Getting a website up and running, whether it is for online sales, blogging, or an online portfolio, is challenging enough. Add any significant security complications to that, and it’s a recipe for a day (or month) ruined. Unfortunately, this is the reality when it comes to WordPress sites. The platform is so popular that hackers are on a lookout for vulnerabilities and ways to attack WP sites. Here’s what WordPress owners can do about it, thanks to some incredible plugins.
WordPress, for all its power and convenience, has its share of security issues: from brute force attacks at the end of 2018 to backdoor attacks that have been ongoing for months in 2019. And this has been going on for years, creating a lot of troubles for WordPress site owners.
But that isn’t enough for users who need to keep their websites safe — especially when it’s their primary source of income. So, developers have come up with plugins that provide deep layers of defense for site owners.
Of course, employing other security measures is still important too. WordPress site owners should enable two-factor authentication, connect to the site via a VPN, and use a password manager, amongst other things. Plugins are great, but they shouldn’t be the entirety of one’s website security.
1. WP Login Lockdown
WP Login Lockdown is a highly useful plugin for WordPress websites that helps prevent brute force attacks on the login page. This plugin limits the number of login attempts that can be made within a specific period and locks out users who exceed these limits. It also logs all failed login attempts, providing valuable information for site owners to analyze and address potential security threats. With the increasing number of cyber attacks, it is important to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to secure your website. By using WP Login Lockdown, website owners can add an extra layer of protection to their login page and prevent unauthorized access to their website.
2. WP Force SSL
WP Force SSL, on the other hand, is a security plugin that ensures all traffic to and from a website is encrypted using SSL. SSL is the most commonly used security protocol for websites, and it is recommended to use a security certificate whenever personal information needs to be transmitted between the website and the database or web server. This is especially important as cybercriminals are always looking for ways to capture sensitive information and use it to gain unauthorized access to a website or user accounts. By implementing WP Force SSL, website owners can ensure that their website traffic is encrypted, reducing the risk of interception or data theft by malicious actors.
3. WebARX
One of the most significant issues that WordPress has is the vulnerabilities created through plugins. But it’s not exactly possible to run a site without them. So WebARX is a plugin that monitors the other plugins for vulnerabilities. It may sound strange, but it is quite a robust security tool.
The plugin has a bunch of different monitoring options. It allows site owners to keep track of precisely what they need to know. WebARX also has a state-of-the-art Web Application Firewall. It blocks brute-force attacks, botnets, and other hacking attempts.
4. WordFence
WordFence is the most well-known WordPress security plugin. And there’s little need for guessing why. WordFence is a great solution for making sure site visitors are playing nice. It allows the owner or admin to check their traffic in real-time and to block threats and malicious networks. It’s even possible to block traffic from an entire country, if necessary.
Like WebARX, this plugin sets up a secure firewall to block brute-force and botnet attacks. WordFence also scans for malware and known PHP backdoors. Even better, it can browse through the posts and comments for malicious-looking code. If the plugin finds anything suspicious, the site owner is first to know.
5. Sucuri Security
Noteworthy security company Sucuri has their very own WordPress security plugin. It comes with all the bells and whistles. Sucuri Security plugin has file integrity monitoring and an application-based firewall. It also does blacklist monitoring using advanced databases from security companies and Google.
What’s more, the Sucuri plugin does a regular malware scan. The team at Securi also works to remove any malware infestations if they occur. For an extra few bucks, of course.
6. Jetpack
Automattic created the enormous (but amazing!) Jetpack plugin that comes chock full of handy features. It has plenty of non-security components designed to help site owners gain control. But the security features are excellent too. It filters spam, upgrades the login to a more secure version, and scans for malware. Moreover, the plugin offers a downtime scanner and site backup option. Jetpack protects against brute-force attacks as well.
7. BulletProof Security
Things don’t get much more comfortable (or more secure) for security-minded WP site owners than BulletProof. As the name suggests, it keeps out most of the popular forms of attack. The plugin updates its databases to keep up with new known vulnerabilities.
BulletProof Security also offers login monitoring, limiting failed attempts, and even logging out any idle sessions. Best of all? It’s super easy to set up.
Conclusion: Plugging Security Holes
Most of these plugin options offer a free version that does a lot of what most WordPress owners will need. Premium plans are available too, packed with more advanced features. Make sure to check out the advanced features and get some of them if necessary. Free is always great, but there’s no reason not to pay a bit extra for better security. In the end, it still costs less to pay for cybersecurity than the consequences of cyberattacks.