Protect Your Computer, Avoid Being a Risk Factor

What does your computer have to do with your website, you might wonder? Simple: If you browse your website or upload data to it when your computer is infected with a virus or other malware, those files can infect your website as well. You avoid this, be sure to do the following:

• Use a VPN or avoid utilizing public wifi networks to visit your site.
• Install and keep up-to-date antivirus and firewall software.
• Check your operating system for viruses and malware regularly.
• Update your operating system as well as any other critical applications (such as your web browser)

Build a Safe Foundation with a Trustworthy Host

Your hosting business is generally the first barrier hackers must overcome to gain access to your website. As a result, the first step in safeguarding your WordPress website is to find a hosting firm that takes necessary security precautions. This includes the newest versions of PHP, MySQL, and Apache, as well as a firewall and security monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also, be sure they have SFTP or SSH connections rather than the less secure FTP. Additionally, look for a hosting business that does daily backups and virus checks regularly. You may also locate hosting businesses that use a variety of DDoS defenses. Also, see what your hosting firm has to offer in terms of assistance in recovering hacked websites.

Migrate with end to end rendering with static headless wordpress themes to decrease website loading time. Use API configuration for bring backend data instant on the front end.

Using Strong Passwords

Passwords are one of any website’s weak points. Fortunately, they are also something over which you have control. Use strong passwords for the following to keep your WordPress website secure:

• Your user account
• FTP accounts
• The WordPress database
• Your hosting account
• Email address
• Everything else that is connected with your site

Also, update your passwords regularly. If you’re having trouble coming up with a strong password, you may use a password generator to help you out.

Apply for Minimal User Permissions, Reduce Third-Party Risk

It’s not just about your passwords, though; it’s also about the passwords of other users on your site. To reduce the risk they pose, be certain that everyone has clearance to do just what they need to do. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with WordPress user roles so you know what they do and what each one can perform. Furthermore, it is standard WordPress security practice to provide temporary permissions and then withdraw them. You may accomplish this easily by switching user roles in the Users menu and then switching back once the individual has completed their task. 

Restrict default admin Username

The default username in WordPress used to be admin, and many website owners never bothered to change it. As a result, when hackers try to break into your site, the first login they normally try is admin. They just need to guess the password if that name is present. As a result, you should avoid using that login for your WordPress site.

Post as a Contributor or Editor

Every author profile that publishes something on the site is automatically archived by WordPress. It’s normally found somewhere along the lines of yoursite.com/author/authorname. The concern is that because the author’s login name is printed out in plain text in the URL, this provides potential hackers with one piece of the login information. All they have to do now is guess the password once more. As a result, it’s preferable if the authors who are accessible on your site do not have administrator rights.

Log Out Idle Users and Prevent Third-Party Screw Ups

The second idea is to log out inactive users after a certain amount of time. This function is most likely familiar to you from banking websites. It protects your site from being hacked by being signed in on a public computer or walking away from the screen for an extended period. This is required since your session might be hijacked, allowing hackers to profit from the situation. If you have several users on your website, terminating idle sessions is even more critical. That’s also simple; you can use a plugin like Inactive Logout to accomplish it for you.

Keeping WordPress updated

Out-of-date files are a security issue since they expose your site to vulnerabilities. This applies to both WordPress and its components, such as themes and plugins. They get updates for a purpose, which typically includes security patches. According to WordFence, insecure plugins are the top source of site attacks. You may manually update your website by going to Dashboard > Updates. Always remember to make a backup of your website first. Better still, test the modifications on a staging or development site first, then apply them to the live site after making sure everything is working properly.

Only Use Themes and Plugins From Trustworthy Sources to Avoid Compromising Your Site

One of the most common ways WordPress websites get hacked is through unstable themes and plugins. The first step in reducing the likelihood of this happening is to only utilize extensions from reliable providers. That includes avoiding “free” plugins and themes that have been nulled or torrented. You never know what type of code may be hiding within, aside from depriving engineers of the results of their effort. It’s likely that by posting them to your site, you’re opening backdoors for hackers on your own. Stick to trusted sources like WordPress.org’s theme and plugin directory or reputable premium suppliers.

Use a Backup Service

If you haven’t started backing up your website yet, you should do so immediately. If the worst happens and your site is hacked, a backup system will assist you in restoring your site. Here are several plugins and services that can help you with that:

Backup files and database

There are two pieces to a WordPress website. If you don’t save both of them, you’ll be regretful.

Create a regular schedule

Make backups a habit by scheduling them at regular times. How often you alter things or publish stuff is determined by your site and how frequently you modify things or publish content. Once a week is plenty for a simple brochure website. Once a day, or perhaps more frequently, is plenty for an active blog.

Store the backup files offsite

Make sure your backups are stored on Dropbox, Google Drive, or another comparable service rather than on your server. Otherwise, you risk infecting your backups or losing them along with your files if the server goes down.

Use Safe Server Connections

Finally, as part of WordPress security fundamentals, ensure that you securely connect to your server. FTP is one of the most used techniques to operate a server. This tutorial will also discuss it a couple of times. FTP, on the other hand, has a far safer relative in the form of SFTP, which automatically encrypts traffic between your machine and the server. Use this instead of the unencrypted FTP protocol whenever possible. You run the danger of having your traffic intercepted and spied on if you don’t. You can accomplish this using a decent FTP client like FileZilla.

Prevent Brute Force Attacks

The back end or dashboard is, of course, one of the most crucial and consequently most secure portions of your website. If someone with administrator permissions has access to it, there is nothing they can’t do. Hackers use so-called brute force assaults to try to get in. It means they’ll attempt hundreds or thousands of different login names and password combinations until they find one that works. Let’s look at various approaches to avoid this from happening.

Keep Your Files Secure

In the WordPress dashboard, under Appearance > Theme Editor and Plugins > Plugin Editor, you have access to a file editor by default. Changes to WordPress files may be made straight from the back end here. This might come in helpful if you need to add a line of code fast. However, it also implies that anyone with the appropriate permission level who logs onto your site may view those files, which might have devastating consequences. Add the following code to your wp-config.php file right before where it says “Enable this feature” to disable it.