Top 8 Measures to Improve the Security of Your WordPress Site
While WordPress hosting is Ideal, there are a few WordPress plugin security concerns that you should be aware of when managing your WordPress (WP) website. In this article, we will discuss measures to avoid being hacked.
It is primarily the company's responsibility to keep a plugin secure. However, there are a few steps you can take to ensure that your plugins aren't weak The suggestions below will assist you in avoiding the worst-case scenario.
Choose your plugins carefully.
When choosing WP plugins, keep a healthy dose of suspicion in mind. Do your research and look through the developer's track record. Before you buy, read user reviews and check the rating scores. Pay attention to the number of active installs — it might reveal a lot about the plugin's dependability. It's also a good idea to check up the plugin's name on Google to see whether it's been hacked in the past. If at all feasible, find the tools you require from the official WordPress Plugins Directory.
Disable user enumeration.
Consider using your site's.htaccess file to disable WordPress username enumeration. As a result, attackers will have a harder time getting a list of users and probing each account for flaws.
Use the most recent WordPress version.
WordPress versions that are out-of-date may contain flaws that allow attackers to get access. Crooks can then affect all of your site's components, which would include specific plugins, from there. Although site takeovers via vulnerable plugins occur in the opposite order, preventing either scenario is in your best interest.
Do not authorize every User.
Authorized users should not be granted greater privileges than they require. It's best not to give everyone the admin or editor role. If a single user account is hacked, you don't want the rest of the website to be hacked as well.
Access to the PHP files of plugins must be restricted.
Competent attackers may attempt to exploit WP plugin PHP files by making bogus HTTP or GET/POST requests to them. Malefactors may use these techniques to circumvent security features such as authentication and input validation checks. As a result, it's a good idea to create rules that respond to such requests with an error page.
Update your plugins regularly.
This is the most important one. Even if a company quickly recognizes a security flaw in their product and issues a patch, you will not be protected until you update the plugin.
Use a security plugin if you want to be extra safe.
Although it may seem like a no-brainer to protect your plugins with a security plugin, this is an incredibly powerful defensive method that will protect your complete WordPress setup. These programs can check your website for malware, known vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations that cybercriminals could exploit.
Safe Password Practices should be implemented.
You may avoid a single point of failure by following proper authentication hygiene (SPOF). Passwords are keys that allow you to access various portions of your website. Make it hard to guess and difficult to brute-force. Use CAPTCHA to authenticate your users.
These are the most common WordPress security precautions to be aware of when managing or developing with WordPress. There are other procedures to follow, but these are the most typical ones in my experience. Hopefully, this post has brought those measures to your attention.