WordPress is definitely one of the most loved CMSs among bloggers – it was estimated that about 8.5% of all websites are WP-powered. WordPress popularity is easily explained: it’s easy to install, easy to use and maintain. What’s more – it has loads of different plugins available at low cost or for free on the web. However, just because you’ve built your website on a reliable CMS like WordPress, doesn’t mean your website will be protected from hackers’ attacks.
Must Read: Why WordPress is Better than other CMS?
Must Read: Official Facebook WordPress Plugin
When it comes to running a dynamic website, there are many things you need to take care yourself. One of these is your website security. Below I’m going to share the most surefire WordPress Security Tips – don’t hesitate to implement some of them to improve your website security.
#1 Select a Reliable Hosting Provider
Security of your website (as well as its overall performance) is equally defined by your web hosting provider and your manual intervention. Solid-rock host is the recipe for success and a good base for a protected website. But if your web host can’t offer the highest security measures, it can be difficult to keep your WP blog protected. Thus, when selecting a company, check its security precautions and other related add-ons.
#2 Use WP Security Plugins
The number of existing WP security plugins is tremendous: you can find both free and paid tools to secure your blog on the WordPress official website. Given the variety of plugins it’s important to select the most appropriate ones for your particular case: when choosing a plugin make sure it won’t overlap or conflict with your other active plugins. In fact, there are two main security plugin types: multifunctional (like ‘Better WP Security’) or specialized (like ‘Limit Login Attempts’).
#3 When Hacked – React!
Whether you’re under brute force attack or you suspect that someone regularly tries to access illegally your admin panel, you shouldn’t procrastinate. The first thing you should do is to contact a specialized web service dealing with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service attack) threat. Let’s say vistnet.com. Just leave the task to the professionals, and they will start acting immediately. On Vistnet, they offer an Emergency protection with free setup for those who’re under attack.
#4 Don’t Share Your Access Data
Even if your web host is reliable, and your WP is stuffed with extra functional security plugins of all shapes and sizes, your website can be hacked. If you give your access data to other people your odds to be hacked increase drastically. Thus, you should never share your credentials. What’s more – it is always recommended to use strong passwords (those containing small and capital letters, rarely used characters, numbers, etc.). Another suggestion is to use a user name different from your real name.
#5 Update Your Website and Keep It Clean
It’s important to keep your website tidy: remove old themes, inactive plugins, suspicious user accounts, etc. When your website is uncluttered you can easily notice vulnerabilities and things that require urgent intervention.
Must Read: Top 10 Google SEO Tips For 2013
About Author
Aleksey is a WP security specialist, a free lance author. Currently he cooperates with http://www.vistnet.com/ – a large web company offering security measures against the DDoS threat. It offers affordable protection plans, and even free setup for those who’re under attack and need emergency protection.
Good practical tips