Did you know that hackers can use WordPress security vulnerabilities to access your WordPress website and steal sensitive information, like your company’s financial records, personal credentials, email addresses, contact lists, and more?
Right now, is probably the most dangerous time for WordPress website owners to be unaware of what’s going on with their website security.
Hacking has become one of the most common WordPress problems for website owners, with over 70% of sites being vulnerable to hacker attacks.
As a site owner, you have a responsibility to ensure that you secure your WordPress site.
In this article, we’ll explore important questions such as why your website needs to be secured, the best ways to lock it down, and what to do if your WordPress is hacked.
Security is important for all sites, but it is especially vital for WordPress, here’s why:
Here are some stats you need to know:
Is your website hacked? How would you know? Having your WordPress site hacked is the worst thing that can happen.
There are some clear signs to look for. If you see any of these on your WordPress website, you need to act now. The longer you wait, the more damage the hacker can do.
Here are the signs you need to look for to determine if you have been hacked:
There are several basic security measures you can do to secure your WordPress website:
One of the most important things you can do to secure your WordPress website is to keep it up-to-date. WordPress releases new versions of its software regularly to fix security vulnerabilities and patch bugs.
It’s important to update WordPress to the latest version as soon as possible. You can do this by going to the updates page in your WordPress admin area.
Another way to secure your WordPress website is by using a strong password.
The stronger the password the more difficult it will be for hackers to guess, which means that they will have a hard time getting into your account. You should change your password every week to ensure that it is secure.
You can create a strong password by using a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using dictionary words or common phrases.
Words or phrases like “password” or “123456” are easy for hackers to guess.
It’s also a good idea to use a password manager to generate and manage your passwords. A password manager is a software application that stores your passwords in an encrypted format.
This will help you create strong passwords and keep track of them.
There are many WordPress security plugins available that can help to secure your website.
These plugins add additional security measures to your sites, such as two-factor authentication and malware scanning.
By using a security plugin, you can make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your website. More on the plugins below.
A web application firewall (WAP) is a security tool that can help to protect your website from attacks. A WAP inspects incoming traffic and blocks malicious requests.
By using a WAP, you can help to prevent SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting attacks, and other types of attacks.
Another way to secure your WordPress website is to host it in a secure environment. A secure hosting environment is monitored and configured to provide additional security measures.
For example, some hosts offer firewalls, malware scanning, and DDoS protection.
Other hosting providers offer WordPress-specific hosting plans that include enhanced security features. These plans can help to keep your website safe from attacks.
It’s important to regularly back up your WordPress website in case it is hacked or experiences a technical issue.
By backing up your website, you can restore it to a previous version if something goes wrong. Also, if your website is hacked, you can use a backup to restore it to a clean version.
You can back up your WordPress website manually or using a WordPress plugin. There are many plugins available that can help you automate the process of backing up your website.
If you’re serious about securing your WordPress website, you may want to hire a WordPress security expert.
A security expert can help to harden your website against attacks and provide ongoing security monitoring.
They are in charge and responsible for the website’s safety and maintenance.
Some WordPress security experts offer managed WordPress hosting plans that include security features, such as malware scanning and firewalls.
These plans can help to keep your website safe from attacks. Plus, they will fix WordPress website problems quickly.
Your themes and plugins must be secure and up-to-date. Not updating them means that any vulnerabilities present in your software can easily be exploited by hackers who then have access to your entire site.
These types of vulnerabilities could allow them to steal your data, or even hijack your accounts on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
One way you can protect yourself from this sort of attack is by making sure you’re going only to reputable sources when installing plugins or looking for themes.
Is there any support provided? For plugins, you can check this on the WordPress.org support tab. There is also a support tab for free WordPress themes at https://wordpress.com/themes/free.
Check the plugin and theme’s ratings and reviews. People are very open to sharing their experiences.
Take the time to do your research. And if there are many negative reviews or no reviews at all, it may be best to avoid using that plugin or theme.
Another thing you can do is keep tabs on how long it takes for updates on plugins and themes to be released; as soon as a new version comes out, install it right away instead of waiting for months or years before updating it.
When you’re looking for plugins and themes for your WordPress website, it’s important to make sure that they are secure from the start.
It’s a good idea to check the plugin or theme’s website to see if there is any mention of security vulnerabilities. If there are, again best to avoid using that plugin or theme.
Finally, you can use a service like WPScan to fix WordPress issues by scanning your website for plugins and themes that have known security vulnerabilities.
It’s important that you secure your WordPress site. This begins with a proper security audit that will reveal any problems with WordPress, your plugins, or themes.
Auditing WordPress security means going through the security measures that have been put in place to ensure they are adequate and up-to-date to prevent a WordPress hack.
This can be done manually or with the help of a WordPress security plugin.
If you decide to audit your WordPress security manually, you will need to check for common security vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords and unpatched software.
If you want to audit your WordPress security, we recommend hiring a WordPress security expert. A security expert can help to identify any security issues on your website and recommend solutions to fix them.
The cost of securing your WordPress website depends on the size and complexity of your website and the services you use.
If you’re looking for a WordPress security plugin, most plugins are available for free. However, some plugins offer premium plans with additional features.
If you want to hire a WordPress security expert, the cost will vary depending on the expert’s experience and the services they offer.
Always, choose someone that will also maintain your site versus just cleaning up issues once they have already happened.
On average, you can expect to pay $100-$250/hour for WordPress security services to clean a hacked site, while maintenance packages are a lot more affordable and focus on prevention.
The first step is to take your website offline. This means that your website will no longer be accessible to anyone, including the hacker. You can do this by adding a file called “.maintenance” to your website’s root directory.
Once you’ve taken your website offline, you can start the process of cleaning up the hack. This will prevent the hacker from doing any further damage.
Next, you’ll need to clean your website of any malicious code. This can be a difficult and time-consuming process, so we recommend hiring a WordPress security expert to help you.
This step will help to ensure that your website is clean and free of any malicious code.
Finally, you’ll need to secure your WordPress website to prevent the hacker from gaining access again.
This can be done by changing your password, updating your plugins and themes, and adding security plugins.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to clean up a hacked WordPress website, hire a WordPress maintenance company.
A WordPress maintenance company can help to clean up your website, secure it, and keep it running smoothly.
These companies typically offer a monthly or yearly subscription that includes WordPress security, backups, and updates.
They provide peace of mind so you can focus on running your business, knowing that your WordPress website is in good hands. Also, they will help you with WordPress speed optimization.
Some of the best WordPress Maintenance companies are listed below for references:
WP Buffs – Specializes in premium WordPress support for those who are serious website owners. Their pricing structure is based on features versus a general package model.
WP Site Care – Offers a wide range of WordPress maintenance services, from security to performance optimization. They have a team of experts who can help with any WordPress issue.
ManageWP – One of the most popular WordPress maintenance companies. Offers a wide range of WordPress management services. They are known for their excellent customer service and support.
iThemes Security – Another popular WordPress security plugin with over 700,000 installs. iThemes Security offers a variety of features to help secure your WordPress websites, such as two-factor authentication and malware scanning.
Sucuri – A company known for its WordPress security plugin and website firewall. They are the best in terms of website security. Unlike the others, Sucuri also offers a malware removal service.
Wordfence – A WordPress security plugin that offers a wide range of features, including a firewall and malware scanner. They also have a paid security service that can help to secure your website.
BootstrapWP – A WordPress development company that offers a wide range of services, from custom plugin development to performance optimization.
They also offer a monthly maintenance subscription that includes WordPress security and backups.
WP Engine – Also very popular. They offer a wide range of features, including automatic backups and security. They also have a team of experts who can help with any WordPress issue.
As the last point, if you are running an eCommerce shop on your website make sure that you consider WooCommerce security as well.
When it comes to WordPress security, you can never be too careful. By taking the necessary precautions, you can protect your WordPress site from hackers and keep your business running smoothly.
These are only a few of the best WordPress Maintenance companies available, many others offer excellent services as well.
If you’re looking for a WordPress maintenance company, we recommend doing some research to find one that best suits your needs.
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end. This shows that you understand why WordPress security is important. You’ve made a valuable investment in your time today.
You are one of the few that now know what needs to be done in case your site is hacked.
Let’s face it WordPress is a great platform if you do the work upfront to keep it secure.
Don’t forget hackers are always looking for new ways to exploit WordPress websites, so it’s important to secure your WordPress site to prevent them from gaining access. If not, it will cause serious damage to your business.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and carry on the conversation.
What is the biggest security challenge you are facing right now?
