With every website comes a great concern for its cyber-security. In fact, one of the main reasons for the popularity of WordPress is that it’s very secure. WordPress’s core software is regularly developed and updated so that its users don’t have to face any security issues. But even after that, there are many things you can do to add to that security and it’s always wise to take extra precautions.
So, here is a basic guide on WordPress cyber-security for people who aren’t very tech-savvy and don’t know much about coding.
WordPress Cyber-Security: Basics
Keep up with the updates
As stated above, WordPress core software is regularly maintained and new updates are routinely released. Not only that but the themes and plugins installed on your websites are also updated regularly. These updates not only keep your website running smoothly but are crucial for the security of your website.
So make sure all the elements of your website are up to date.
Secure WordPress hosting
Choosing a good hosting service is important for the security of your website. Choose a service that keeps their server up-to-date (in terms of both software and hardware), constantly monitor their network, and have a recovery plan in case something goes wrong.
While shared hosting is comparatively cheaper, it makes your website more vulnerable because the server resources are shared with other websites.
So, in terms of security, managed WordPress hosting is more preferable because the service provider takes care of the overall maintenance of your website from keeping everything updated to take the security measures.
Use strong passwords
Using strong passwords is very important for the security of your website and here’s why. Weak passwords are easier to break and can leave your website vulnerable to hackers. So make sure you use unique and random passwords for the WordPress admin account, WordPress hosting account, database, and also FTP accounts. Make use of the WP feature that tells you the strength of your password and create strong passwords.
Also, whenever you feel that your password has been compromised in any way, change it ASAP.
User permissions
Only give the user access to your WordPress admin account when it’s necessary. Think about it this way; you wouldn’t give the key to your physical store to anyone unless you trust them completely; the same goes with your website. If you have different authors and team members working on your website, educate yourself on user roles and capabilities in WordPress before giving them access to your website.
Use Plugins
Plugins, when used efficiently, can significantly improve the working and security of your website. There are various plugins available in the market that serve different purposes and you can choose from them as per your requirements. Let’s talk about which categories of plugins help with the security of your website.
The thing is, you can take as many precautions for the security of your website as possible but you can never be 100% sure. And that’s why keeping backups is important. In case anything goes wrong so that you can easily restore your website again.
For this, many WordPress backup plugins (both free and paid) are available out there to choose from. The backups should be saved regularly to a location other than your hosting server.
Next, you need to regularly monitor your website including malware scanning, failed login attempts, etc. so that you would be alerted if there’s a suspicious activity. And for this as well, you can find many WordPress security plugins out there and you should make sure to choose a plugin that provides your website overall security without hindering its performance.
The purpose of a web application firewall (WAF), in simple terms, is to monitor the incoming traffic and block any malicious elements to protect your website. You can find specific plugins to activate WAF on your website. But, many WordPress security plugins also provide a WAF feature.
Conclusion
So, these are a few WordPress cyber-security tips that are easy to implement and doesn’t require any coding. But it’s understandable that even this much can be overwhelming for some. Especially, people running an eCommerce website might be too occupied with their business to focus on these issues. In that case, you can choose and hire a WordPress support company like WP-WIN to maintain your website for you.
We at WP-WIN make sure that your experience at WordPress is as pleasant as possible. We take care of every point that is mentioned above i.e. keeping the themes, plugins, and the core updated, daily backups, daily security scans, etc. In addition to that, we handle database optimization, so that your website works smoothly. Also, we provide live chat support so we’ll be available whenever you need our help.
So, let us worry about the security of your website so that you could focus on what you do best.
