10 WordPress Security Tips You Need to Know in 2023

10 WordPress security tips to keep your site secure

When performing a regular inspection, there are a few things you should consider. These actions should be reviewed every once in a while to keep you secure.

?We'll concentrate on a few important parts of the site. A website is analogous to the human body in certain ways. When a component fails, the entire system suffers.

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Here's what you should do:

1. Update WordPress regularly

WordPress is upgraded and its security is improved with each new edition. Every time a new version is released, several flaws and vulnerabilities are corrected. Furthermore, if a particularly harmful problem is uncovered, the WordPress core team will address it immediately and impose a new safe version. You will be at risk if you do not upgrade.

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To update WordPress, first navigate to your dashboard. Every time a new version is released, an announcement will appear at the top of the website. Click to update, then the blue "Update Now" button. It simply takes a couple of seconds.

2. Update your themes and plugins

?The same is true with plugins and themes. You should update your existing theme as well as the plugins on your site. This assists you in avoiding vulnerabilities, flaws, and potential security breaches.

Certain plugins, like other software products, may be compromised or have security flaws identified in them from time to time. Plugins like as Ninja Forms and WooCommerce, for example, have already encountered serious issues.

So, how do you keep your themes and plugins up to date?

Let us begin with the plugins. Go to Plugins / Installed Plugins to get a list of all your plugins. WordPress will notify you if a certain plugin is not up to date:

For example, I have two old plugin versions; all I have to do is click "update now" for each one, and they'll be ready in a few seconds.

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To update your theme, navigate to Appearance / Themes, where you'll see a list of all your installed themes. The obsolete ones will be noted in the same way that plugins were. Simply choose "Update now."

3. Back up your site regularly

Backing up your site is about creating a copy of all the site’s data, and storing it somewhere safe. That way, you can restore the site from that backup copy in case anything bad happens.

To back up your site, you need a plugin. There are lots of?good backup solutions?out here. For example,?Jetpack has some integrated backup features?that are priced affordably. Their backup plans offer daily backups, one-click restores, spam filtering, and a 30-day backup archive.

4. Limit login attempts and change your password often

Allowing limitless username and password tries on your login form is exactly what helps a hacker succeed. If you allow them to attempt an endless number of times, they will finally figure out your login information. The first thing you should do to avoid this is to limit your available efforts.

You can use certain specialized plugins to limit possible login attempts.

5. Install a firewall

Another of my?WordPress security recommendation is about firewalls.

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On your WordPress website ??

Apart from installing a firewall on your computer, you can install security tools right on your WordPress website too. This type of firewall protects your site from viruses, malware, hacker attacks, etc.

Sucuri?does a great job in this regard, and it’s one of the best security services for WordPress out here. It kind of does a bit of everything.

6. Limit user access to your site

?If you are not the only person who has access to your site, use caution while creating new user accounts. Everything should be within your control. Try to limit any form of access to those who do not require it.

?If you have a large number of users, you can restrict their functions and rights. They should only have access to the features that are required to execute their job.

7. Rename your login URL

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By default, the URL you use to log into your dashboard is either?YOURSITE.com/wp-login.php?or?YOURSITE.com/wp-admin.

Now, here’s a?not-so-fun?fact for you:

Those two are also the most accessed URLs by hackers who want to get into your database.

By changing that URL, you reduce your chances of becoming another statistic. It’s a lot harder for a hacker to guess a?custom login URL. In practice, this means that unless you’re some high value target, they would much rather move on to their next potential victim than waste time trying to figure out what your login URL is.

One of the easiest ways to implement this security tip is by using the iThemes Security plugin. You can use it to turn your login URL into something like?YOURSITE.com/I_love_my_site. This is one of those WordPress security tips that’s too simple not to do.

8. Enable security scans

Security scans are performed by specialist software/plugins that check your entire website for anything suspect. If something is discovered, it is promptly deleted. These scanners function similarly to anti-virus software.

?You can utilize the aforementioned Jetpack plugin for a quick and low-cost solution. Aside from backup functions, it also includes daily virus and threat scans with manual resolution (this plan costs $9 per month). You may also use CodeGuard or Sucuri SiteCheck as alternatives.

9. Use SSL

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is an excellent method for encrypting administrative data. SSL secures data flow between the user's browser and the server. An SSL certificate can be obtained in two ways:

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a) Purchase one from a third-party vendor such as RapidSSL.

c) Request one from your hosting provider. This is sometimes included as a bonus in some hosting options. It's conceivable that you can receive one for free, depending on your host.

Pagely hosting, for example, includes free SSL on all tiers.

10. Protect your?wp-config.php

The?wp-config.php?file?is one of the most important files on your site. It also happens to be one of the most vulnerable files on your site.

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Why?

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Because it hosts crucial information and data about your whole WordPress installation. It’s technically the core of your WordPress site. If something bad happens to it, you won’t be able to use your blog normally.

One simple thing you can do is take that?wp-config.php?file, and simply move it one step above your WordPress root directory. Your WordPress site won’t be affected at all by this move, but hackers won’t be able to find it anymore.

Okay, that sums up the list! Is your site protected enough? Do you need any help in

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