How to Protect Your WordPress Website from Hackers
Protect WordPress Website
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems globally. It offers individuals and business owners a chance to build their sites using unique templates and plugins. However, websites that are created using the WordPress CMS have been under threat a couple of times, making it essential to protect your site. In most cases, the danger is from hackers that infect the sites with viruses rendering them unusable by their owners. Fortunately, investment in proper security goes a long way in reducing the chances of getting hacked now or in the future.
Why are WordPress websites easily hacked?
Hacking attempts on WordPress have been widespread for a while with the majority of website owners doing their best to secure their sites. Some of the common reasons for hacking attempts on these websites are listed below.
Non-regulation of plugins by third parties
The plugins available for use when building WordPress sites are often created by third parties that are not regulated. The absence of formal regulation makes it possible for the plugins to have vulnerabilities that put the site in danger. In some cases, hackers come up with plugins that allow them to be hack websites once installed.
Obsolete WordPress installations
For a WordPress site to work at its optimum and safe from hackers, it is important to update installations regularly. Websites that are running on older versions are susceptible to hacking because their vulnerabilities that have not been dealt with. Majority of newer installations are up to date and have no weaknesses that can be exploited by a hacker.
Use of PHP language
Majority of WordPress sites are written using PHP code as well as MySQL DB making a target for hackers using injection attacks. The most common type of injection attack used by hackers is SQL which they use to manipulate the database of the WordPress site.
Seven simple ways to prevent hacking on your WordPress website
When your site is hacked, it often requires a lot of time and energy to fix it and have it working normally again. In some cases, you will need to wait days for the site to be back up and within that time you may have lost visitors and even ranking on major search engines. Fortunately, preventing your WordPress site from getting hacked is easy and worth the effort. Here are some steps you can follow to ensure your website is hacker proof.
1) Choose a reliable hosting company
Always go for hosting companies that offer excellent security features as part of the packages offered to website owners. Majority of the popular hosting companies understand the importance of security for WordPress sites and often perform scans and clean the site at no cost. Nevertheless, ensure that scans are done professionally to avoid losing important data on your website.
2) Invest in an antivirus
Installing a reliable anti-virus in your computer and performing regular scans on your computer is another way of protecting WordPress sites from getting hacked. Ensure that you buy a top antivirus that is recommended for such sites to eliminate any vulnerability on the site. If possible, compare the features offered by various types of antivirus before settling on the best one for you.
3) Always have strong passwords
The need for a strong password can never be underestimated because it acts as a deterrent to possible hackers. Ensure that the password you choose is not similar to the ones used on your other accounts online. It is advisable to create passwords that are difficult and long so that a hacker cannot easily crack them. If possible, use a mix of symbols, number and alphabetic letters to come up with a unique password for your WordPress site.
4) Use the latest plugins or themes
An updated WordPress installation plays a significant role in its protection as the latest versions often have no vulnerabilities that hackers can use to gain access to the site. It is important to log in regularly to update the site as hackers are always on the look for any vulnerabilities they can exploit. Set up notification for any updates on your website so that you can do it as soon as possible. In case your plugins and themes are not being maintained. And updates are unavailable, you may have to switch to another one to avoid hacking.
5) Invest in a WordPress security plugin
Besides using an antivirus to protect your computer, it may be important to have a security plugin that is specific to WordPress. The plugin should offer a variety of benefits that guarantee all-around security on your site. When choosing a security plugin, you should consider the security features on offer and check. It’s also great to have a captcha security plugin on your WordPress. If they are required for your specific website. Nevertheless, it is advisable to purchase the security plugin from reliable companies with great reviews online.
6) Choose third part plugins cautiously
Plugins play a significant role in the development of a WordPress website and are created by third parties. It is important to use those plugins that are well known and have been used by other website owners successfully. Also, restrict the number of plugins to use the most essential to minimize chances of their installation resulting in the site being hacked.
7) Avoid public Wi-Fi networks
Logging into a Wi-Fi network that is accessible by members of the public puts your WordPress site in danger of getting hacked. Most hackers use sniffing software on public networks to collect login credentials for various websites. To protect your site, you need to have an SSL certificate which encrypts passwords and usernames thereby keeping your website safe. Another way of protecting your site when using public Wi-Fi is to install a VPN on your computer.
In general, WordPress sites are still the best option for those seeking to set up great websites for personal or commercial use. Even so, investing in their protection should be a priority if they are to work as expected.
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