You need to make sure your WordPress site is secure. A cyber attack is still one of your primary concerns when it comes to running a website. You wouldn’t want your WordPress blog to be sabotaged by a cyber threat. However, these things happen and are some of the most common issues faced by bloggers and website owners all around the world. So, how do you avoid it? First, you need to address some primary security tools on your site. Here are some great ways that you can use to secure your WordPress from a range of Cyber Attacks.
2-STEP SECURE LOG-IN
This is one of the great ways to secure your WordPress site. When you start a blog, you often get to control the new login for your site. It’s at this point that you can implement a valuable means of security. A 2-step login is:
- Personalized, because you devised it
- Requires double security every time you log in
- Makes other computer logins almost impossible without your acknowledgment.
- Is extremely simple to set up
- Fortifies your website’s security
- Has a range of options from number verifications to passwords, emails or secret questions.
SECURE EMAIL LOGIN
How many of you actually devised an email login for your WordPress site? Many people simply go with their original email, which is too predictable and can be easily cracked. Step up your website security by devising a complex or convoluted email address that is more difficult to guess. Once you do that, you can be sure that hackers will have a hard time trying to guess what to put into the login page email or username field. A secure email address is:
- Easy to create
- Adds security to your WordPress website address
- Makes it difficult for hackers to guess
- User patrol and website security
Not only can you implement primary security, you can also vigilantly observe the users who are actively viewing your site. Installing special WordPress plugins like “Wordfence” or “WordPress All-in-One Security” allows you to monitor your user activity and detect any potential threats. From there, you can simply block a certain user. If the threat is too high, WordPress also gives you the option of a temporary lockdown so no user can access the website. This might sound like the start of a war but it is a valuable means of protecting your site from cyber attacks.
SECURE THE WP-ADMIN DIRECTORY
The wp-admin directory is a vital part of your system. If a hacker gains access to it, chances are that you may lose your site. You can protect your directory by employing a number of easy tactics. Some of these include, but are not limited to:
- Secure password protection
- Employ double password protection
- Only allow certain parts for access to other users so you have higher control.
- Install vital plugins such as “WordPress All-in-One Security”, which allows a rename of the login page which obscures the login page from potential hackers.
CONTROL USER ACCOUNTS
You can’t trust your site with just anyone. You have to be cautious when adding users for a number of reasons:
- They have internal access to your site
- They may prod into your secure vaults and gain access
- They may install a virus into the system
- They may organize and encrypt a cyber attack.
So, our first word of caution is to control who you add as a WordPress user. Our second tip is to limit access to them. No matter how close they are to you, you always need to have the higher control. This allows you to prevent any dangers or potential problems in the future. A plug-in called Force Strong Passwords can also help you secure your admin panel and control access.
INSTALL SSL TO ENCRYPT DATA
Some of the best web hosting services may fail if you are unable to incorporate important security measures in your site. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is of utmost importance when protecting your data and your site. It also has a number of advantages besides security. For Instance:
- Google encourages SSL certificate incorporation.
- It can potentially boost your Google rankings and allow you to climb the ladder to popularity.
- Encourages and boosts traffic to your website.
- Keep in mind: you do not have to purchase an SSL – Advent Digital provides a cost-effective solution to secure your site! For example, our site has been using a no-fee SSL for the past years and works perfectly!
MODIFY THE ADMIN USERNAME
Many users fail to see the point in personalizing small details. For instance, ‘admin’ is just a word that can be guessed by any potential hacker. You are presenting your site on a plate to those cyber monsters out there. Instead, incorporate a more personalized login name. Keeping a predictable name makes it:
- Very easy to figure out
- Makes your website attack prone
- Easy to access because only simple hacking is needed
- Easy to access also because many hackers use the word ‘admin’ as their first potential login formula.
You can always opt for some great WordPress security plugins such as “iThemes Security”. It works to filter out anyone who tries to login with the word admin and a pass other than your own IP. It’s a foolproof way of protecting your site from potential cyber hackers.
CHECK FILES CONSTANTLY
Often hackers leave a little surprise in your storage folder. This gathers all critical information which the hackers are able to extract and use against you. There is no sure way of avoiding this except patrolling your storage folders for any weird unnecessary data that might be present. This will help you remove dangers from your WordPress site and protect it.
BACKUP FILES REGULARLY
Cyber security is unpredictable. You never know when an attack may leave you with no choice but to change your site or revamp it. Backups are very valuable as a result. Yes, you may lose some data, but if you have a backup you will not need to start from scratch. “BackWPUp” is a great and simple plugin for this!
SUMMARY
Cyber security can be difficult, but if you follow all these essential measures, you can make sure that your site is secure and protected. All of these valuable plugins and tips are commonly used to ensure protection. Yes, it can be complex to set all the little things and connecting them together. However, these precautions will help you protect your WordPress site in the long term.