Hackers love to try challenging websites and often use brute force attacks to succeed in this endeavor. If you have a WordPress site, you may be worried about your site’s security, especially when you read news claiming that hackers have been targeting WordPress sites with a vengeance. Usually, such concerns should be addressed during the WordPress website development stage, but it is never too late to make your site safer and more secure. You can take simple steps to ensure your site does not become a victim of hacking.
Tips to Prevent Your WordPress Site from Being Hacked:
Strong Password:
When you need to login using a password, it goes without saying that there are hackers around the world who will try and hack such sites. The same holds true for WordPress. So take a second look at your password and ensure that it is not simple. Use a strong password to access your site without going overboard. There is no point in using a password that you will forget. The idea is to make a long password that you can remember but also makes it difficult for hackers to access and use inappropriately. This password should have special characters and numbers to make it difficult for computer programs to use. According to a password testing tool, I’MBriningSxYBack4u is one password that will take a hacking program 364 quintillion years to crack and hack your site. So think along those terms when creating a strong password.
Remove Default Admin User Account:
Admin user account is present by default. So the first step your WordPress development company should take is removing this user and creating a brand new account. Ask the company to create an administrator account for you. Log out of the account and then log in. Delete the default admin user account and use your new account to make posts. You can also transfer existing posts to the new account within a few minutes.
Use Plug-ins to Limit Login Attempts:
If a hacker is trying to hack your WordPress site, he will make multiple attempts before he succeeds. Hence, it is prudent to limit the number of log-in attempts. This can be done using a plug-in. You can lock a person out for about 20 minutes if they fail to log-in after four consecutive attempts. If the person continues log-in attempts, they can be locked out for a period of 24 hours.
Monitor Your Site Security and Fix Lapses:
Get your WordPress development company to monitor your WordPress site’s security and fix any lapses they find. Remember, WordPress is quite commonly used for blogs and websites and this increases its vulnerability. However, WordPres has a free security plug-in called WordFence that can help you monitor and safeguard certain features of your site. Alternatively, you can get additional plug-ins which can be used to fix security issues after a hacking attempt was made or after your site gets hacked.
One of the best ways to prevent hacking of your site is to ensure that you take all the possible measures during the WordPress website development stage. However, even then you need to monitor your site carefully and by following the aforementioned tips, you make your site more secure and prevent it from getting hacked.