With WordPress being the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, powering over 43% of websites, it’s no surprise that it’s a major target for hackers. In fact, there are 90,000 attacks on WordPress websites every minute. But don’t worry securing your website doesn’t have to be difficult. In this blog, we’ll show you simple steps you can take to protect your WordPress site from potential hacks and keep your business safe. Taking proactive measures to secure your WordPress site is essential for maintaining both site performance and your brand’s reputation.
Table of Contents
Essential Steps to Secure Your WordPress Site from Hackers
1. Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Updated
Why is this important?
One of the biggest risks to secure your WordPress site comes from outdated software. In fact, 61% of hacked websites are running outdated versions of WordPress. Hackers actively seek out weaknesses in older versions of WordPress, themes, and plugins to exploit. Keeping your site updated is essential to mitigate these risks and ensure a robust defense against potential threats.
How to keep everything updated:
- Always update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins as soon as new versions are released. Most updates include security fixes to patch vulnerabilities.
- Consider turning on automatic updates for minor core releases.
- Regularly check for updates in your WordPress dashboard and ensure compatibility with your theme and plugins before updating.
Tips: Keeping your WordPress site up to date ensures known security gaps are closed, making your website a lot harder to hack.
2. Use Strong Passwords and Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Why is this important?
Weak passwords are a common reason for breaches that compromise your ability to secure your WordPress site. Research shows that 80% of security breaches are due to weak or stolen passwords. By using strong, unique passwords across your accounts, you can dramatically reduce the risk of a hack and enhance the overall security of your website.
How to improve password security:
- Use long, unique passwords for your admin account, hosting, and any other sensitive accounts. Password managers like LastPass or 1Password can generate and store complex passwords.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your login page. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, such as a text message or app code.
- Plugins like Wordfence or Google Authenticator make it easy to set up 2FA for WordPress sites.
Tips: Using strong passwords and enabling 2FA greatly reduces the chances of unauthorized access to your website.
3. Limit Login Attempts and Install Security Plugins
Why is this important?
Hackers often use brute force attacks, trying multiple passwords in rapid succession until they get in. This is where limiting login attempts can save your site. WordPress websites face 30,000+ brute force attacks daily, so preventing multiple failed logins can block these attempts early.
How to limit login attempts:
- Install plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded or Login Lockdown, which block IP addresses after a certain number of failed login attempts.
- Use a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to monitor your site for malicious activity and provide firewall protection.
Tips: Limiting login attempts and using a security plugin strengthens your site’s defenses, making it much harder for hackers to get in.
4. Secure Your Hosting Environment
Why is this important?
Your web hosting provider plays a significant role in your site’s security. Poor hosting environments can leave your site exposed to vulnerabilities. Studies show that 41% of hacked websites were compromised due to hosting issues.
How to choose a secure host:
- Opt for a reliable hosting provider that offers built-in security features like firewalls, regular malware scans, and daily backups. Managed WordPress hosting providers like WP Engine or Kinsta specialize in WordPress security.
- Make sure your host provides an SSL certificate, which encrypts the data between your website and your users, keeping sensitive information safe. Websites without SSL are flagged as insecure by 85% of browsers.
Tips: Choosing a secure hosting provider with proper security features reduces the risk of hacks caused by vulnerabilities in the hosting environment.
5. Backup Your Website Regularly
Why is this important?
Even with the best security practices, there’s always a chance that your site could be hacked. That’s why regular backups are essential. If your site is compromised, you’ll be able to restore it quickly, minimizing downtime and data loss. 60% of businesses that suffer a data breach shut down within six months, mostly due to loss of data.
How to back up your site:
- Use WordPress plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy to set up automatic backups.
- Store your backups on external services like Google Drive or Dropbox to ensure you always have access to them.
- Schedule daily or weekly backups, depending on how often you update your site.
Tips: Regular backups ensure that if your site is hacked, you can recover quickly with minimal damage.
6. Disable File Editing and Secure WP-Admin
Why is this important?
By default, WordPress allows administrators to edit theme and plugin files directly from the dashboard. If a hacker gains access to your admin account, they could use this feature to insert malicious code into your site. Disabling file editing helps prevent this.
How to disable file editing and secure your admin panel:
Add the following line to your wp-config.php file to disable file editing:
Copy code
<?php
define(‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true);
?>
- Use password protection for your wp-admin directory or limit access by IP address. This restricts who can access the most sensitive parts of your site.
Tips: Disabling file editing and securing your admin panel adds another layer of protection to your WordPress site.
Final Thoughts
Securing your WordPress website doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following these simple steps to secure your WordPress site—keeping everything updated, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, limiting login attempts, securing your hosting, and regularly backing up your site—you can drastically reduce the risk of your website being hacked.
At Cozy Themes, we take security seriously. Our WordPress themes are designed with security best practices in mind, helping you build not only a beautiful website but also a safe one.
Ready to build a secure WordPress website for your business? Check out our wide range of Cozy Themes and get started today!