Tag: WordPress security

Everything You Need To Know About WordPress Firewall Security

Posted on by Jay

Website security basically refers to the measures taken to protect a website from potential security threats, such as hacking, data theft, or malware infections. Website security is crucial for protecting sensitive information and ensuring that a website remains accessible to users. The goal of website security is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the website and its data.

Some common security measures of a WordPress website are,

  • Using strong passwords and implementing two-factor authentication
  • Keeping the website and its components (e.g., themes, plugins) up to date
  • Using a reputable web host with built-in security features
  • Implementing an SSL/TLS certificate for encryption
  • Installing a security plugin, such as a firewall or antivirus software
  • Regularly backing up the website’s data
  • Monitoring the website for suspicious activity
  • Educating users on safe browsing practices.

A firewall is a security tool that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. In the context of WordPress website security, a WordPress firewall acts as a barrier between your website and potential security threats, such as hacking attempts, malware infections, or data theft.

Never miss an update from us. Join 10,000+ marketers and leaders.

Here are some of the benefits of using a WordPress firewall for your website security:

  • Protects against hacking attempts: Firewall helps to prevent unauthorized access to your website by blocking malicious traffic & suspicious IP addresses.
  • Prevents malware infections: A WordPress firewall can detect and block malware-infected requests before they reach your website.
  • Increases website speed: By blocking malicious traffic, a WordPress firewall can improve the overall speed and performance of your website.
  • Enhances security: A WordPress firewall provides an additional layer of security to complement other security measures, such as SSL certificates, anti-virus software, and regular backups.
  • Simplifies security management: Many WordPress firewalls come with user-friendly interfaces that make it easy for non-technical users to manage security settings.

What is WordPress Firewalls?

A WordPress firewall is a security tool that helps protect a WordPress website from various online threats, such as hacking attempts, malware, and malicious traffic. It acts as a barrier between the website and the internet, analyzing incoming traffic and blocking any requests that may be harmful to the site.

The firewall helps to prevent unauthorized access, data theft, and other security breaches, making the site more secure and reliable. Some popular WordPress firewalls include Sucuri, Wordfence, and All In One WP Security and Firewall.

Why use WordPress Firewall

Using a WordPress firewall in a website provides several benefits, like;

  • Improved security: A firewall helps to protect the website from various online security threats, such as hacking attempts, malware, and malicious traffic. It acts as an extra layer of security, filtering out harmful traffic and blocking potential attacks before they can cause damage.
  • Protection against attacks: A firewall helps to prevent unauthorized access, data theft, and other security breaches, making the site more secure and reliable.
  • Real-time monitoring: A firewall provides real-time monitoring of incoming traffic and alerts administrators if any suspicious activity is detected.
  • Enhanced website performance: By blocking malicious traffic and reducing the load on the server, a firewall can help improve the overall performance and speed of the website.
  • Easy to install and use: Many WordPress firewall plugins are easy to install and configure, making it simple for website owners to implement this extra layer of security without needing technical expertise.

Therefore, using firewall is a smart and effective way to secure a WordPress website and protect it from potential security threats.

Best WordPress Firewalls

There are many options available for WordPress firewalls, and the best one for a specific website will depend on its unique needs. Here are some popular and well-regarded WordPress firewalls below,

  • Sucuri: A comprehensive security solution that offers a firewall, malware scanning, and website monitoring.
  • Wordfence: A security plugin that includes a firewall, malware scanning, and real-time traffic monitoring.
  • All In One WP Security and Firewall: A security plugin that provides a range of security features, including a firewall, malware scanning, and website optimization.
  • Jetpack Security: A security solution that offers a firewall, automatic backups, and real-time security scanning.
  • IThemes Security: A security plugin that provides a firewall, two-factor authentication, and malware scanning.

These are just a few examples of the many WordPress firewalls available. It’s important to research and compare different options to find the one that best fits your site’s needs and budget.

How to Install a WordPress Firewall on Website

Installing a WordPress firewall on a website typically involves the following steps:

Choose a firewall plugin:

Choose a WordPress firewall plugin that fits the needs of your website. Some popular options include Sucuri, Wordfence, and All in One WP Security and Firewall.

Install the plugin:

Login to the WordPress admin dashboard and go to the “Plugins” section. Click “Add New” and search for the firewall plugin you’ve chosen. Install and activate the plugin.

Configure the plugin:

Once the plugin is installed and activated, navigate to its settings page to configure it according to your preferences. Some plugins may offer default settings that you can use or adjust as needed.

Test the firewall:

After configuring the firewall, test it to make sure it’s working correctly. You can do this by visiting your website and checking for any errors or issues.

Regularly update the plugin:

To ensure the firewall remains effective, it’s important to regularly update the plugin to the latest version. This will help to address any known security vulnerabilities and improve the overall security of your website.

Are you looking for a WordPress Developer

Contact Us

These are the general steps for installing a WordPress firewall. However, the exact steps may vary depending on the specific plugin you choose, so it’s recommended to consult the plugin’s documentation for detailed instructions.

Conclusion

WordPress firewall security is a crucial aspect of maintaining the security of your website. By using a combination of security plugins, server-side security measures, and best practices for website management, you can significantly reduce the risk of your site being hacked or compromised.

Regularly updating your WordPress software, plugins, and themes, and backing up your website regularly can also help ensure that your site remains secure and protected from potential threats.

Security must be taken seriously: a breached website can lead to sensitive data loss, reputational harm, and costly losses.

How To Enhance The Security Of WordPress Website

Posted on by Jay

WordPress is one of the power-packed CMS platforms to develop rich featured websites with lots of plug-in and themes. Regardless to the fact that, It is also one of the most hacked CMS platforms across the web.

WordPress Security is an important part to look for by every website owner. Google has blacklisted more than 10,000 websites each day for malware and around 50,000 websites for phishing every week.

If you want to secure your websites, then you need to pay attention to each WordPress security best practices. 

WordPress infections have increased from 74% in 2016 to 83% in 2017.

Never miss an update from us. Join 10,000+ marketers and leaders.

Security of any website is a big concern for webmasters but the risk of cyber-attack is much higher with WordPress website.

Google has blacklists around 20,000 websites for malware and security issues and WordPress infections have increased from 74% in 2016 Q3 to 83% in 2017.

But still, WordPress is getting popular amongst the competitor CMS platforms.

Now you might be wondering that after such huge possibilities of cyber hack how WordPress is getting more popular day by day?

The answer is pretty simple that, there are no more issues in the original WordPress platform but the problem is with the webmasters who are not updating their websites and not maintaining the security levels of their website.

I have seen many webmasters are neglecting the security of WordPress. This is open source; hacking & malware attacks.

This is partially true because there are lots of golden rules of securities to keep website more secure to overcome hacking and malware but you cannot blame WordPress.

Why WordPress Security Is Important?

As an online business owner, it’s your responsibility to keep safe your website from malware and hackers attack.

A hacked WordPress website can create a large amount of damage to the business revenue and it’s reputation. The hackers can steal all the users passwords, information, install any malicious software into your websites and also distribute malware for your users.

The worst situation is you can get yourself into a stage where you will be paying ransomware to many hackers to get access to your websites.

Because of such threats it has created many serious problems in generating revenue and establishing a good reputation in the market. Your data may be lost or hackers can steal your user information.

So, in such a situation an important question arises in everyone’s mind, is WordPress safe?

You and your WordPress developer have done everything on your website by keeping in mind about the users and target market with lots of hard work.

Finally, your website is ready to go live. But still, there are some security factors you need to check right from the beginning as soon as you make that available on the web.

Here I will share the points of how to secure your WordPress website, to make it 100% safe that helps to escape from online hackers and gain the trust of users

 

Let’s step right in,

1. Limit Login Attempts And Use Of Unique Password

The back-end of WordPress website can easily be accessed by users through its standard login page URL and through that people try to do brute force.

Customized WordPress login page URL with /wp-login.php or /wp-admin/ can limit the login and page interaction.

Lockdown feature prevents repeated brute force attacks with repeated wrong password attempt and notify the unauthorized activity of website and gets the site locked.

A strong password which you have never used before in website gives high security to your online accounts.

The possibility of getting hack is very less with a unique password. So try a unique password with a combination of cases, numbers, and symbols with a recommended length of minimum 12 characters.

2. Use Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a good security step to get full access to the website.

In this case, the user provides login details for two different components and these components may be a regular password followed by a secret question, a secret code, a set of characters, etc. set by the website owner.

3. Replace Username With Email

Log in to your account with email instead of username is the more secured approach. If you are logging in with your username, you can replace that with your email id for more security. Hackers can easily guess the username rather email. Make sure to come up with a new email for your new website for secure login.

 4. Delete Old Plugins And Update Plugins

The chances of brute force attacks are much higher with WordPress Plugins because these are vulnerable.

If you have unused Plugins on your website, then delete these immediately because hackers may hack through the old Plugins easily.

Old and unused Plugins are not secure for your website. Hackers are always searching for weakness and to overcome such situations you need to update your used Plugins regularly.

Updating of Plugins maintain the security level and new features can get available.

5. Don’t Link To Social Sites

For faster login access, you might be using social media platforms to connect your website but this is not secured.

For safe practices, you need to remove social linking because valuable information is passing through your social media platforms.

Keeping them separate can at least make it more likely that security issues with one don’t end up affecting other accounts as well.

6. Install Firewall

For smooth operation and better service, you need to consider the internal and external security of your website.

Firewall prevents potential safety hazards of the website. So it’s better to install the firewall in your system for internal security.

Firewall prevents potential safety hazards of the website. So it’s better to install the firewall in your system for internal security.

A security plugin like FireFall will take care of your websites security, monitor your websites 24×7 and scans the malware in your websites.

7. WP-Admin Directory

The wp-admin directory is the main part of your website and if you lost control over it then you may be lose your entire website.

Secure passwords can save you. As a webmaster, you need to implement the two secure passwords, one for login page and another for admin areas.

If the website users are required to get access to some particular parts of the wp-admin, you may unblock those parts while locking the rest.

8. Use SSL (Secure Socket Layer)

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is another way to increase the security level of WordPress website. SSL helps in safe data transfer between the server and user browser.

This is one of the strong securities which not only helps in secure data transfer but also helps in improvement in ranking on top search engines.

So make sure to purchase this and use this on your website as quickly as possible.

9. Regular Website Backup

Backup helps in quick recovery of your data. All of us we are trying hard to keep our website and data safe with heavy security.

But we MUST NOT forget the backup data of the website. Keeping the backup of website data should be a regular practices since this can save you from disaster by recovering of data.

Hackers do continuously try to hack any website with different methods. There are Plugins which can help you take regular backup of the website automatically and keep you safe with quick recovery.

10. Update Your Website Regularly:

Website Hackers don’t always hack any sites by using various methods. There are several plugins that help in taking regular backup of your websites automatically and keep your website safe and do quick recovery.

WordPress being an Open-Source Software is used to regularly maintain and update. WordPress automatically install any kind of minor updates. For any major releases you have to manually update your websites. 

There are  thousands of  themes and plugins for WordPress Websites that can be installed into your websites. These plugins and themes were maintained by the third-party developers that released regular updates .

Hence, by updating your wordPress websites regularly, you can preserve the security and stability of your WordPress websites. You need to make sure that your WordPress Plugins and themes are regularly updated.

11. Safe Server Connection

You know FTP, SFTP, or SSH are the mediums to connect the server. SFTP or SSH is more secure connection comparing to the traditional FTP because FTP has certain security leaks.

I’ve worked with the team at Andolasoft on multiple websites. They are professional, responsive, & easy to work with. I’ve had great experiences & would recommend their services to anyone.

Ruthie Miller, Sr. Mktg. Specialist

Salesforce, Houston, Texas

LEARN MORE

Safe and secure file transfer always good for the website. You hosting provider might handle this server part otherwise you would need to do it manually.

Over to You:

Just like in the real life you need to keep your digital assets more secure. Keeping WordPress website secure is the most important things for any webmaster to gather user trust and generate more revenue.

The possibilities of website hack can be prevented with quality security update regularly by the website owner.

There are lots of security measures in WordPress and I have mentioned few of them in this article which will help you a lot.

Appreciate if you would share your valuable ideas and problems with comments so that I will try to reply each of them.

Are you looking for a security audit of your WordPress website to ensure the security? Let’s Discuss