You hear news almost every month regarding cybersecurity issues, whether it’s a retail chain or internet giant that someone hacked, or even a foreign country meddling in U.S. affairs. As you launch your WordPress site with high hopes of captivating, connecting and converting leads, apprehension tugs at you in the back of your mind. How do you avoid succumbing to cybersecurity attacks? Consider the best security for WordPress sites.
WordPress has experienced security issues in the past. Developers continue to take steps to ensure secure interactions and transactions. In other words, due to the direct action of developers, WordPress is more secure than ever before as a software solution.
Stay on Top of Concerns
However, it still behooves you to stay on top of potential concerns. If for no other reason, than to put that jittery, apprehensive butterfly in the pit of your stomach to rest. Of course, there are more significant reasons than just calming your nerves. After all, your concerns take flight because you know the vital importance of the best security for WordPress sites.
Security breaches may cause a loss of files, file corruption and more problems. As technology evolves, so do the methods and tools of hackers. As these criminals effectively breach your site, you lose more than just data. You also erode trust and credibility with your audience as a result.
Avoid Exploitation
From small companies to large ones, hackers identify vulnerabilities and exploit them. Customer names, emails, credit card numbers and passwords become fodder for hackers. A breach of your website indicates a breach of trust to clients. The brand damage is done.
Crashes Mean Lost Business Opportunities
In the worst case scenario, sites crash. Since time is money, the period that your site remains down costs you in a global society where the internet offers immediate gratification. If a consumer cannot find your site, he or she simply moves onto the next one.
Get to Know More
You may wonder at the reality of such concerns, particularly if you are a small business or blogger. With 26 percent of all websites worldwide using WordPress, that statistic alone should draw the interest of hackers. Indeed, breaking the security of WordPress sites is fruitful for those with ill intent. WordPress sites are at risk. You probably aren’t a cybersecurity expert, so how do you keep on top of these concerns and swiftly address them? We are here to help. Read on.
A few steps can get you moving in the right direction. A secure site begins with the following basic ideas. If they overwhelm you, managed WordPress providers offer these services to you on a fee basis. Examine how to protect your site before making such a decision.
Look to the Experts
Read the WordPress blog, use WordPress Tavern and learn about threats and actions so you can thwart them later on if needed. Reviewing ongoing information puts you in the know. While you may believe that lack of time prevents such research, may we suggest that you cannot afford to ignore it.
Choose a Host Provider Wisely
Select a security-minded host provider. Be sure to read the security policy of any provider you consider. Options within the hosting realm run from leaving security completely to you through to continuous monitoring, daily to you through to continuous monitoring, daily scans, and other services.
Consider an SSL
A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate protects internet exchanges between users and web providers. This encryption technology keeps third parties out of your communications. The iconic padlock at the top of an SSL site also offers surety to visitors on your site while raising your credibility and trustworthiness.
Add an S to Your FTP
Information that travels through the Internet via the common File Transfer Protocol (FTP) remains unprotected. This unencrypted data leaves you open to spies and unauthorized users. Switching to Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) encrypts logins and allows for more secure data transfer.
Know Security Best Practices
While knowing best practices for security is important, heeding them is vital. WordPress shares its wisdom on how to best guard your site through these recommendations.
Update the Core
The WordPress core updates offer security. Maintaining updates as they become available places your site among the most secure among WordPress iterations. Do not miss this simple step as one of the easiest and most beneficial means of protection. Be certain to use the most recent, stable version of WordPress.
Keep It Current
Keep your themes and plugins current on WordPress for maximum security. This quick and easy idea eliminates out-of-date or insecure plugins while protecting your site with minimal effort on your part.
Back It Up
Regularly backing up your website, files and databases restore your information in the event of a breach. Up-to-date backup plugins from WordPress offer easy and safe data recovery. Weigh your options. Make sure to choose a backup program from a reputable, trusted source with the features you need. Encryption, automatic backups, and seamless restoration are a few valuable capabilities.
WordPress, like many internet services, suffers inevitable security issues. WordPress moves to address problems and offer users a safe experience very quickly and constantly.
Measures to Keep in Place
A few of the measures in place to bring assurance and security to WordPress users include:
— An industry expert panel that monitors the WordPress core.
— Regular and stable release cycles.
— Consistent security and maintenance releases.
— Security best practices developed and well established.
— Standard procedures for site owners to attain safety.
The result? A secure WordPress platform. Again, you’re still wise to remain aware of potential security attacks. Let’s take a look at a few top WordPress security concerns and how to avert them beyond the basics laid out above.
Automated processes aid hackers in making login attempts in record time. For instance, automated scripts run millions of username and password combinations by your WordPress administration page. These attacks slow your site for general users . These types of attacks may breach your website.
Get Defensive
To defend against these attacks, start by creating strong passwords. Consider these hints for hacker-proof strength:
— Use a variety of characters, including a number, uppercase letter, lowercase letter, and symbol. Do not repeat characters.
— Avoid common or personal words as well as dates. Go for meaningless words or phrases.
— Change passwords monthly and do not use them for multiple sites.
— Create passwords at least eight characters long (some experts recommend 16 characters).
— Employ the help of password generator.
Login Limiter
Second, install a login limiter such as the WordPress plugins, Limit Login Attempts or Better WP Security. By blocking an IP address after a set number of login attempts within a set time, this tool penalizes the hacker with periods of time out from the site. In other words, it short circuits the automated scripts attempts to identify login information and prevents success.
Admin Account Attacks
Using a default administrator account simply labeled “admin” invites hackers to pursue access through guessed passwords. After all, predictability befriends the criminal and rewards his or her efforts. To ward off these site invasions, mix things up.
Username
Create a new, unpredictable WordPress username. Administrative privileges can be assigned to this user which eliminates the need for the default account. Therefore, you can delete the account and increase your site’s security. Guessing a username and password combination proves significantly more difficult than a password alone.
WordPress Plugin Problems
Plugins offer multiple benefits, including improved security. However, using plugins unwisely or leaving them unchecked leads to security issues. On the other hand, attending to your site’s plugins decreases vulnerability to attack. As mentioned, the keys to heading off these problems include:
— Keeping WordPress themes and plugins updated.
— Remaining informed as to the current security issue trends at large.
— Cautiously installing WordPress themes and plugins.
— Looking for plugins from reputable developers.
— Checking a plugin’s security history for previous vulnerabilities.
— Using plugins with high download rates, ratings, and regular updates.
— Installing security plugins.
Due Diligence
These keys prove the most effective efforts against security breaches in the area of WordPress plugins. They either eliminate or help you identify problems before they arise. Due diligence in this regard is worthy of your time.
All of these suggestions may seem overwhelming. Considering WordPress security is only one slice of your day, where does the time come from to get it all done? How do you update WordPress, monitor plugin security, change passwords and make necessary changes while simultaneously managing employees, handling company problems, growing a business and keeping the big picture in mind?
Outsourcing Helps
Outsourcing your WordPress needs is a valuable and worthwhile solution. Hiring a service to handle updates and address ongoing security concerns brings peace of mind and frees time to focus on your other responsibilities. Look for a reputable company with a knowledge of WordPress and a track record of providing website security.
Action is Necessary
Whether hiring a service or taking a stab at improving your WordPress site’s security on your own, the efforts are vital to the protection and success of your business. With several security measures in place, even WordPress runs the risk of attack. Taking some type of action is required.
Closing the gap on these vulnerabilities requires you to partner with WordPress. By taking advantage of plugins and other WordPress best security practices, you do just that. Plus, hosting and external encryption changes beef up your protection as well. Do not delay. Take action.
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