WordPress Security Best Practices: How To Secure Your Site

A secure website is foundational to maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of your online presence. A security breach can lead to data loss, stolen customer information, and a damaged reputation. In an age where consumers are increasingly aware of online threats, a secure site can differentiate you from competitors and build trust with your audience.

4 Steps for Securing Your WordPress Installation

1. Choose a Secure Hosting Provider

Your hosting provider plays a crucial role in your website’s security. A reliable and secure hosting provider will offer features like:

• Regular backups. Daily backups ensure that you can quickly restore your site in case of an attack or other issues.
• SSL certificates. SSL encrypts data transmitted between your website and users, protecting sensitive information.
• Firewall protection. A good host will provide robust firewall protection to shield your site from malicious attacks.
• DDoS protection. Protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks helps keep your site online even during an attack.

Look for hosting providers known for their security features or work with an agency like Victorious that offers managed WordPress hosting.

2. Keep WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins Updated

Keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date is essential for security. Updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. To manage updates safely:

• Consider Automatic Updates: Enable automatic updates for minor core updates. For major updates, review the changes and create a backup of your site before applying them.
• Run Regular Checks: Regularly check for and apply updates to themes and plugins.
• Test Before Updating: Use a staging site to test updates before applying them to your live site to ensure compatibility and avoid disruptions.

3. Use Strong Passwords and 2FA

Weak or shared passwords introduce unnecessary security risks. Make sure team members with access to your site understand the importance of password protocols.

• Strong Passwords: Use complex passwords that include a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using easily guessable information like birthdays or common words.
• Password Managers: Utilize password managers to generate and store strong, unique passwords.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA for an additional layer of security, requiring users to verify their identity using a second method.
• Update Passwords: Implement a cadence for updating passwords, especially if a security breach is suspected or has occurred.

4. Regularly Assess User Permissions

Everyone with access to your site is a potential liability. Aligning user roles with employee responsibility can limit this liability.

• User Roles: Assign appropriate roles to users based on their responsibilities. For example, limit the number of administrators and assign the editor or author roles to content creators as needed.
• Remove Users as Needed: Implement a process to remove accounts that are no longer needed. Users who have been promoted or who no longer need access to your WordPress backend should be removed or have their roles downgraded. Users who are no longer with the company should be removed as part of offboarding.

3 Essential WordPress Security Measures

Fortify your WordPress site against potential threats with these key security measures. 

1. Install Security Plugins

Security plugins provide comprehensive protection by offering a suite of tools designed to safeguard your website. Popular WordPress security plugins include:

• Wordfence offers firewall protection, malware scanning, and real-time threat defense.
• Sucuri Security provides auditing, malware scanning, and hardening options.
• iThemes Security focuses on identifying and fixing common security vulnerabilities.

These plugins help monitor your site for suspicious activity, block malicious traffic, and ensure your website’s overall security so you can identify and stop threats before they harm your website.

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through a second method in addition to their password. This could be a code sent to their phone or through an authentication app like Google Authenticator. To set it up:

1. Install a 2FA Plugin: Plugins like Google Authenticator and Authy are popular choices. Some security plugins like Wordfence also offer 2FA.
2. Configure the Plugin: Follow the plugin instructions to link it to your WordPress site and set up 2FA for user accounts.
3. Require 2FA for All Users: Make it mandatory for all users, especially administrators, to enhance security.

Make sure to let your team know about this change and provide a deadline.

3. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) acts as a barrier between your website and the internet, filtering out malicious traffic before it reaches your site. Benefits of using a WAF include:

• Blocking malicious requests. A WAF identifies and blocks threats such as SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and DDoS attacks.
• Real-time protection. A WAF provides continuous monitoring and protection against emerging threats.
• Improved performance. Implementing a WAF can reduce server load by blocking unwanted traffic, thus improving site performance.

Here are a few popular WAF solutions for WordPress:

• Cloudflare offers a free plan with basic security features and paid plans for advanced protection.
• Sucuri provides comprehensive website security, including WAF protection.
• Wordfence includes a firewall as part of its security suite, offering robust protection.

Protecting Against 6 Common Threats

So what threats could your site be up against? Here are some of the most common and how to mitigate them.

1. Brute Force Attacks

Brute force attacks are systematic attempts to gain unauthorized access to a website by repeatedly trying different username and password combinations. Attackers use automated tools to rapidly test a large number of possible credentials, often using dictionaries of common passwords or leaked credentials from other breaches.

How To Prevent Them:

• Strong Passwords: Use complex, unique passwords for all accounts.
• Limit Login Attempts: Install plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded to restrict the number of login attempts from a single IP address.
• CAPTCHAs: Implement CAPTCHAs on your login page to prevent automated login attempts.

2. Malware and Hacking Attempts

Malware refers to any malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system or website. This can include viruses, trojans, ransomware, and spyware. 

Hacking attempts involve exploiting vulnerabilities in a website’s code, plugins, or server configuration to gain unauthorized access or control.

How To Prevent Them:

• Regular Scanning: Use a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to regularly scan your site for malware and vulnerabilities.
• Timely Updates: Keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date to patch known vulnerabilities.
• Malware Removal Services: Consider services like Sucuri for professional malware removal and ongoing protection.

3. SQL Injections and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

SQL injection attacks exploit vulnerabilities in a website’s database queries. Attackers insert malicious SQL code into application queries, potentially allowing them to read, modify, or delete database contents.

In Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)attacks, malicious scripts are injected into trusted websites. These scripts execute in the user’s browser, potentially stealing sensitive information, hijacking user sessions, or defacing websites.

How To Prevent Them:

• Prepared Statements: Use prepared statements in your database queries to prevent SQL injection.
• Input Validation: Validate and sanitize all user inputs to ensure they do not contain harmful code.
• Security Plugins: Plugins like WP Security Audit Log can help detect and prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.

4. Phishing

Phishing is a deceptive practice where attackers impersonate legitimate entities to trick users into revealing sensitive information. In the context of websites, this often involves creating fake login pages or forms that mimic legitimate sites to capture user credentials or personal data.

How To Prevent It:

• User Education: Educate users about recognizing phishing attempts and the importance of not entering credentials on untrusted sites.
• HTTPS: Ensure your site uses HTTPS to protect data transmission and build trust with your users.

5. User Errors

User errors encompass a range of unintentional actions by authorized users that can compromise website security or functionality. These can include accidentally deleting crucial content, misconfiguring security settings, sharing sensitive information publicly, or falling for social engineering tactics.

How To Prevent Them:

• Regular Backups: Regularly back up your site to ensure you can restore it in case of accidental deletion or misconfiguration.
• Staging site: Make changes to your staging area before deploying it to your main site.
• User Roles: Assign appropriate user roles and permissions to minimize the risk of user errors.
• Training: Provide training and resources for users to help them understand how to use the site safely.

6. Downtime and Availability Issues

Downtime refers to periods when a website is inaccessible to users. This can be caused by various factors, including server failures, network issues, resource exhaustion, or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS attacks specifically aim to overwhelm a website’s resources by flooding it with traffic from multiple sources, rendering it unavailable to legitimate users.

How To Prevent Them:

• Uptime Monitoring: Use tools like Jetpack or Pingdom to monitor your site’s uptime and receive alerts when it goes down.
• DDoS Protection: Implement DDoS protection measures, such as using a service like Cloudflare, to mitigate attacks that aim to overwhelm your server.
• Reliable Hosting: Choose a hosting provider known for its reliability and uptime guarantees.

11 Best Practices for Ongoing Security

Maintaining ongoing security for your WordPress site is an ongoing process that requires regular attention and updates. Here are some best practices to keep your site secure over time.

1. Run Regular Backups

Regular backups are your last line of defense against data loss, successful hacking attempts, or critical errors. They ensure business continuity by allowing you to quickly restore your site to a known good state, minimizing downtime and potential revenue loss.

Steps:

1. Choose a Backup Solution: Use a plugin like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or Jetpack to automate backups.
2. Set Backup Frequency: Based on your site’s activity level, determine how often you need backups (daily, weekly, etc.).
3. Store Backups Off-Site: Store backups in a secure, off-site location such as cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) or a remote server.
4. Test Backups: Periodically test your backups to ensure you can successfully restore them.

2. Monitor and Log Activity

Comprehensive monitoring and logging provide visibility into your site’s security posture. They help detect anomalies, track unauthorized access attempts, and create an audit trail for forensic analysis in case of a security breach. Early detection of suspicious activities can prevent or minimize damage from attacks.

Steps:

1. Install a Security Plugin: Use plugins like Jetpack, Sucuri, or Wordfence, which offer monitoring and logging features.
2. Configure Alerts: Set up alerts for significant events like login attempts, file changes, and plugin installations.
3. Review Logs Regularly: Periodically review your logs to identify and investigate any suspicious activities.

3. Educate Users and Admins

Human error is a leading cause of security breaches. By educating all users, including third-party contractors, you create a human firewall that complements your technical security measures. Informed users are less likely to fall for phishing attempts, use weak passwords, or inadvertently expose sensitive information.

Steps:

1. Develop Security Policies: Create clear security policies for password management, software updates, and data handling.
2. Conduct Training Sessions: Regularly train your team on security best practices and how to recognize phishing attempts and other threats.
3. Provide Resources: Offer resources like guides and checklists to help users follow security protocols.

This doesn’t just go for your team — it’s important that any third-parties with access to the backend of your site follow strict security protocols, too. Otherwise, they present a liability.

4. Keep Plugins Up-to-Date

Outdated plugins are a common entry point for attackers. Regular updates not only add new features but also patch known vulnerabilities. Keeping plugins current reduces your site’s attack surface and ensures you benefit from the latest security enhancements.

Steps:

1. Regularly Check for Updates: Schedule regular intervals to check for plugin updates.
2. Use a Staging Site: Test updates on a staging site to ensure they don’t cause issues before applying them to your live site.
3. Enable Automatic Updates: For trusted plugins, consider enabling automatic updates to ensure they stay current.

5. Use a Staging Site

A staging environment allows you to test changes in a safe, isolated space before applying them to your live site. This practice helps prevent unexpected issues, downtime, or security vulnerabilities that might arise from untested updates or modifications.

Steps:

1. Set Up a Staging Environment: Use your hosting provider’s tools or plugins like WP Staging to create a staging site.
2. Test Changes: Apply updates, new plugins, and other changes on the staging site first.
3. Deploy Changes: Once you’ve verified that everything works correctly on the staging site, deploy the changes to your live site.

6. Delete Unused Plugins and Themes

Unused plugins and themes can become security liabilities if left unattended. They may contain vulnerabilities that go unpatched, providing potential entry points for attackers. Removing unnecessary components reduces your site’s attack surface and improves performance.

7. Implement Secure File Permissions

Proper file permissions act as a crucial layer of defense, preventing unauthorized access to your WordPress files. Correct permissions ensure that only authorized processes and users can read, write, or execute files, significantly reducing the risk of malicious file modifications.

Steps:

1. Access Your Server: Use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client or your hosting provider’s file manager.
2. Set Permissions: Set appropriate file permissions, typically 644 for files and 755 for directories. Set the wp-config.php file to 600.
3. Regular Checks: Periodically check file permissions to ensure they remain secure.

8. Regularly Update PHP Version

Each new PHP version includes performance improvements and critical security updates. Using the latest stable version ensures your site benefits from the most recent security patches and optimizations, potentially improving both security and speed.

Steps:

1. Check Current PHP Version: Use your hosting control panel to check the current PHP version your site is using.
2. Upgrade PHP: If needed, upgrade to the latest stable version. Follow your hosting provider’s instructions for a smooth transition.
3. Test Compatibility: Before updating your live site, ensure your themes and plugins are compatible with the new PHP version on a staging site.

9. Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN not only improves your site’s performance but also adds an extra layer of security. It can help mitigate DDoS attacks, provide additional SSL/TLS encryption, and offer web application firewall (WAF) services to protect against common vulnerabilities.

Steps:

1. Choose a CDN Provider: Consider providers like Cloudflare, KeyCDN, or StackPath.
2. Set Up the CDN: Follow the provider’s setup instructions to integrate the CDN with your WordPress site.
3. Configure Settings: Optimize CDN settings to balance performance and security.

10. Disable File Editing in WordPress Dashboard

The built-in file editor in WordPress can be a security risk if an unauthorized user gains access to your admin area. Disabling this feature prevents potential attackers from easily modifying your theme or plugin files directly from the dashboard.

Steps:

1. Access wp-config.php: Use an FTP client or your hosting provider’s file manager to access the wp-config.php file.
2. Add Code: Add the following line of code to the file:
   php
   Copy code
   define(‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true);

11. Limit Login Attempts

Limiting login attempts is an effective measure against brute force attacks. By restricting the number of failed login attempts, you make it significantly harder for attackers to guess passwords through automated means while still allowing legitimate users to access their accounts.

Steps:

1. Install a Plugin: Use a plugin like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded or WP Limit Login Attempts.
2. Configure Settings: Set the number of allowed login attempts and the lockout duration after failed attempts.
3. Monitor: Regularly review the logs to spot suspicious activity.

WordPress Security With Managed WordPress Hosting

Prioritize your site’s security with Victorious web maintenance services and managed WordPress hosting. Say goodbye to frequent updates, hacking scares, and slow load times. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.