With hackers targeting websites for data theft, financial gain, and reputation damage, securing your WordPress site is a necessity. Breaches can lead to severe reputational damage that deters potential customers.
Taking a proactive stance on security is crucial. Instead of reacting to security incidents, by far the most effective strategy is to prevent them. This is where Shield Security PRO comes into play. Designed for WordPress, Shield Security PRO automates your website’s defence, shielding it from common threats and attacks.
Learn how to secure your WordPress site from hackers and keep it reliable for your business and visitors.
Understanding WordPress vulnerabilities
Powering over 40% of the web, WordPress is a prime target for hackers. It has several well-known security vulnerabilities due its open-source nature and extensive ecosystem of plugins and themes. Understanding these vulnerabilities is key to fortifying your site against attacks.
WordPress vulnerabilities:
WordPress vulnerabilities stem from software bugs, weak passwords, outdated themes and plugins, and, often, human error. Many site owners neglect security maintenance like updates and backups, which leaves their sites exposed. Shield Security PRO reduces the risk of breaches by helping enforce strong password policies, and apply updates for vulnerabilities automatically.
The current state of hacking within WordPress:
Many WordPress installations are vulnerable to hacker attacks, with studies indicating that over 70% of WordPress installations are at risk due to outdated software or lack of security measures.
Cybersecurity firms like Sucuri and Wordfence have highlighted a significant increase in automated attacks targeting WordPress sites. These attacks are sophisticated and target known vulnerabilities in outdated themes, plugins, or the core WordPress software.
WordPress hacking is constantly evolving, with hackers using ever-more sophisticated techniques. Fully automated bot attacks have become more advanced and prevalent. Recent statistics show a surge in such attacks, emphasising the need for robust security solutions like Shield Security PRO. Its bad-bot detection and brute force login protection counteract these threats by recognizing and blocking malicious bot activity before they can inflict any damage.
Some vulnerabilities in the WordPress community become infamous due to their severity. A prime example is the TimThumb exploit, which still poses a risk for sites using some outdated themes and plugins. It’s crucial for website owners to stay informed about these persistent vulnerabilities.
In the battle against cyber threats, several strategies can fortify your website’s defences. Let’s look at how you can Shield Security PRO to enforce your site against hackers:
1. Block bots from your website
Automated bots pose a significant threat to WordPress sites, engaging in activities from brute force attacks to spamming. By recognizing patterns and behaviours of malicious bots, Shield Security PRO effectively prevents these threats before they can exploit vulnerabilities.
This is also a valuable tool against brute force attacks. This is a common bot-powered hacking technique, whereby attackers use repeated login attempts to guess passwords. The plugin also lets site owners set a login cooldown period to massively throttle these attacks.
Bots aren’t only used for unauthorised access; they also generate spam. Shield Security PRO prevents bot-powered spam registrations and comments, which, in addition to dragging your site’s reputation down, can also be fonts for phishing attempts. This keeps your site’s interaction areas clean and secure.
2. Improve login security
Securing the entry points to your WordPress site is crucial. Strong login security prevents unauthorised access and safeguards your sensitive information. Shield Security PRO enhances login security in several ways.
Firstly, let’s look at its password policy features: These are essential for protecting illegitimate website access. Shield Security PRO allows administrators to enforce minimum password strength requirements, while also preventing the use of Pwned Passwords (i.e. passwords that have been exposed in earlier data breaches).
Shield Security PRO also allows you to add an extra layer of login security by verifying a user’s identity using a second factor, beyond just a password. Shield Security PRO supports various 2FA methods, including passkeys, phone app-based codes, and email-based verification. Implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) ensures that even if a password falls into the wrong hands, unauthorised access is still blocked without the second verification step.
3. Install a firewall
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a crucial security barrier that monitors, filters, and blocks harmful traffic and hacking attempts before they reach your WordPress website. WAFs serve as gatekeepers, protecting against vulnerabilities that might be exploited by unauthorised users.
While many hosting providers offer built-in firewalls, it’s essential to ensure your site has dedicated firewall protection. Shield Security PRO includes an integrated WAF to safeguard your WordPress site.
4. Regularly scan your site for malware
Regular malware scanning is vital to detect and mitigate threats that may have breached your defences. Shield Security PRO’s MAL{ai} is a cutting-edge, AI-powered, WordPress malware scanner capable of identifying new and evolving malware strains with an impressive success rate.
Frequent, automated scans are essential for maintaining a secure site environment, allowing for early threat detection to minimise damage. Shield Security PRO automates scans and takes immediate actions when threats are detected, like auto-repairing files wherever possible, and alerting administrators. This proactive approach ensures a clean and secure site, reinforcing defences against security breaches.
5. If you find malware, remove it completely
Discovering malware on your website can be alarming, but with Shield Security PRO, the removal process is streamlined and efficient. Upon receiving a malware detection notification, review the details provided about the type of malware. This information is crucial for understanding the threat and deciding on your best response. Shield Security PRO simplifies the cleanup process with its automatic file repair feature, which can restore infected files to their original, malware-free state.
In severe or widespread infections, it’s advisable to hire a professional for complete removal to avoid further damage. Manually cleaning a site involves checking and cleaning files, which can be daunting and risky for novices. For those managing the process manually, further guidance can be found in this comprehensive article on malware removal.
6. Lockdown your site admin
Securing the administrative areas of your WordPress site is essential, and Shield Security PRO provides robust features to ensure they’re protected.
The Security Admin lockdown feature enhances sensitive-area security by limiting access to authorized users only. It allows site owners to block access to many WordPress admin options – including setting restrictions on access to the plugin itself.
Shield Security PRO’s Security Admin section restricts access to critical WordPress dashboard features, guarding against unauthorised changes. Implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) for admin logins further strengthens security. Shield Security PRO supports various 2FA methods, ensuring only verified users can access your site: Even if their passwords are compromised.
7. Keep your site up-to-date
Regular updates to your WordPress site not only brings new features, but also important security patches to mitigate vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.
Shield Security PRO facilitates a smart approach to updates with features that include the option to delay updates, helping avoid potential bugs associated with early updates. This lets you avoid major update-related issues while still reducing the risk of security breaches from known vulnerabilities.
8. Manage your website’s team
Effective team management is crucial for WordPress site security. Every team member with site access must receive security training to understand security risks and necessary steps to prevent them.
Utilising the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) enhances site security by ensuring members have only the necessary access, minimising risk of accidental errors or misuse. Enforcing strict access controls ensures team members’ ability to make changes aligns with their responsibilities.
Optimise your WordPress security with Shield Security PRO today
With the right tools and strategies, you can safeguard your online presence against cyber threats. We’ve explored measures to enhance your website’s security, including blocking harmful bots, implementing robust login protections, and proactively scanning for and removing malware.
Shield Security PRO can help you defend against bad bots, safeguard your admin area, and stay on top of updates, WordPress threats, safeguarding admin areas, defending against bad bots and brute force attacks, and facilitating automatic updates to patch vulnerabilities.Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a more secure website, thanks to Shield Security PRO’s user-friendly, automated security solutions. Fortify your WordPress site today with Shield Security PRO for a more secure digital future.
