How to Secure Your WordPress Website in 2024

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of securing a WordPress website against common threats like hackers exploiting vulnerabilities. It suggests using a reliable host with SSL, web application firewall, and DDOS protection. Tips include changing the login URL, implementing two-factor authentication, whitelisting IP addresses, and using security and backup plugins. It also advises keeping PHP updated, using strong passwords, and conducting security audits. Advanced techniques like hardening wp-config.php and hiding WordPress version are mentioned. In case of a hack, the script recommends recovery mode, backups, and password resets.

Takeaways

• 🔒 WordPress is a popular target for hackers due to its widespread use, making it crucial to secure your site against potential vulnerabilities.
• 🛡️ A solid website host is essential for WordPress security, offering tools like SSL certificates, web application firewalls, and DDoS protection.
• 🔗 Locking down login credentials is vital; consider changing the login URL, adding two-factor authentication, and limiting login attempts.
• 🔄 Linking your WordPress login to your Google account via plugins can add an extra layer of security by preventing unauthorized access.
• 📋 Whitelisting user IP addresses ensures that only registered users can access your site, even if they've discovered your password.
• 🛠️ Installing security plugins like iThemes Security can help manage two-factor authentication, limit login attempts, schedule backups, and hide your WordPress login.
• 💾 Utilizing backup plugins such as UpdraftPlus is crucial for protecting your site's files and avoiding the need to rebuild WordPress from scratch.
• 🗓️ An activity log plugin like WP Activity Log can help you trace and understand any security incidents that occur on your site.
• 🔄 Keeping PHP updated is important not only for WordPress security but also for optimal site performance.
• 🔄 Regularly updating WordPress, plugins, and themes is essential to patch any security vulnerabilities and maintain site integrity.

Q & A

What are the potential risks associated with running a WordPress website?

The potential risks include hackers exploiting vulnerabilities such as outdated plugins or core files, leading to unauthorized access, malware, and various attacks like back doors, brute force, pharming, denial of service, and cross-site scripting.

Why is WordPress a popular target for hackers?

WordPress is a popular target for hackers because of its widespread use, which attracts nefarious actors looking to exploit its vulnerabilities.

What are some of the consequences of not securing a WordPress website?

Unsecured WordPress sites can face serious consequences like malware, website redirection, unauthorized content addition, Google warnings affecting SERPs, and being locked out of the admin panel.

What are some recommended website hosting options for WordPress security?

Siteground is recommended for beginners, and Cloudways is suggested for more tech-savvy users. Both offer tools like SSL certificates, web application firewalls, SFTP access, DDOS protection, and malware protection.

How can changing the WordPress login URL enhance security?

Changing the login URL from the default '/wp-admin' or '/wp-login' to a custom URL can deter bots and hackers from easily locating and targeting the login page.

What is two-factor authentication and why is it important for WordPress security?

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification during login, making it harder for unauthorized users to gain access even if they have the password.

How can whitelisting user IP addresses improve WordPress site security?

Whitelisting user IP addresses ensures that only registered users from specific IP ranges can access the site, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

What is a security plugin and why is it necessary for a WordPress site?

A security plugin like iThemes Security provides additional features to secure a WordPress site, such as two-factor authentication, login attempt limits, and the ability to hide the WordPress login page.

Why is it important to keep PHP updated on a WordPress site?

Updating PHP not only helps with WordPress security by patching vulnerabilities but also ensures optimal site performance.

What is the role of an SSL certificate in WordPress site security?

An SSL certificate encrypts data between the user's browser and the website, protecting sensitive information and ensuring a secure connection, which is crucial for user trust and site security.

What steps can be taken if a WordPress site has been hacked?

If a site is hacked, steps include putting the site in recovery mode, restoring from a recent backup, resetting passwords, and seeking help from the hosting provider.

Outlines

00:00

🛡️ Securing Your WordPress Website

This paragraph discusses the importance of securing a WordPress website due to its popularity attracting hackers. It highlights the risks such as outdated plugins and core files, and the potential attacks like back doors, brute force, pharming, and denial of service. The paragraph emphasizes the consequences of these attacks, including malware, content manipulation, and Google warnings that can affect SEO. It suggests using a reliable web host with tools like SSL certificates, web application firewalls, SFTP access, DDOS protection, and malware protection. It also recommends locking down login credentials, whitelisting IP addresses, and using security plugins like iThemes Security and backup plugins like UpdraftPlus. Additionally, it mentions the necessity of keeping PHP updated and conducting regular security audits.

Keywords

💡WordPress

WordPress is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) used for creating websites and blogs. It is the foundation of the video's discussion on website security. The script mentions that WordPress's popularity makes it a target for hackers, emphasizing the importance of securing WordPress sites against various threats.

💡Hackers

Hackers are individuals who attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer systems, networks, or websites. In the context of the video, hackers are a significant concern for WordPress site owners because they exploit vulnerabilities to compromise security. The script outlines various methods hackers might use, such as brute force attacks and cross-site scripting.

💡Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities refer to weaknesses in software, systems, or networks that can be exploited by hackers. The video script discusses how outdated plugins or core files in WordPress can be vulnerabilities, making it crucial for site owners to keep their systems up to date and secure.

💡SSL Certificate

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that provides encryption between a web server and a browser. In the script, it is mentioned as a tool for securing WordPress websites by ensuring data privacy and integrity, which is offered by recommended hosting services.

💡Web Application Firewall

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security measure that filters incoming traffic to a web application or website. The video script suggests that WAF is one of the tools provided by certain hosting services to protect WordPress sites from common web exploits.

💡Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security process that requires users to provide two different authentication factors to verify their identity. The script recommends using 2FA for WordPress logins to add an extra layer of security against unauthorized access.

💡Security Plugins

Security plugins are software add-ons designed to enhance the security of a website. The video mentions 'iThemes Security' as an example of a security plugin that can add features like two-factor authentication and limit login attempts, thereby improving the overall security posture of a WordPress site.

💡Backup Plugins

Backup plugins are tools that facilitate the process of creating and managing backups of a website's files and databases. The script suggests using a backup plugin like 'UpdraftPlus' to protect against data loss and to simplify the restoration process in case of a security breach.

💡Activity Log Plugin

An activity log plugin records and tracks user actions and system events on a website. The video script recommends using 'WP Activity Log' to monitor and review actions on a WordPress site, which can be crucial for identifying and addressing security incidents.

💡PHP

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language used to create dynamic web pages. The video script highlights the importance of keeping PHP updated to maintain optimal WordPress security and performance, as outdated PHP versions can introduce security risks.

💡Security Audit

A security audit is a systematic examination of a website's security measures to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security policies. The script encourages conducting occasional security audits as part of maintaining a secure WordPress site.

Highlights

WordPress is a popular target for hackers due to its widespread use.

Outdated plugins and core files can be exploited by nefarious actors to gain unauthorized access.

Hackers may use back doors, brute force attacks, pharming, and denial of service attacks to compromise sites.

Serious consequences of a hack can include malware, website redirection, and loss of access to your own site.

A solid website host is crucial for securing your WordPress site.

Siteground and Cloudways are recommended hosting options for WordPress security.

SSL certificates, web application firewalls, and DDOS protection are essential security tools.

Locking down login credentials is a straightforward way to enhance WordPress security.

Changing the login URL and adding two-factor authentication can deter unauthorized access.

Linking your WordPress login to your Google account adds an extra layer of security.

Whitelisting user IP addresses ensures only registered users can access the site.

Installing security plugins like iThemes Security can add multiple layers of protection.

Backup plugins like UpdraftPlus are crucial for recovering your site in case of a security breach.

Activity log plugins can help identify when and where security issues occurred.

PHP, MySQL, and HTTPS support are fundamental for WordPress to function securely.

Keeping PHP updated is important for both security and optimal site performance.

Using strong passwords, keeping WordPress updated, and installing SSL certificates are basic security practices.

Conducting regular security audits can help identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Advanced security techniques include hardening wp-config.php, changing WordPress salts, and hiding the WordPress version.

If your site gets hacked, steps like putting it in recovery mode and restoring from backups can help.

Hosting providers may offer assistance in recovering from a hack.

Transcripts

let's talk about how to secure your

WordPress website there are several

potential risks to be aware of one of

the biggest concerns is Hackers because

WordPress is so popular it attracts the

attention of nefurious actors who

attempt to exploit vulnerabilities like

outdated plugins or core files to gain

unauthorized access to your site they

can deploy methods such as back doors

launching Brute Force attacks Pharma

attacks denial of service attacks or

cross-site scripting if left unresolved

there can be serious consequences such

as malware forwarding your website to a

completely different one adding content

you're unaware of Google warnings that

can hurt your position in the serps or

Worse being unable to log in to your own

website first and foremost you want to

make sure you have a solid website host

we've talked about different options

before including siteground for

beginners and cloudways for those who

are more tech savvy both options will

hook you up with all the tools you need

to keep your website safe and secure

that includes an SSL certificate web

application firewall SFTP access DDOS

protection and even malware protection

we'll leave a link to both of those

hosts in the description below just know

that we may earn a commission if you use

our links which helps support our team

and all of our ad-free videos another

easy thing you can do to boost your

WordPress Security is to lock down your

login credentials this can be done in

several ways including using a plug-in

to change the login URL from slash WP

admin or slash WP login to something of

your own choosing you can also add

two-factor authentication to your login

and limit login attempts which will help

repel Bots another way to protect your

login is by linking it to your Google

account using the Google apps login for

WordPress plugin once your login is

locked down you should whitelist your

users IP addresses this will ensure that

only registered user can get in even if

they have managed to figure out your

password another very useful thing you

can do is to install a good security

plug-in such as ifeem security it'll

allow you to add the two-factor

authentication limit the login attempts

schedule backups and even hide your

WordPress login in addition to a

WordPress security plugin consider

installing a good backup plugin like

updraft plus if your host doesn't offer

backups a backup plugin protects you

from losing your site's files helping

you to avoid rebuilding WordPress from

scratch you can easily restore your site

with little effort if something goes

wrong finally incorporating an activity

log plugin like WP activity log will

allow you to pinpoint what went wrong

and when quick reminder I'm going to

leave a link to everything I'm

mentioning in the description below so

if you're lost or you want to find what

I just talked about go ahead and check

out the description WordPress requires

three things to work correctly p PHP

MySQL and https support PHP or hypertext

preprocessor is a popular open source

scripting language used in web

development and it just so happens to be

the backbone of Wordpress and like

WordPress being open source leaves it

open for malicious actors looking to

take advantage to avoid these potential

issues it's best to keep PHP updated not

only does it help with WordPress

security but it also keeps your site

running optimally it doesn't stop there

though here are a few more quick tips

use a strong password to avoid exposure

to botnets keep WordPress up to date

this includes plugins and themes as well

install an SSL certificate if your host

didn't provide a free one and finally

conduct a security audit occasionally we

have a blog post that will link in the

description that'll help you run through

how to do that if you're feeling up to

it there are some Advanced security

techniques you can deploy this includes

hardening the

wp-config.php file and moving it

changing the WordPress Soul Keys

changing file permissions disabling XML

RPC and hiding your WordPress version we

recommend visiting our blog post in the

description for an in-depth look at each

of these techniques even if you do

everything right you may find yourself

in a situation where your website has

been hacked thankfully there are steps

you can take including putting your site

in recovery mode restoring from your

most recent backup or resetting your

passwords if all else fails your hosting

provider may be able to help check out

the description for links to relevant

videos and blog posts as well as

everything we mentioned today and there

you go thanks for watching be sure to

like this video And subscribe for more

like it with that said we'll catch you

in the next one