First, we’ll cover the basic best practices . Then, we’ll add in additional steps you can take if your site is at particular risk or if you want to take things a step further.
WordPress Security Best Practices
Secure login procedures
The most important step in securing your site is to protect your accounts from malicious login attempts. To do this:
Use strong passwords : We used to think that flying cars would be the future, but as of this year, people are still using “123456” as a password. Make sure that all users who have accounts on your WordPress backend are using strong passwords to log in. You can use one of our recommended password managers that will generate strong passwords and keep track of them.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication : Two-factor authentication ( 2FA ) requires users to confirm their login using a second device . It is one of the simplest yet most effective tools fantuan database to secure your login. Here's how to add two-factor authentication to WordPress.
Don't make any account's username "admin ": This will likely be the first username that attackers will enter when attempting a brute force attack. If you've already created a user with that name, create a new administrator account with a different username.
Limit login attempts : Set a limit on the number of times a user enters incorrect credentials in a certain amount of time, this will prevent hackers from breaking into the login. Some hosting services and firewalls can take care of this for you, but you can also install a plugin like Limit Login Attempts.
Add a captcha : You’ve probably seen this security feature on many other websites. They add an extra layer of security to your login by verifying that you are indeed a real person. You can use plugins to add captcha to your site. reCaptcha by BestWebSoft is one of those we recommend – see our guide on how to enable Google reCaptcha in WordPress.
Enable Auto Logout : While you should remember to log out of your WP account when you're done, auto logout will prevent others from accessing your account if you forget. To enable auto logout of your WordPress account, use the Inactive Logout plugin.
WordPress Security Best Practices
Secure login procedures
The most important step in securing your site is to protect your accounts from malicious login attempts. To do this:
Use strong passwords : We used to think that flying cars would be the future, but as of this year, people are still using “123456” as a password. Make sure that all users who have accounts on your WordPress backend are using strong passwords to log in. You can use one of our recommended password managers that will generate strong passwords and keep track of them.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication : Two-factor authentication ( 2FA ) requires users to confirm their login using a second device . It is one of the simplest yet most effective tools fantuan database to secure your login. Here's how to add two-factor authentication to WordPress.
Don't make any account's username "admin ": This will likely be the first username that attackers will enter when attempting a brute force attack. If you've already created a user with that name, create a new administrator account with a different username.
Limit login attempts : Set a limit on the number of times a user enters incorrect credentials in a certain amount of time, this will prevent hackers from breaking into the login. Some hosting services and firewalls can take care of this for you, but you can also install a plugin like Limit Login Attempts.
Add a captcha : You’ve probably seen this security feature on many other websites. They add an extra layer of security to your login by verifying that you are indeed a real person. You can use plugins to add captcha to your site. reCaptcha by BestWebSoft is one of those we recommend – see our guide on how to enable Google reCaptcha in WordPress.
Enable Auto Logout : While you should remember to log out of your WP account when you're done, auto logout will prevent others from accessing your account if you forget. To enable auto logout of your WordPress account, use the Inactive Logout plugin.