Are you stuck in any of these situations?
- I don’t know how to secure my website from online threats.
- I know a few fundamental WordPress security checklists but do not know how to begin.
- How can I secure & lead my business?
If you are stuck in any of these situations and looking for help, check our hacked site repair service.
WordPress is one of the widely-used Content Management Systems for new websites. It is easy to use, but it also comes with plenty of plugins and themes, making it highly customizable. However, like all other popular and widely-used platforms, it is also more prone to hacking.
Therefore, WordPress security is a critical issue for all website owners. If you’re serious about growing your business through your website, you must adopt WordPress security best practices instead of bearing the consequences of security breaches.
This guide will highlight the top WordPress security checklists 2023 to help you protect your website from hackers and malware.
WordPress Security Checklists 2023
WordPress is a vast component, and considering all the available security elements might overwhelm you. Hence, to make your work easy, we have discovered the top 10 prominent WordPress security checklists for your reference.
1. Backup your website and test your backup
Creating a backup of your website is essential considering several factors, but security is its primary concern. If the website is hacked and malware is not detected on time, it will create havoc on your website and data. In such cases, web hosts must delete their sites from the servers and start everything from scratch.
Hence, it is vital to perform the backup as frequently as possible. Various WordPress backup plugins are available that can help you schedule backups daily and store the backups on the external server. This service assures an unaffected website even if your site is hacked.
2. Remove unused plugins and themes
Eliminating unused themes and plugin is the best thing for two reasons:
- First, to boost your website performance.
- To remove the roadway for hackers to attack your website.
If the installed themes and plugins are not audited and updated frequently, they will become a source of entry for malware through their outdated functionality and behavior.
So make sure to keep an eye on all your installed plugins and themes, and beware of fake plugins while installing.
3. Include HTTP authentication
HTTP Authentication is a mechanism that restricts access to an online resource to those who have been granted permission to do so. When a specific web page is accessed, HTTP authentication blocks access by requesting login information.
Although you cannot do this for your complete website, applying it to your admin dashboard or login page will reduce bot attacks.
4. Block malicious IPs
Blocking or filtering malicious IPs can make your life a lot easier. For example, you can chase down the IP address causing the problem and stop it while being hacked. In such a case, no one with that IP address will be able to reach your site.
This strategy is used to thwart hackers, eliminate bots and trolls, and prevent unauthorized people from accessing the system. In addition, a well-functioning firewall will instantly block malicious IPs if you use any.
If you’re getting a lot of attacks from the same place, you can even block an entire geographical area.
5. Disable XML-RPC
XML-RPC is a WordPress feature that allows you to post material remotely. It’s helpful if you’re using the WordPress app or need to enable pingbacks and trackbacks, but it can also be used by hackers to brute force their way into your site. The simplest solution is to disable it manually or via a plugin.
6. Update WordPress salts
WordPress salts are used in the encryption process. WordPress salt is a character string added to a password before being encrypted. The resulting string is a hash, which the database stores. If a hacker can extract the hashed passwords from the database AND decrypt them, they will still be confused about distinguishing between the password and the salt.
They’d only know if they had access to the config file’s salts and security keys. As a result, it’s critical to update your WordPress salts regularly.
7. Frequently update your website and credentials
You should update your WordPress site as soon as new updates are available, although monthly upgrades are also effective. By sticking to a monthly update plan, you can ensure that your site is fully protected and that any new vulnerabilities are patched.
Also, using the same credentials for too long or across numerous accounts poses a significant danger. Update your passwords at least once a month to keep your WordPress site safe.
8. Check the roles and privileges frequently.
Your WordPress site’s user accounts are just as significant as the admin account. A hacker can infect your site, raise their role privileges, and even lock you out of your site if they gain access to any account.
Ensure that each user on the site has only the permissions required and that old user accounts are removed. Also, check for any user rights that have been escalated without your consent; this could indicate infection.
9. Limit login attempts
We’ve already discussed the need to limit login attempts. Unfortunately, WordPress allows for unlimited login attempts by default, making it easy for hackers to use brute force assaults to access your WordPress account. Using a security plugin like MalCare or adding custom code to your function.php file is the easiest way to limit login attempts.
10. Invest in a strong firewall
A firewall safeguards your WordPress site by filtering hazardous traffic and preventing most attacks from infecting it. Network firewalls, Web application firewalls, and cloud-based firewalls are all firewalls.
A powerful web application firewall, such as MalCare, will allow you to filter web traffic and block visitors based on their geographic location or the number of failed attempts.
Read: 5 Best WordPress Security Service Providers Of 2023
Choose the best WordPress security services!
While the checklist above is not a complete list, it is a basic level of security. Protection is the beginning of the process, but monitoring your website is essential. Unfortunately, many website owners don’t have the time or awareness. Hence, we at Seahawk offer the best WordPress security services full of potential. Please refer to the same here.
