WordPress Security
Everyone knows that WordPress is a popular and powerful platform for websites.
However, it is also an attractive target for hackers looking to take down sites or steal information from them.
The good news is there are some easy steps you can take to keep your site safe. Here are three of the most important things you need to do:
1. Keep Your Site Up to Date
Keeping your WordPress site updated is not only essential for security, but also to make it more secure. New vulnerabilities are discovered in WordPress and its plugins and themes on a regular basis, so if your site is out of date, it is at risk.
Cyber-criminals actively search for outdated sites they can attack; you want to be one step ahead of them by keeping your website up-to-date. This includes updating plugins, themes, and the WordPress software itself!
**Make a note though, you should always backup your website before you update any plugins, themes, or WordPress itself.
2. Use Strong Passwords
Second only to out-of-date installations when it comes to inviting hackers, weak passwords are regularly exploited with a technique called a “brute force” attack. Simply put, the hacker sets up a computer program that repeatedly attempts to log into your site using thousands of commonly used passwords and words from dictionaries.
This type of vulnerability can be easily avoided simply by choosing good passwords. Ideally, your passwords should:
- Protect your passwords with these tips:
- They must be longer than 12 characters. This includes symbols and numbers!
- Never use the same password for more than one site. If you're forgetful, write down all of your passwords in a notebook or on a piece of paper that can only be accessed if it's locked away in a safe space like an office desk drawer.
- Avoid sending them by email if possible to avoid cybercrime.
Also, consider using a password manager such as LastPass to generate and securely store good, strong passwords. You’ll never have to worry about remembering your passwords, and you’ll greatly reduce your risk of being hacked.
3. Be Smart About Your Hosting
Unlimited domains! Unlimited space! Unlimited bandwidth! And all for around $8 per month. You’ve probably seen the claims and may even have a hosting account with one of these companies.
Here’s the problem. This type of shared hosting is inexpensive only because they overload their servers with thousands of websites. Just as close proximity in crowded classrooms allows human viruses to quickly spread, close proximity of websites on a shared server means one infected site is a risk to all the others.
You know your website needs to be secure. You also know that hosting prices can add up quickly, but the cheapest option is not always the best option. If you're looking for a safe solution, why not take advantage of hosting services that allow you to isolate each site on its own cPanel? With this setup, there will never be any security risks with your website because all sensitive information will remain separate from other sites.
Rather than looking for the least expensive (and riskiest) hosting option, choose a host that allows you to isolate each site on its own cPanel doing so will greatly improve the security of your website