As the world becomes progressively more digital, hackers become even more of a threat. According to estimations, ransomware damage was to reach $5 billion in 2017, and that’s not even half of the total losses caused by cybersecurity breaches. In light of this, investing in solutions that increase your WordPress website security is not only smart but essential.
This matter gets even more pressing when you consider the scandal of mass WordPress hacking in 2017.
The good news is that there are many solutions that can help you get some extra security for this platform.
5 Ways to Increase WordPress Website Security Right Now
1. Ditch the 777 Permissions
777 are the most common WordPress permissions but they leave your server extremely vulnerable to attacks. WordPress itself admits this and advises using a variety of other permission configurations. These include 600, 604, 711, etc. You can learn more from this article on WordPress.org.
2. Consider Changing Your Hosting
Sometimes your biggest risk isn’t slack website security but the server it’s hosted on. This is a common problem for businesses that use shared servers. The only solution is switching to a more reliable hosting service. Otherwise, any security measures you invest in will be wasted as your website will crash anyway.
When looking for good hosts, try to find unbiased assessments of the host’s reliability and security. For example, you can be sure that InMotion is a trustworthy company by their Best Business Hosting recognition as well as A+ BBB ranking, which you can see in the InMotion Hosting review.
You can learn about the exact cybersecurity measures employed by their servers when talking to the customer support service, which is available 24/7.
3. Set Up a 2-Step Authentication
The most basic way to increase your WordPress website security is to change your password frequently and make it hard to crack (use varied registers and symbols).
However, you can take this a step further by adding a 2-step authentication. This means that after entering the required login information you’ll have to enter an additional code, usually sent to your phone.
To add this functionality to a WordPress website use plugins like Google Authenticator or Duo Two-Factor Authentication.
Remember to always keep these and any other plugins you are using up to date in order to ensure the maximum level of security. You also should delete any add-ons, themes, and plugins you aren’t using.
4. Avoid Shady Plugin Libraries
There are over 40,000 plugins for WordPress websites available today. And each and every one of them is a security risk by default. Any add-ons create small ‘backdoors’ that hackers can use. Developers update them regularly to minimize these risks.
However, some plugins and even themes are ‘Trojan horses’ by default. These are most likely to appear at unmonitored public libraries.
There’s no 100% foolproof way of identifying them, so it’s best to avoid any non-official sources altogether. You can easily get themes and plugins with verified security on WordPress.org.
5. Disable Pingbacks and Trackbacks
Trackbacks and pingbacks are default notifications that pop up every time some outside source links to your content. While link-building is good for SEO, these notifications also offer a chance for hackers to get onto your website.
You can disable this feature at Settings > Discussion.