February 5th, 2019
The average number of attacks on WordPress websites is approximately 4-5 million monthly. That is a lot of hacking attempts! These attacks vary from individual WordPress sites to large corporate websites. Sensitive data can be at risk, and WordPress site security is one of the top concerns for website owners using WordPress. WordPress security includes protection not only on the code of the WordPress core but also by your hosting provider as well as the WordPress site owner.
Security
The number of attacks on WordPress sites is astonishing, and it may suggest that these attacks are due to WordPress being insecure. Hackers believe that because WordPress is a free, open-source application that anyone can download and install, they think that end-user changes make WordPress seem more vulnerable.
However, this is not the case. WordPress has a team of designers and developers worldwide to keep WordPress updated, stable, and secure. WordPress even has a team of developers that dedicate themselves to monitor WordPress for security vulnerabilities continually. When a vulnerability is detected, this dedicated team immediately corrects the issue and issues a patch to fix it. These patches happen frequently enough to show that the WordPress security team is hard at work, keeping your site safe and secure. While this is the first line of defense for WordPress, it is not the only defense against hackers.
Hosting Providers
Your hosting provider also has security measures in place to protect your WordPress site. Just one example is cloud web hosting. Cloud web hosting allows for the hosting of websites on virtual servers. The network of servers are vast in number, pulling data from multiple servers, the result of which is a form of digital infrastructure to ensure that your data is secure.
Also, “one-click install” application servers provide notifications to end-users when WordPress installs are out of date and require patching/updating. The end-user performs the update in this scenario. End-users set up notifications to alert themselves when a newer version available. This notification feature also will include out of date plugins and template notifications. If you would rather have the application server automatically update your WordPress installation, there is usually an option to enable this. Before the update, it will create a backup that you can revert to the previous install if there is a problem during the upgrade process.
End-User Security
As the owner of a WordPress website, users should also utilize specific means to protect their site from defeating all kinds of cyberattacks.
For example:
- Keeping WordPress up to date with the latest version and patches results in combating any vulnerabilities, which aids in securing sensitive data.
- Any device that connects to the WordPress backend, to manage the WordPress site, should also be updated and have firewall and malware protection software installed.
- All WordPress sites should have secure usernames and passwords. The default “admin” user name should be changed to something unique so that it helps to prevent hacking from brute force attacks.
- Restricting permission to access the WordPress back-end, its directories, and disabling file editing will also help.
- Limiting the login attempts and setting your notifications within WordPress to notify you of excessive failed login attempts. Login attempts are typically a sign of a brute force hack.
- Install and use plugins for securing and monitoring your WordPress site that are available from many third-party developers. An example of such third-party software is All In One WordPress Security and Firewall.
- Backing up your WordPress site at least one or two times a week can prevent accidental loss of data or errors when editing your website. Backups are also preventative maintenance measures for websites compromised with malicious code or viruses.
- WordPress sites that are maintained continuously will also prevent spam. Setting spam filters to be a bit more aggressive will also help fight spam. It is a good idea to monitor comments. Blocking controversial comments with the WordPress site admin user will also help.
Conclusion
While hackers are at work attempting to brute force your WordPress site, utilizing all measures listed above will help prevent your site from being vulnerable. Please make sure you are diligent in protecting your WordPress site by taking further steps today to secure it!
Feel free to contact us should you have any questions.