How to be a man: Master WordPress Security: Must-Read Tips From The Pros And Secure Your Site For Business
If you’re operating a WordPress site, especially a business site, cybersecurity should be a major concern.
4. Attacks on WordPress sites
WordPress sites are prime candidates for attacks because they serve so much of the world’s web. Fortunately, by knowing WordPress basics and following some cybersecurity best practices, you’ll be able to protect your site and customers better. In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to do to keep your WordPress business site secure and improve your SEO in the process.
Importance of WordPress Website Security to Your Business
More than 40% of the world’s websites are running on WordPress. That is, hackers understand what makes this platform susceptible to run of the mill vulnerabilities. Not to mention – here’s just a few things that could happen if you leave your site unprotected:
- Cyber-attacks revealing your customers details
- Loss of customer trust
- Slow site speed with low SEO ranking
- You may have downtime, costing you money
It’s worth emphasizing enough that security matters to you, to your customers, and search engines. Google penalizes sites with security problems, so cybersecurity and SEO are two sides of the same coin.
1. Maintain Your WordPress and Plugins Up-to-Date
A simple but crucial step. Security holes are often closed with WordPress updates. The same can be said for plugins and themes. If you sit still, you’re basically just leaving the front door open.
- Always update to the latest version of WordPress core as and when it is released
- Keep your plugins and themes up to date
- Remove plugins/themes you no longer use (they can be a hidden dangers)
Believe me, these updates are a pain in the neck, but they save you a lot of aggravation later.
2. Use Strong Login Practices
Your login page is the equivalent of that armed guard at the castle gate. Hackers will frequently attempt a brute force attack involving thousands of passwords.
Here’s how to add some muscle to your login:
- Complex passwords (Various characters instead of just letters and numbers and symbols)
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) – This provides an additional layer of security.
- Do not use default admin username and change it to something else.
- Restrict login attempts to prevent multiple failed attempts
- Obscure or rename your login URL.
By rendering it difficult to access, you eliminate a big chunk of hacking.
3. Install a Security Plugin
Great WordPress security plugins that work as a bodyguard for your site.
Here’s what they can do:
- Look for Malware and Suspicious Activity
- Block IPs after n failed logins
- Monitor file changes
- Force SSL (secure https connection)
Some plugins even go so far as to provide firewall protection and real time alerts. If you are a WordPress user who is serious about WordPress security then you will want to use a good plugin.
4. Backup Your Site Regularly
Things can still go wrong, even if you’re careful. Your site can get erased or your data corrupted by hacking, server problems or accidental mistake.
So backup your site:
- Set up scheduled backups (daily or weekly)
- Keep backups in a different location (cloud or external drive)
- Test back-ups from time to time and make sure you are able to restore the site quickly
A sound backup plan lets you rest easy and get back up and running fast when disaster strikes.
5. Keep your website HTTPS-friendly
SSL certificate Your visitors will interact with your website, And then, an SSL certificate simply encodes the communication between the visitor browser and your website. Without it, hackers can sniff out delicate data such as passwords or payment information.
How can switching my site to HTTPS help me?
- Visitors have more confidence in your website
- Google ranks HTTPS sites higher than others
- Payments and data transfers remain secure
Nowadays quite a few hosts are also providing SSL certificates for free. If you don’t already, get one in place yesterday.
6. Secure to WordPress for SEO
Security isn’t only an issue of the defense, but also has a direct influence on your SEO.
To improve both:
- Ensure that your website loads quickly (security plugins should not slow down your site)
- Fix broken links and do not use the plugins/themes which are not needed to prevent attack.
- Leverage security headers to mitigate clickjacking and XSS attacks
- Check often for malware that could damage your rankings
- Implement robust content security policies (CSP) to halt malicious scripts
Google favors secure, fast, and well-organized websites. It’s a win-win — you enjoy safety and improved search rankings.
7. Follow User Roles and Permissions
If you run the website as part of your team, it’s important to manage permissions. Issuing everyone admin rights is frowned upon.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Each user must have the least role needed(predictions statuses, roles)
- Editors and contributors should not be able to install plugins, nor should they be able to alter important settings
- Perform periodic audit against user accounts and remove any inactive ones
- Use activity logs to keep track of what users are doing on the site
This way, you minimize the risk of insider threats and accidental site damage.
8. Secure a WordPress Installation
From the simple settings, you can add an additional layer of security by hardening your install.
Some easy ones could be:
- Disable file editing from the dashboard (Hackers can’t insert Code)
- Block XML-RPC if you don’t use if (helps against brute force and DDoS attacks)
- Apply proper file permissions to prevent unauthorized modifications
- Disable directory browsing so that hackers can’t view your folders and files
You don’t even have to be a developer to do a lot of these — they’re mostly just tweaking a setting here or adding a line to a config file there.
9. Learn along with your team.
Security is an ongoing game. New threats emerge constantly, and the more informed you are, the more quickly you can respond.
Try these habits:
- Sign up for WordPress security mailing lists
- Subscribe to cybersecurity blogs/communities
- Conduct periodic training with your staff about phishing attacks, and safe online habits
- Regularly check in on your site’s security every couple of months
Each person who engages with the website has a part to play in protecting it.
Final Thoughts
Securing your WordPress business website is not an onetime thing but an ongoing job. First, update everything, lock down your login and back up your data. Then it’s all about adding more layers of protection with security plugins and hardening measures.
I repeat a secure website will contribute to your reputation and bring you greater SEO. The secure aspect of your site, the better that it performs in search—so cybersecurity is a part of your smart business strategy.
So you want to scale online, but this is why cybersecurity for WordPress should always be step one. Do these today to protect your platform and the safety of your business as well as of your customers.
