An underrated aspect of brand success is website security as compromised security can lead to disastrous outcomes. Without proper website security, you’ll face data breaches, SEO penalties, potential lawsuits, and reputation damage.
We’re not trying to sound too alarming, but the internet isn’t safe. Too many nefarious actors are out there waiting to be complacent, especially when our website handles sensitive data. That’s why implementing website security should be a top priority for businesses.
Here’s an essential checklist for our WordPress website security. We’re centering on WP sites for this post because WordPress is today’s most popular and widely used website platform.
Why WordPress Security Matters
WordPress dominates the website market, powering close to 40% of all websites. With such a large user base, it’s no surprise that hackers constantly target WordPress sites.
But why do they choose WordPress? It’s a large user base, making it a lucrative target. Also, WordPress is open-source software, meaning that anyone can access and modify the source code. While this allows for flexibility and customization, it also means that hackers can easily identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
Let’s explore why WordPress security matters.
1. Risks of Poor Security
Hackers can sabotage your WP site in countless ways, depending on their objectives. Malware, brute force attacks, and SQL injections are just a few examples. These attacks can result in:
- Website downtime: A hacked website may become inaccessible to visitors, resulting in lost business opportunities.
- Data theft: Hackers can intercept and access sensitive customer data, attracting ruinous repercussions.
- Site Defacement: Defacing involves changing the appearance of a website or altering its content without permission. It can be used to spread propaganda, corrupt information, and further attack other sites.
- Site Deletion: In some cases, hackers may delete your website entirely, making it impossible for you to recover your data or restore your site.
- Malware Distribution: Hackers can use your compromised website to distribute malware, infecting visitors’ devices and damaging their personal data.
2. Impact on SEO
A malicious attack on your website affects your search rankings. The impact depends on the severity of the attack and how quickly you detect and resolve.
Here are some ways in which SEO can be affected by a website hack:
- Blacklisting: Let’s say hackers use your site to distribute malware. That’s way more serious than a downed website. It’s bad that you got hacked, but if your negligence causes others harm, search engines will blacklist your site in a flash.
- Ranking Drops: If hacks make your site slow, inject unrelated links, or deface it, your ranking is going to take a hit. Search engines look for indicators like user experience and trust when determining rank.
- Reputation Damage: If hackers find a way to compromise your site’s security, you can bet that users aren’t safe either. This reputation damage will make people less likely to visit or link to your website, further impacting your SEO efforts.
3. Compliance Issues
WordPress security best practices also involve compliance with certain laws and regulations. Your website must adhere to these standards to protect your business, users, and reputation.
- GDPR exists to protect the personal information of citizens in the European Union (EU). If your site collects data from EU citizens, you need to comply with GDPR requirements.
- PCI DSS Compliance: If your website collects credit card information for transactions, you are required to adhere to PCI DSS, which is mandated to ensure that all sensitive financial information is securely stored and processed.
- HIPAA Compliance is mandatory for organizations handling medical information. HIPAA regulates efforts made to uphold the privacy and security of personal health information.
- ADA Compliance: This federal agency demands that sites be accessible for people with disabilities like visual impairments.
How Can You Tell If a Website Is Secure?
When browsing the internet, always be cautious about the websites you visit. Landing and interacting with an insecure website can put your personal information and online security at risk. Here are some steps you can take to determine if a website is secure:
1. Look for the Lock Icon
A secure website will have a small lock icon next to its URL in the address bar. The small lock signals that the site has a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate.
Sites with SSL certificates encrypt all data transmitted between the site and your browser. It makes it more challenging for hackers to intercept sensitive data like:
- Credit card numbers.
- SSN numbers.
- Residence and business addresses.
- Login credentials.
- Other personal data.
If you don’t see the lock icon, it’s a red flag!
2. Check the URL
The URL of a secure website should start with “https” instead of just “http”. The ‘s’ stands for secure, meaning your site has encryption capabilities so hackers don’t read data that users upload on our site from their browsers.
Some browsers will also highlight the entire URL in green to indicate a secure connection.
3. Use Tools Like Sucuri SiteCheck and Google Safe Browsing
Sucuri SiteCheck scans websites for malware, blacklisting status, website errors, and out-of-date software. It also provides information about the website’s domain registration and SSL certificate.
Google Safe Browsing, from Google, helps identify unsafe websites. You can use their Safe Browsing Status tool to check if a website is currently listed as unsafe.
WordPress Security Best Practices
Checklist for Foundational WP Security Measures
- Regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins. Otherwise, you risk exposing your site to security vulnerabilities.
- Use strong passwords for all admin accounts. Avoid using default usernames such as “admin” or “administrator.”
- Utilize two-factor authentication for additional security. For example, you can use a plugin like Google Authenticator to add an extra layer of protection.
- Limit login attempts to nip brute-force attacks in the bud. You can set up a lockout period or even ban IP addresses that have repeated failed login attempts.
- Install a security plugin to scan your site for malware and monitor suspicious activity. Some popular options are Wordfence, Sucuri, and iThemes Security.
Secure Hosting & Server-Level Protection
Your hosting must be as secure as your content management system (WordPress). It’s your website’s digital home, so ensure it’s safe and sound.
6. Choose a reputable hosting provider that prioritizes security. Look for features like firewalls, malware scanning, and regular backups.
7. Enable SSL/TLS encryption for your website. You want your hosting service to encrypt all data transmitted between your website and its users. Therefore, buy the necessary certificates for HTTPS to ensure your hosting service hides your identity as the site owner.
8. Implement additional server-level security measures such as IP blocking, account isolation, and intrusion detection systems.
9. Regularly back up your website’s data and keep copies in a secure off-site location to help you recover quickly from security breaches or technical issues.
Advanced WordPress Security Tactics
You’re still not failproof after the basics we’ve just listed. There’s more required, but the difficulty level is higher. These security tactics may be more challenging to implement, but they’re crucial for protecting your WordPress site from advanced attacks.
10. Disable File Editing via wp-config.php
Hackers can easily access your site’s dashboard and modify any files by editing the code via the File Editor section in WordPress. Disable file editing so hackers can’t edit any code, even if they access your dashboard.
11. Change Default WP Login URL
The default WordPress login URL is “yoursite.com/wp-admin,” and sneaky hackers know this. They use it to their advantage by trying to brute force your login.
As you know, brute force is when an attacker attempts to login using various username and password combinations until they gain access. They auto-generate hundreds or even thousands of login attempts in minutes.
To prevent this, you can change your default login URL to something more obscure and unpredictable. Make it harder for hackers to find and target your login page.
12. Monitor File Integrity and User Activity Logs
Your next step up the security ladder is regularly monitoring file integrity and user activity logs. These logs can provide valuable information about any unauthorized access or changes made to your system.
File integrity monitoring involves regularly checking the files on your system for any unexpected changes, such as new or modified files. That’s how you detect sneaky malware that may have slipped past your antivirus software.
User activity logs track and document every action taken by users on your system, including:
- Login attempts.
- File transfers.
- Systemic changes.
- Network activity.
This information can help you identify any suspicious or malicious behavior, such as attempts to access sensitive files or unauthorized changes made to system settings.
Everyone can get hacked, but how fast and effectively you respond to the attack is key. The faster you notice an intrusion, the earlier you can contain it and minimize the damage.
Essential WordPress Security Plugins
Covering all the bases can be cumbersome, so delegate some tasks to tools designed specifically for the job. WordPress is open source, so there are countless options for security plugins. Here are a couple of essential WordPress security plugins to get you started:
13. Wordfence Security
Wordfence is a popular and comprehensive security plugin that protects against malware, brute force attacks, and other malicious activity on your website.
It also features a firewall to block suspicious traffic and real-time threat defense updates. Best of all, it scans for known vulnerabilities in themes and plugins.
14. iThemes Security
Formerly known as Better WP Security, iThemes Security offers 30+ features for securing your site.
It features:
- Limiting login attempts.
- Detecting file changes.
- Enforcing strong passwords.
15. Avoid Overloading with Redundant Plugins
Every plugin you install adds more code to your website. The more code you have, the slower your website will be.
Regularly uninstall and delete unnecessary plugins to prevent overload. Additionally, having too many plugins can also increase the risk of conflicts and compatibility issues.
What’s the need to install two plugins that do the same thing?
It’s better to find an all-in-one solution or a plugin with multiple features to replace several individual ones to keep your website lean and efficient.
16. Best Practices for Choosing Plugins
Here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- Read reviews and ratings from other users.
- Check the last update date – outdated plugins aren’t compatible with newer WP versions.
- Look for a support forum or contact information in case you need assistance.
- Consider using popular and frequently updated plugins, as they’re more likely to be reliable.
When to Consider Professional WordPress Security Services
Always consider professional WordPress security services. As long as your website is live, it’s vulnerable to cyber attacks, even with regular backups and security plugins.
Rely on professional WordPress Security services with a solid reputation to secure your website. At Adopt the Web, our managed WordPress hosting is worth the cost because we take care of all your security needs.
We use the WordPress security checklist we just shared to ensure your website is secure at all times.
