Six WordPress Security Tips for 2023

If you want to build a safe website, using WordPress as your platform is a great place to start. It’s not only a versatile, sophisticated website-building platform, but it’s also remarkably secure.

WordPress developers are concerned about security and committed to reinforcing the platform as much as possible. Furthermore, they routinely issue security patches automatically downloaded and applied to your site. This implies that your website should be well-prepared to deal with new threats after they emerge quickly.

Even though developers try their best, no platform can be fully secured. WordPress hackers are working hard to break into even the most secure websites. They can compromise valuable data, modify your site to suit their interests, or even bring it down. This can be detrimental to both you and your users, and if you own a business, it can result in losing clients and revenue.

As you can see, it’s critical to treat WordPress security seriously. In this article, we will share 6 WordPress security tips you can apply today to improve your website’s security.

  • Web application firewall (WAF)
  • Malware scanning
  • Security headers
  • Two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • CAPTCHA
  • Rename the login page

1. Get a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

You’ve probably heard of a firewall, a program that helps prevent malicious attacks. A web application firewall prevents harmful traffic, such as DDoS attacks or SQL injections, from reaching your website.

WAF serves as a barrier between your WordPress website and the internet.

Instead of allowing direct access to your website, the WAF will force traffic through it first.

Web application firewalls run according to a set of rules known as policies. These policies guard against WordPress vulnerabilities by screening out harmful traffic. This firewall solution’s value stems partly from the ease and speed with which experts can change its policies. Rate limitation, for example, can be immediately established during a DDoS attack by altering these policies.

To improve your WordPress website security, install a WAF as a plugin or use any popular cloud-based solution.

2. Run Regular Malware Scans

Malware will usually leave some clues on your website. This includes everything from traffic decreases to strange redirects to different websites. But that’s only sometimes the case. Sometimes you might be unaware that someone hijacked your website.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to find out, and that is by running a malware scan. Regular malware scanning is critical, especially since WordPress is the most popular CMS and, as such, the most targeted by malware.

Various solutions are available for performing malware scans, such as security plugins and even online scanners that only ask you to enter your website’s domain name. So use one to protect your website from a host of WordPress security vulnerabilities.
Note: sometimes, using a commercial malware scanner doesn’t work significantly if your website is highly compromised. In that case, you will likely need to purchase a manual malware removal service.

3. Set up Security Headers

Security headers are another excellent security measure that protects your website from common WordPress vulnerabilities that can lead to severe damage.

When a user opens your website, your web server sends an HTTP header to their browser. This answer informs browsers about cache, error codes, and more.

HTTP 200 is the standard header response status which usually results in the user’s browser successfully loading your webpage. If your website has problems, your web server may transmit a different HTTP header. It may, for example, send a 500 internal server error or a 404 not found error.

Security headers are a subcategory of these headers, and they are used to protect websites from common threats such as cross-site scripting, click-jacking, and more. So let’s look at various HTTP security headers and how they can help safeguard your website.

  • X-XSS-Protection is used to prevent cross-site scripting.
  • X-Frame-Options is used to prevent click-jacking and cross-domain iframes.

You can add these headers to your website in a variety of ways. For example, you can use .htaccess, install a plugin, and even enable them through different WAF solutions that support this feature.

4. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Enable two-factor authentication on your WordPress website to enhance login security. It will shield you from someone guessing your password or attempting to brute-force it.

This authentication technique adds an extra layer of security to the WordPress login page by requiring users to enter a unique code from their phones to log in successfully. The code can only be obtained by a text message or an authentication app.

To add 2FA to your website, install a 2FA security plugin on WordPress and an authentication app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator.

5. Add a CAPTCHA

Adding a CAPTCHA is the easiest thing you can do to improve WordPress security, and you’ve already encountered it countless times while browsing the web.

CAPTCHAs can take several forms, the most popular of which is a distorted text you must decode. Other types of CAPTCHA ask you to select photos that satisfy specified criteria, and Google reCaptcha is much simpler, requiring only a single mouse click from the user.
The challenge offered in all circumstances is one that most humans should be able to complete easily. However, even today’s most proficient bots cannot understand corrupted phrases or visual fragments. In turn, they are temporarily blocked from your site if they cannot pass the test.

Bots attempt to attack any part of your site that allows information input, such as login forms and comments. By requiring a CAPTCHA before form submission, bots are prevented from successfully accessing your site or injecting harmful code.

To secure a WordPress site, you can install a CAPTCHA solution like any other plugin.

6. Rename the Login Page

As a final step, consider changing your login page URL to protect your website against brute-force attempts further.

By default, the WordPress login page is easily accessible by adding wp-admin to the site’s main URL. WordPress hackers can try to brute force their way in if they know the direct URL of your login page.

Using 2FA and CAPTCHA on your login page is excellent, but wouldn’t it be better if hackers wouldn’t even know where to start? Defaults can be our most vulnerable security points, and updating your wp-admin page is too easy to overlook.

Dozens of plugins provide this service, so get one to secure your WordPress site.

Final Words

Taking care of WordPress security is not a one-time endeavour; it is quite the opposite. Your website’s security should be frequently reassessed.

Using our six-step guide is a great place to start, but staying vigilant and taking security seriously is essential. So stay informed on the latest WordPress security trends and keep its core and plugins up-to-date.

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