If you're a WordPress user and website owner, security should be your top priority. Unfortunately, many hackers have set their sights on WordPress, making it ever more important to secure your site. In this article, we'll uncover the 10 necessary security measures to harden your WordPress website and keep it safe from malicious attacks.


Why WordPress Security is Important

WordPress security is important for a number of reasons. First, WordPress is a popular target for hackers due to its large user base and popularity. This means that if your WordPress site is hacked, it's likely that many other sites will be affected as well. Second, WordPress sites are often used to host sensitive data, such as customer information or confidential business documents. If this data is compromised, it could lead to serious consequences for your business or organization. Finally, WordPress sites can be exploited to send spam or malware to unsuspecting users. This can damage your reputation and cause problems for your hosting provider or ISP.

There are a number of steps you can take to improve the security of your WordPress site. In this article, we'll cover some of the most important measures you should take to keep your site safe from attacks.


1. Keep WordPress Up to Date


WordPress security is something that should be taken seriously. The fact is, WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, which means that it’s also a prime target for hackers.

One of the best ways to keep WordPress secure is to make sure that it’s always up to date. Every time a new version of WordPress is released, it includes security updates and improvements that can help protect your site from vulnerabilities.

So, how do you keep WordPress up to date? It’s actually pretty simple. First, you’ll want to make sure that you have automatic background updates enabled. You can do this by going to the “General Settings” section of your WordPress dashboard and checking the box next to “Enable automation of major WordPress releases.”

If you don’t have automatic background updates enabled, you can still update WordPress manually. To do this, simply log into your WordPress dashboard and go to the “Updates” section. From there, you can click on the “Update Now” button to install the latest version of WordPress.

Remember, keeping WordPress up to date is one of the best ways to keep it secure. So if you haven’t already, be sure to enable automatic background updates or update WordPress manually today.


2. Use a Secure Hosting Provider

There are many secure hosting providers that offer great security features for WordPress websites. Some of the most popular ones include WP Engine, SiteGround, and DreamHost. These providers offer a variety of security features, such as firewalls, malware scanning, and regular security updates.

Choosing a secure hosting provider is one of the most important steps you can take to secure your WordPress website. A good host will have robust security measures in place to protect your site from hackers and other malware. Be sure to do your research to find a reputable and reliable host that can keep your site safe.

3. Install an SSL Certificate

If you're running a WordPress site, it's important to take security seriously. One of the best ways to protect your site is to install an SSL certificate.

An SSL certificate encrypts communication between your website and visitors' web browsers. This helps to keep sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers safe from hackers.

Installing an SSL certificate is easy. You can purchase one from a trusted Certificate Authority like DigiCert or GlobalSign. Once you have your certificate, simply upload it to your WordPress site and activate it.

Your visitors will now be able to access your site securely over https://. Be sure to update any internal links on your site so that they point to the new https:// version of your domain name.

WordPress sites are often targets for hackers because they are popular and relatively easy to break into. By taking some simple security measures like installing an SSL certificate, you can help keep your site safe from attack.

4. Use Unique and Strong Passwords

We all know that we should use strong and unique passwords for our online accounts. But what exactly constitutes a strong password? And how can you make sure that your passwords are truly unique?

Here are some tips for creating strong and unique passwords:

1) Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. A good password should have a mix of all three of these character types. This makes it more difficult for hackers to guess your password.

2) Make your passwords long. The longer your password is, the more difficult it will be to crack. Aim for at least 12 characters.

3) Avoid using obvious words or phrases. Hackers can easily run a dictionary attack to try to guess your password if it's based on a common word or phrase. Make sure your password is not something that could be easily guessed.

4) Use different passwords for different accounts. If one of your passwords is compromised, using different passwords for other accounts helps to ensure that your other accounts remain secure.

5) Use a password manager. A password manager can help you create and keep track of strong and unique passwords for all of your online accounts.


5. Enable Two Factor Authentication

One of the most important WordPress security measures you can take is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your login process by requiring you to enter a second code, in addition to your password, when logging in.

There are many ways to set up 2FA, but we recommend using an app like Authy or Google Authenticator. Once you have one of these apps installed on your phone, setting up 2FA for your WordPress site is easy.

Simply go to the “Security” settings page in your WordPress dashboard and click on the “Enable Two-Factor Authentication” option. Then, follow the instructions on the screen to set up 2FA for your account.

If you’re not using a WordPress security plugin that includes 2FA, we highly recommend adding it to your site today. It’s a simple way to dramatically increase the security of your WordPress site and protect yourself from potential hackers.


6. Limit Login Attempts

There are a number of ways to protect your WordPress site from brute force attacks, but one of the most effective is to limit login attempts. By default, WordPress allows unlimited login attempts, which means that a determined attacker could eventually guess your password.

Limit Login Attempts is a plugin that does exactly what its name suggests: it limits the number of login attempts that can be made in a given period of time. This makes it much harder for an attacker to brute force their way into your site.

There are a number of options you can configure with this plugin, but we recommend setting it to limit login attempts to 5 per hour per IP address. This will give you plenty of time to notice if someone is trying to brute force their way into your site, and will give you time to take corrective action.


7. Monitor Your Website for Strange Activity

It's important to monitor your website for strange activity, as this can be a sign of a security breach. If you see anything unusual, such as unexpected traffic spikes or new user accounts being created, investigate immediately. You should also keep an eye on your website's error logs, as they can sometimes contain clues about potential attacks.


8. Remove Unused Plugins and Themes

Websites are constantly under attack from hackers and malware. One of the best ways to protect your website is to keep your WordPress install up to date. That includes removing any unused plugins and themes.

Unused plugins and themes can provide a backdoor for hackers into your website. By deleting them, you close that potential security hole. It’s also a good idea to delete any themes or plugins you’re not using from your server entirely.

You can do this by going to the “Plugins” section of your WordPress admin area. From there, you can delete any plugin you’re not currently using. The same goes for themes – go to the “Appearance” section and delete any themes you don’t need.


9. Change Database Prefixes

If you're still using the default WordPress database prefix (wp_), it's time for a change. Hackers know this prefix, so it's an easy target. By changing your database prefix, you make it much harder for hackers to gain access to your data.

There are two ways to change your database prefix. The first is to do it manually, which requires some technical knowledge. The second is to use a plugin like WP Database Prefix Changer. We recommend the latter option, as it's much easier and less likely to cause problems.

Once you've changed your database prefix, be sure to update your wp-config.php file accordingly. Failure to do so will result in problems with your website.


10. Use a Firewall

A firewall is one of the most important security measures that you should put in place for your WordPress site. A firewall protects your site from malicious attacks and unwanted traffic. It is a network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

You can either use a plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to add firewall protection to your WordPress site, or you can use a service like CloudFlare which offers both free and paid Firewall plans.

Once you have setup a Firewall, make sure to regularly check its logs to see if there are any suspicious activity happening on your website. If you see anything suspicious, take appropriate action immediately.