Introduction
Websites serve as the main store front to most businesses, non-profit organisations, bloggers, and virtually all forms of online presence. Ensuring their security has always been paramount.
WordPress, as one of the most popular Content Management Systems worldwide, powers a significant portion of the web, and unfortunately with this ubiquity comes increased attacks from cybercriminals.
WordPress security is not just something to consider but is rather a necessity for all website owners who use the platform.
Securing a WordPress website involves a multitude of steps, each significant in its way, to protect against various threats, from malware injections to brute force attacks.The importance of such steps can never be overstated as they collectively ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the data residing on the site and protect the reputation of the website owners.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive WordPress security checklist that you can follow to harden the security posture of your website.
The checklist covers both server-side and client-side components of WordPress security, each containing several best practices and measures to enhance the resilience of your WordPress site against potential cyber threats. The goal being to provide you with a clear path to maximise your WordPress security and maintain a safer online presence.
Whether you are a seasoned WordPress user or just getting started, this guide is intended to provide actionable steps to secure your WordPress site effectively.
Let’s dive in.
The WordPress Security Checklist
Securing your WordPress site is a task that involves multiple layers, each one contributing to the overall security of your online presence.
In the world of website security, remember that no measure is too small. Every step counts towards making your WordPress site secure and reliable. The key is to be consistent and thorough with your security approach, continually adapting and updating your WordPress site security plan in response to the ever evolving landscape of cyber attacks.
This task can be broken down into two major components – server-side security and client-side security. Both of these components are equally important in this checklist.
Server-side security is concerned with securing the environment where your WordPress site is hosted. This includes the possible use of a secure managed cloud server, having firewall protection, frequently updating and patching the Operating System (OS), preventing forced attacks, and ensuring bot protection.
The server-side security also involves supporting the latest PHP version and database version, having an SSL certificate for HTTPS, isolating your website, and using IP whitelisting for secure SSH and SFTP accesses.
In addition, it should include securing your WordPress database and ensuring end-to-end encryption. Last but not least, user management plays a crucial role in controlling access to the server and websites, securing your WordPress hosting service.
On the other hand, client-side security focuses on the aspects of your WordPress site that interacts with the users.
In this instance, it starts with an updated core software and using the .htaccess file to access the wp-admin. Security measures like using a strong password, changing the WordPress default login URL, and limiting login attempts are key to protecting your site from unauthorised access, as well as keeping your WordPress themes and plugins updated and avoiding null ones are also crucial.
It’s recommended to remove your WordPress version and all unused themes and plugins from your site.
Regular backups, using a reputable security plugin, enabling two-factor authentication for logging into wp-admin, and using Google reCaptcha on all the forms, are all part of a robust client-side security strategy. If not required, disabling the RestAPI can also contribute to the security of your WordPress site.
Finally, changing WordPress credentials regularly and using user management for distributed access is recommended for enhancing client-side security.
In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the steps involved in securing the server-side and client-side of your WordPress site, providing a detailed checklist. This will serve as a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the crucial task of securing your WordPress website, protecting it from common security issues, and ensuring a secure website experience for your users.
Server-side Security
Your WordPress site’s server-side security is the first line of defence against cyber threats.
This section will discuss in detail each component of the server-side security checklist, offering a comprehensive guide to lockdown your WordPress website’s server-side security.
Secure Managed Cloud Server
Your hosting service plays a pivotal role in your website’s security. Secure WordPress hosting should offer features such as firewalls, malware scanning, and regular backups. Ensuring that your hosting account is secure and your hosting provider aligns with best practices in the industry is a must.
Choosing a secure managed cloud server is a great option to consider for your WordPress site’s server-side security. This type of server provides a dedicated environment for your WordPress site, which is maintained and monitored by a team of experts. This means that the server’s infrastructure and software are always kept up to date, reducing the potential for vulnerabilities.
Firewall Protection
Firewall protection is another crucial aspect of server-side security. A web application firewall (WAF) can identify and block malicious traffic before it reaches your WordPress site, protecting your site from threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and brute force attacks.
Frequent OS Patching and Updating
Ensuring that the Operating System (OS) of a server is frequently patched and updated is an essential part of maintaining server-side security for WordPress sites. Regular updates will ensure that your system is protected against known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Brute Force Attack Prevention
Brute force attacks, in which an attacker attempts to gain access by trying numerous combinations of usernames and passwords, are a common threat to WordPress sites. Implementing security measures such as limiting login attempts can help prevent such attacks.
Bot Protection
Bots can carry out various malicious activities, such as spamming your site with comments, scraping your content, or even executing brute force attacks. Implementing bot protection measures, like CAPTCHA tests, can help ensure that your WordPress site remains secure.
Latest PHP Version Support
Your WordPress site runs on PHP, and it’s crucial to ensure that your server supports the latest PHP version. To secure WordPress, each update of PHP not only enhances performance but also patches vulnerabilities found in older versions. Access to just one php file can be disastrous.
Latest Database Security and Version Support
Just like with PHP, your WordPress database software also needs to be kept up to date.
Securing your WordPress database involves implementing measures such as changing the default table prefix, regularly backing up the database, and limiting database user permissions.
Outdated database software can become a potential security risk. Regularly updating your database software will ensure that you have the latest security patches and performance improvements.
SSL Certificate for HTTPS
Securing your WordPress site with an SSL certificate is a must-have for every WordPress security checklist. A certificate for SSL encrypts the data transferred between your server and your users, ensuring that sensitive information like login credentials and credit card numbers remain secure.
Website Isolation
Website isolation means that your WordPress site is hosted separately from other sites, ensuring that if another site on the same server is compromised, your WordPress site remains secure.
IP Whitelisting for Secure SSH and SFTP Accesses
IP whitelisting allows only trusted IP addresses to have SSH and SFTP access to your server, reducing the chance of unauthorized access to your server.
End-to-End Encryption
End-to-end encryption ensures that data transferred between your server and your users remains encrypted, making it unintelligible to anyone who might intercept it.
User Management for Controlled Access to the Server and Websites
User management involves setting up strict user permissions, ensuring that each user only has access to what they need to perform their role. This reduces the chance of an accidental breach or misuse of sensitive information.
By diligently following this server-side security checklist, you can significantly enhance the security of your WordPress site, ensuring that your site is well-protected against potential threats.
Client-side Security
Taking steps to secure the client-side of your WordPress site is equally as important as securing the server-side. This section provides a detailed checklist to enhance your WordPress website’s client-side security, thereby making your WordPress secure from potential threats.
Keep the WordPress Core Updated
The core files are the backbone of your WordPress site. Keeping them updated is a critical step in your WordPress security checklist, as updates often contain security patches that fix known vulnerabilities.
This also ensures that you have the latest feature improvements that can protect your WordPress website from vulnerabilities.
You must also ensure that you wp-config file cannot be accessed.
Use the .htaccess Password to Access wp-admin
The wp-admin is the dashboard of your WordPress website and controlling access to it is critical for website security. Using an .htaccess file to password protect the wp-admin directory adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress login page.
The .htaccess file is a server configuration file that can be used to improve your WordPress website’s security. By changing the default WordPress login URL and using the .htaccess password for accessing wp-admin, you can prevent unauthorized access.
Use Strong Passwords
Utilizing strong, unique passwords for your WordPress account is one of the easiest and most effective ways to enhance WordPress security. It’s recommended to use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters to make your password hard to crack.
Using a strong password helps to secure your admin account against forced attacks.
Change the WordPress Default Login URL
Changing the default login URL is a simple but effective way to reduce the risk of attacks. By doing this, you make it harder for attackers to find your login page, thereby limiting login attempts.
Limit Login Attempts
Limiting login attempts is another effective measure to prevent attacks. By doing so, you prevent attackers from making unlimited login attempts to guess your password. Limiting login attempts can make it more difficult for malicious users to gain access to your WordPress website
Update Themes and Plugins
Keeping your themes and plugins updated is a crucial part of your WordPress security checklist. Outdated themes and plugins can have security vulnerabilities, making them a prime target for attackers. If you’re using a WordPress plugin that is no longer maintained, it’s best to replace it with an up-to-date alternative. Outdated plugins can become a security risk over time.
Also, remove unused themes and plugins as they can pose a security risk if they are not regularly updated. It’s best to remove any themes or plugins that you’re not using.
Remove WordPress Version
Removing the WordPress version number from your site can make it harder for attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities specific to your version of WordPress.
Make Frequent Backups
Making frequent backups of your WordPress site can save you in case of a security breach. If your site is compromised, you can restore it to a previous state using your backup.
Use a Reputable Security Plugin
A good security plugin can help you harden your site’s security by providing features such as malware scanning, firewall protection, and more. WordPress Security plugins can help to strengthen your WordPress website’s security.
They provide features like firewall protection, malware scanning, and more. Examples of reputable security plugins include Wordfence, Sucuri, and iThemes Security.
The WordPress security plugins you choose can significantly impact your WordPress website security. These plugins provide a wide range of features that can protect your site from security breaches. From scanning for malicious code to blocking unwanted website traffic, a good security plugin is a must-have for every WordPress site.
Use Two-Factor Authentication for Login into wp-admin
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress login page. Even if someone manages to guess your password, they won’t be able to gain access to your admin account without the second factor.
Use Google reCaptcha on All the Forms
Adding Google reCaptcha to your forms can help protect your WordPress site from spam and abuse, further enhancing your WordPress website’s security.
Disable RestAPI if Not Required
The WordPress REST API can provide valuable functionality, but if you’re not using it, it’s best to disable it to prevent potential security issues.
Change WordPress Credentials Regularly
Regularly changing your WordPress credentials, including your password and secret keys, can help keep your WordPress secure.
Remember, every WordPress installation may have different requirements and challenges, so these guidelines should be adapted to your specific needs. WordPress security is a continuous process that requires regular attention and maintenance to ensure that your WordPress site remains
Conclusion
Securing your WordPress website involves numerous strategies, with the WordPress security checklist serving as an excellent starting point. From using a reputable security plugin to limiting login attempts, implementing this checklist significantly enhances your WordPress website’s security.
Regularly updating your WordPress installation, PHP files, themes, and plugins is also fundamental. This ensures you have the latest security patches to prevent WordPress security issues. Avoid using outdated WordPress versions as they can expose your site to vulnerabilities.
You should also make certain that your WordPress login page is secure. Changing the default username and password for your admin account, using a strong .htaccess file, and limiting login attempts can all help to protect your WordPress administrator account from unauthorized access. Enabling two-factor authentication is another effective way to secure your WordPress login.
Be sure to secure your WordPress website’s wp-config file, disable directory browsing, and manage your file permissions correctly. If you’re not using the WordPress REST API, disabling it can help to improve your site security.
Securing your WordPress website is not a one-time task but a continuous process. It’s essential to stay updated on the latest WordPress security practices and to keep your WordPress up to date.
With the right precautions and regular maintenance, you can maintain robust security for your WordPress website, protecting it from potential threats and providing a safe and reliable experience for your WordPress users.