Cybersecurity: 7 Tips to Secure Your WordPress Website in 2024

If your business website is using WordPress, WordPress site security to protect your WordPress site should be one of your top priorities. With cyber threats constantly changing, you don’t want to be the next victim of hackers who are going after your data or planning to crash your site. In this article, we’ll take you through these easy wins that will help you secure your WordPress site, enhance your website’s SEO and ensure it is safe for visitors.

Why You Need Security for WordPress – And Why WordPress Security Is A Big Deal For Your Business

WordPress, the web’s backbone

WordPress runs a large percentage of all the websites in the world. It’s flexible. It’s convenient. It’s easy to use, but unfortunately, it’s also one of cyber criminals’ favorite targets. The following schemes can become a consequence of a successful attack:

• Loss of customer trust
• Damage to brand reputation
• Loss of productivity and revenue
• Data breaches
• Penalties from search engines on the SEO side

So, there’s no more ‘optional’ if you want to be… If you want to be like a 21st century person, or a caring professional, or just a caring human being! Protecting your WordPress site isn’t optional anymore. If you want to grow your business online, you need to be on top of security.

Begin by Validating Your WordPress Installation

Don’t even bother with all the fancy security plugins and settings before you ensure your WordPress installation and its components are clean and well validated.

• Check JSON-based configuration or API data on your theme and those plugins (if any) for any suspect JSON syntax. As a well-structured JSON enables your site to interpret the data properly and without errors.
• Check your theme’s functions and plugin files for correct syntax. Mistakes can lead to risks.
• Keep your WordPress versions, themes and plugins up to date. Ancient code is riddled with security holes.

Top Cybersecurity Tips to Keep Your WordPress Site Secure

Follow along for practical, hands-on cybersecurity advice — and if you’re not a coding expert, don’t worry because you can do most of these things even if you know nothing about writing and running code:

1. Use Strong Login Credentials

   • Always use a strong password — at least 12 characters long, mixing letters, numbers and symbols.
   • Don’t use “admin” or your business name as your username.
   • Add a second factor with two-factor authentication (2FA).

2. Limit Login Attempts

   • Limiting login attempts can prevent hackers from trying to guess your password.
   • Install plugins that lock down an IP after few unsuccessful login attempts.

3. Regular WordPress Updates

   • Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins.
   • Additional updates to patch vulnerability.
   • If you can, set automatic updates, so you don’t forget.

4. Secure Your WordPress Hosting

   • Select a hosting provider that is dedicated to WordPress security.
   • Keep an eye out for things like firewalls, malware scanning and daily backups.
   • Make sure your hosting provider provides SSL certificates for secure communication.

5. Use Security Plugins

   • A good security plugin can help you a lot, such as: firewalls, malware scanner, brute force protection.
   • Some of the common ones come with user-friendly dashboards for non-techy users.

6. Implement SSL on Your Website

   • SSL certificate secures the data transmission between your visitor’s browser and your server.
   • This is good for security and for your SEO score.
   • Google prioritizes HTTPS sites in search rankings.

7. Regular Backups

   • Backup your site regularly.
   • Keep backups offsite or consider cloud services.
   • Quick website diagnosis and Recovery: In the event of an infringement, quick site recovery could end up saving your business.

8. Disable File Editing

   • By default WordPress permits editing of files from within the dashboard itself and this can be dangerous.
   • Turn that off to keep hackers from inserting some more evil code, if they ever get to the point where they can execute that function.

9. Use Least Privilege Principle

   • Give users just the permissions they need.
   • Do not grant admin privileges unless necessary.

The SEO Advantages of Having a Secure WordPress Website

It’s not only about preventing hackers: It has become an SEO and user-trust issue.

• Hacked sites or sites that host malware are penalized by Google.
• Secure sites can be cached and should load faster which also helps with user experience and page speed.
• HTTPS is a ranking factor.
• Visitors gain confidence and bounce rates drop means more effective engagement.

So not only are you safeguarding your business data, you are also enhancing your search visibility.

Fast WordPress Security Checklist for Every Business Owner

Here is a simple checklist that you can follow without freaking out:

• Set strong, unique passwords and turn on 2FA
• Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date
• Set up a quality security plugin by installing and configuring it
• Control the number of failed login attempts & have an eye on suspect activity
• Use SSL certificates on your site
• Schedule regular backups and secure them
• Prevent editing files from WordPress dashboard
• Revisit user permissions frequently and restrict as necessary
• Monitor your site’s downtime and performance

If you follow this checklist you will have dramatically reduced your chances of getting hacked.

Wrapping It Up

We’ve talked about a ton of cybersecurity tips for keeping your WordPress site safe. It may sound like a lot, but you start with small ways to help build a culture of security over time. A tech whiz, you don’t need to be to secure your WordPress site, and your online business reputation.

And, you know, security is a process. Continue to learn, know the threats and be proactive, not reactive. Your business depends on it.

Get a BSureWP plan today, watch your business grow securely tomorrow. Your best friend in 2024 and beyond: Cybersecurity tips to secure your WordPress site.