10 Essential Tweaks to Enhance Your WordPress Website Security

WordPress website security is crucial, as a single hack can compromise everything you’ve built. Most security measures focus on safeguarding the admin panel, the gateway to your website’s backend. Beyond this, additional steps can be taken to secure the core files that define your site.

Here at  Wp peoples  , a leading WordPress theme builder, let’s explore 10 essential tweaks to strengthen your WordPress website’s security. While you may not implement all these methods simultaneously, you’ll discover versatile options to protect your online presence. Don’t forget to check out top WordPress firewall plugins, security plugins, comparisons like Sucuri vs. Cloudflare, and premium CDN services to further enhance your security.

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication for Login

If a hacker bypasses the initial authentication layer, the second verification level can stop them. While it adds an extra step for you and your users, the enhanced security is worth the effort. Popular two-factor authentication plugins include Forty two, PassQi mFactor, Rublon Two-Factor Authentication, Launch Key, and SnapID.

2. Hide Your WordPress Directories

No one but you should be able to see your WordPress directories. You can keep them from being listed. You are going to make this change in your .htaccess file by imputing: [box title=””]Options All -indexes[/box] See number 10 in this list for tips on editing your. Htaccess file.  

3. Download a Plugin that Tracks Site Changes and Logins

Two highly effective plugins can help bolster your website’s security: WP Security Audit Log and Sucuri Security. WP Security Audit Log provides detailed tracking of all changes made to your website. By reviewing its change log, you can ensure that only authorized administrators are making modifications. If you detect unusual activity, you can immediately update your password and implement additional security measures to safeguard your site. Sucuri Security monitors login activity, making it easier to identify unauthorized access attempts. Unusual logins can serve as a warning sign of a potential breach, prompting you to tighten your website’s defenses promptly. Both plugins offer powerful tools to help you monitor and protect your website effectively.

4. Don’t House All of Your Sites on the Same Server

  While hosting all your websites on the same server may seem convenient, it poses a significant security risk. A single compromised website can give hackers access to all others hosted on the same server. If hosting on the same server is unavoidable, keeping the databases separate is crucial. This setup ensures the others remain secure even if one site is breached. However, this decision must be made during your website’s initial planning and setup to ensure proper configuration and protection.  

5. Backup the Website Outside Your Web Server

While your website is typically backed up on the server, creating an additional backup on your personal computer or another secure device is wise. This ensures you have a separate backup file in case of unexpected server issues or malicious attacks that could compromise your site and its data.

The last thing you want is to lose everything due to a hacker turning off your site or a server failure wiping out your content. Maintaining an independent backup adds an extra layer of protection to your WordPress site.

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6. Shoot for SFTP if You Use FTP

When uploading your website to the Internet using FTP, it is crucial to use the most secure connection. SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) offers enhanced security by encrypting your data during transfer. When choosing a web hosting provider, ensure they offer SFTP support for secure file transfers. This feature can be a key factor in ensuring the safety of your website and may significantly influence your choice of a reliable hosting service.  

7. Enhance wp-admin Security with Obscure Login URLs.

Securing your WordPress admin panel is essential to protect your website from unauthorized access. By default, anyone can attempt to log in by appending /wp-admin to your site’s URL—a fact that hackers are well aware of. To counter this, you can use plugins like Stealth Login to create a custom, unique URL for your login page. This allows you to obscure access and make it significantly harder for intruders to locate your login page, enhancing the overall security of your site.

8. Limit Login Attempts

Hackers often attempt to guess your password using automated scripts, and sometimes, they succeed. Restricting the number of login attempts allowed is a highly effective method to prevent this threat. This can be done directly from the settings in your admin panel, or by installing a plugin like Limit Login Attempts. This plugin locks out users after a specified number of failed login attempts, and you can even set a duration for the lockout. This feature adds a layer of security to your admin panel, making it much harder for unauthorized users to gain access.  

9. Use Secure SSL Login Pages

You can log into your admin panel using an SSL-encrypted channel. Your web host might have shared an SSL certificate with you, or you may have already purchased one. Once you’ve confirmed that you can log in securely using SSL, you can add the following code to your wp-config.php file: define( ‘Force_SSL_Admin’, true); When you log in via a secure login page, you will notice that the URL in the address bar starts with HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://. You can download the Admin SSL plugin if you prefer not to modify the wp-config.php file and use WordPress version 2.7 or higher. When activated, this plugin enforces SSL across all pages of your website.  

Effective Methods to Secure Your Website Using the .htaccess File

There are several ways to secure your WordPress site using the .htaccess file, but you want to ensure it’s placed where you have access only. And whatever you do, always back up your current .htaccess file in case you need to revert to it at any time. If you’re using an operating system that doesn’t allow you to create a .htaccess file, here’s a solution:
  • Always back up your current .htaccess file before making any changes (this is essential).
  • Use a text editor like Notepad to write the code in plain text format.
  • Ensure the file is saved as a .txt file.
  • Upload the file to your website.
  • After uploading, rename the file to .htaccess.
  • Refresh your website each time you make changes so you can easily undo any mistakes if needed.
When securing your site through .htaccess, the first step is to protect the wp-config.php file. You can enhance security by inserting the following code into your .htaccess file: <files wp-config.php>   order allow, deny    deny from all  </files> This ensures that only you can access the wp-config.php file.

Security is Everything

Unfortunately, many individuals engage in hacking activities, seeking to steal valuable information for their gain. As cybercrime becomes more widespread, securing your WordPress website is more crucial than ever. Even if you believe your site isn’t a big target, small operations often make easier targets for hackers due to their vulnerability. You can prevent potential issues and protect yourself by taking proactive security measures. Start by creating your website with Template Toaster, the WordPress theme generator, and explore free WordPress themes to get started.

 

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