Security for WordPress - this is a crucial topic that excites owners of websites based on the most widely used platform in the world. And rightly so, hacking your site can lead to serious losses for your business.
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While WordPress is constantly and purposefully working towards improving security, the fact is that its users are most often the target of malicious hacking attacks. It is important to stress that the reason for this is mainly due to errors and omissions that users themselves make. Therefore, this article will focus on tips that will help you protect your WordPress website. Here's what you need to focus on in 2023 if you haven't already:
1. CREATE MORE SECURITY WITH STRONG PASSWORDS
As it turns out, one of the most common causes of a website security breach is weak passwords of a few digits or lowercase letters. These are easy to crack, so experts are adamant that you should secure yourself with a strong password. It should include at least 10 characters, a combination of random lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Use strong passwords not only for your admin account but also for your email, hosting, and everything related to your website. For added protection, include two-factor authentication, which in addition to your name and password, involves also entering a code sent to another device - usually your mobile phone.
2. DAILY BACKUPS
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Backups are your biggest protection if your website gets hacked, deleted, etc. They allow you to restore the latest version of your site very easily. That's why experts advise even daily backups. This can be done manually, but it takes significantly more time. This is where plugins come to the rescue, and we can do this for you - quickly, easily, and securely.
3. BE SURE TO USE AN SSL CERTIFICATE
An SSL certificate is more than a mandatory step. It is a protocol that encrypts the data transfer between your computer and the browser. This makes it much harder for someone to get hold of sensitive information (such as usernames and passwords) and use it to hack your site. Apart from WordPress security, an SSL certificate can also ensure better rankings for your website since the tech giant Google has stated they will prioritize websites with a valid SSL certificate.
4. LIMIT LOGIN ATTEMPTS
WordPress default settings allow an unlimited number of login attempts. This makes your website extremely vulnerable to so-called brute force attacks, in which malicious hackers attempt to crack your password using various combinations of characters. Limiting the number of login attempts per user could very easily deter this type of attack.
5. DO NOT LEAVE OLD AND UNUSED THEMES OR PLUGINS
Another way to protect yourself is by deleting old and unused plugins or themes. These are vulnerable and could be your weak spot that hackers will exploit. So update the plugins you use, as well as your themes and WordPress version, daily. Some plugins can do it automatically if you don't have the physical time to do it yourself.
Have you experienced security issues with your website or want to protect yourself as much as possible from such attacks? Contact companies that specialize in providing security for WordPress websites. This way, you will be protected, and rest assured the time and investment you have put in will not be in vain.