When it comes to content management systems, WordPress tops the list of the most used one. In fact, 58.8% of all websites use it as their CMS, according to W3Techs.
All in all, that means that 24.8% of all websites are on WordPress hosting. That’s quite a lot, and given its relative ease of use, we can only assume this number will continue to increase over the years.
Given the large amount of WordPress users, it’s no surprise then that the platform is a favorite target of hackers and those with malicious intent. As such, everyone who has their site on WordPress should be vigilant about threats – even when they haven’t happened to your site yet. As they say, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
In order to avoid security issues, here are some WordPress security tips:
#1: Get Your Site Verified with Webmaster Tools
As a site owner, you always want to know what’s going on with your site – both the good and bad. With a Webmaster Tools verified website, you gain access to information that can tell you a lot of useful information for blog improvement: traffic, queries and so on.
Even better, Webmaster Tools has an entire section where you can monitor security issues. Through that panel, you can figure out the problems with your site and address them as soon as possible.
#2: Keep Your WordPress Site Updated
Antivirus software frequently needs updates because of the many threats looming on the internet. The same goes for your WordPress site. The people behind the CMS platform frequently patch security issues and roll out updates to keep the site as secure as possible. And when these updates come around, it’s best to attend to them straightaway rather than wait for things to go really bad.
The three components you need to pay most attention to are the WordPress site itself, plugins and themes. Hackers often times use plugins to do malicious things and it’s best to update as soon as you get a prompt. Themes are also entry points for getting hacked and thus need to be promptly updated.
#3:Be Careful About Which Plugins to Install on Your Site
One great thing about WordPress is the staggering amount of choices you have when it comes to plugins. The sad part is that they open up security holes and other vulnerabilities as well.
As mentioned earlier, lots of security issues stem from plugins and themes. This is why you should check the history of the plugin as well as any changes they have made before installing them on your site.
#4: Perform a Regular Scan on Your WordPress Site
As diligently as you scan your computer for viruses, applying the same vigilance on your WordPress site is necessary to keep it safe and secure. Although there will be days when you come across nothing, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Here are some plugins which can do this for you.
#5: Be Wise About Your Username and Password Combination
Having a good username and password combination is good step towards securing your site. As tempted as you are to use admin as your username, don’t. Although it comes by default, you should change it because continuing to use it just opens your site up to exploitation.
The same goes for your password: don’t go for the easy ones like your birthday or your child’s name. Those are relatively easy to guess these days in a very open web. Go for a combination of letters, numbers and symbols that won’t so easily be guessed.
#6: Summary
WordPress is simple to use and is quite popular. This just means that people wanting to do harm will make every effort to attack it. As such, you need to keep your site protected from the get go, and these tips presented here can help you out.
