WordPress Security

How to improve WordPress Security.

You need to keep your WordPress website safe from malicious attacks.  As much as I don’t’ want to say this – but there are horrible people out there that LOVE to hack for fun!!

I have had it happen twice now and it is not fun to fix!!

There are a few things that can help keep your website safe

• You NEED a good WordPress Security Plugin
• Make sure you update your WordPress VERSION as soon as the new one is released
• If your not confident at doing this on your own – we offer email support or we can do this for you
• It should only take 1 hour, including backing up the database and WordPress files, and making sure all your plugins & theme are all compatible.
• Click here for more information on our WordPress Support
• ALWAYS BACKUP – This won’t prevent hackers but it will be a god send if your site does get hacked, so BACKUP your website FILES and DATABASE regularly – before or after any major update!!!!
• I cant stress this ENOUGH!!
• ALWAYS upgrade all your themes and plugins to their newest versions
• If a plugin or theme has not been updated for a long time – then don’t use it. Find an alternative. Search for it in Google!!
• Another preventative is to update your FTP software if you use any or any other web applications you have running on your website
• ALWAYS keep any software up to date.

TIP – The reason why companies update regularly is to fix the security holes in software programs, so updating can stop hackers from accessing vulnerable files.

• NEVER give out your passwords!!
• Give a temporary password to developers or anyone who may require access to your website, then delete this when they have finished
• Change your password frequently
• When you set up WordPress – NEVER use ADMIN as your username
• If you have got admin as your username then change it NOW!!
• It’s easy > Go to USERS and set up a new profile and give it administrators rights > then go back and delete the old profile with the username as admin. Done!!
• NEVER use a weak or obvious password!!

TIP – ALWAYS create passwords with a combination of letters, numbers and special characters where possible.

• Ensure your hosting has security measures in place.  If your not sure then contact them and ask them.

We recommend a great WordPress security plugin called Wordfence.  Click here to for instructions on how to set it up –  WordPress Security Plugin

 

By Jodi Allbon
Original content 2013