Some people think that they don’t need to worry much about the security of their WordPress website. Unfortunately, most people realize the importance of security only when their website or blog gets hacked. WordPress is on the list of the most popular and easy-to-use content management systems you can find these days. At the same time, this platform is a common target for spammers and hackers.
According to a recent report, 9 out of 10 sites that get hacked are based on WordPress. However, it is important to note that WordPress is one of the most secure platforms. In the same way, if your website is properly maintained and secured, it will not be any easier for hackers to attack it.
In reality, most hackers do not target unpopular platforms. So they attack WordPress websites because 61% of websites today are based on WordPress.
Now, you may be wondering why your website is at risk even though it has very little traffic. Actually, most of the hackers hack into small and unpopular websites so as not to delete important files or steal data. Their goal is to use your web server to send spam emails. Actually, after hacking your website, they will install a special software program that will send a lot of spam emails. And you won’t realize that someone is taking advantage of your server without your permission.
You don’t need to be afraid. We are going to share with you some important tips that will help you to protect your WordPress website.
1. Do not opt for premium plugins that are offered for free
If you’re running your online business on a tight budget, you’re looking for ways to save money. This is completely understandable. However, it is not a good idea to download the desired premium plugins from any website where they are sold. What you need to do is go to the official website of the plugin every time you need to reinstall that plugin.
What happens is that free plugins contain malicious software such as Malware. Therefore, you may want to purchase the plugin you need on the official website of the service provider.
2. Use .htaccess to protect your important files
If you have been an experienced WordPress user, you may have accessed and used the .htacces file. Once you have changed this file, know that it will have a huge impact on the security of your website.
If you’ve never worked with .htaccess, you should be familiar with it first. Basically, this file is responsible for configuring your web server. In addition, it contains specific rules that your web host follows to handle your website files.
Primarily, this file is used to create user-friendly URLs for each web page. Apart from this, it is also used to make necessary security-related modifications to your website.
Below are some things that the file will allow you to do on your WordPress website when it comes to security:
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Block suspicious IP addresses
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Disable directory browsing
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Allow selected IP addresses to gain access to wp-admin
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block bad bots
3. Hide your author usernames
It is not a good idea to use WordPress defaults. The reason is that almost every WordPress user knows the default username that WordPress uses for each website. Often the default author username of a WordPress website is admin. Therefore, you have to change it. If you don’t change it, it will be easier for hackers to access your website and use its content and other features.
If your website has more than one author and none of them is the admin, you’re good to go. However, if you have a small website and you are the only admin and Arthur, you may want to create a separate user for your post. Don’t forget to assign the author role to the user. This is important because you cannot allow that user to have full rights to make the necessary changes to your website. In other words, the user must have limited access.
4. Hide your site’s login page
If your security strategy involves hiding files and login pages, it won’t be enough. After all, all these elements of your WordPress website will not prevent hackers from accessing them. But at least it will make it more difficult for them to hack your website. Hiding your site’s login page won’t take more than a few seconds if you go for the right method, such as a plugin.
If you move or rename your WordPress login page, it will make it much more difficult for a hacker to gain unauthorized access. In reality, most types of attacks are programmed. So if you have a different login page, they will have to invest a lot more effort to attack your website.
You can choose from many plugins that can make this job easier for you. For example, you can try WPS Hide Login for this purpose.
5. Go with a reliable hosting company
According to statistics, 4 out of 10 websites get hacked just because they are more vulnerable. This vulnerability is due to the hosting platform. Therefore, it is a great idea to choose a host that has a high level of security. Here are some characteristics of a good hosting service:
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Malware scanning and detection of suspicious files
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Automatic Theme Updates
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firewall protection
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Optimized for word wordpress
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Support for the latest version of mySQL and PHP
These are just a few important things that can help you choose the right hosting company. Choosing the most popular and reliable provider is a great idea if you want to be on the safe side.
In short, if you are looking for tips to protect your WordPress website, we suggest you follow the tips given in this article. It is not a good idea to ignore the security aspect of your website if you are serious about what you are doing. Remember that the security of your website is of the utmost importance.