5 Things You Can Do To Hack Proof Your WordPress Website

No one wants their site to be hacked. It could compromise your visitors, result in lost traffic and possibly even get your site blacklisted by Google.

While no solution is perfect, there are steps you can take to hack proof your website. You’ve worked hard to build your brand identity. Don’t make it easy for hackers to undo everything you’ve worked for. Lock them out and keep your site and visitors safer.

1. Scan And Block Attempts

Anti-virus software and firewalls are commonly used on personal and business computers, so why not your WordPress site? No matter how large or small your site is, it’s still a target. Some hackers simply try to hack your site because they can. This means you need active virus scanning and a firewall to block hackers before they even get in to your site.

Installing a security plugin and ensuring a firewall is installed on the host server is important. Depending on your host, some security measures may already be in place.

2. Backup Everything Regularly

Backups might not sound like a way to hack proof your website, but imagine being able to stop a hacker in their tracks. They might have gotten through the door, but all you have to do is erase the hacked site, enhance security and upload a recent, hack-free backup.

It’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to have extra security in the event a hacker manages to breach your site’s defenses. The last thing you want to have to do is re-build your site from scratch. With a backup, hackers don’t win, you do.

3. Make Updates A Priority

Outdated core WordPress software, themes and plugins are all vulnerabilities that hackers love to exploit. If you’re ready to hack proof your website, start by always keeping all software on your site up to date. In the first quarter of 2016, 78% of hacked websites were WordPress sites. Vulnerable plugins accounted for the majority of hacker entry points.

Always check for new updates and install them on a regular schedule. Security updates should be installed immediately to further lock down your WordPress site.

4. Choose The Right Host

No matter how well you hack proof your website, the wrong web host could still leave you vulnerable. Cheap web hosts sound great for your bottom line, but they don’t offer the features you need to keep your website more secure. Premium hosts cost more, but they offer features such as strong firewalls and server side security. They usually provide real-time monitoring and scanning to alert you immediately if there are any problems.

The best hosts also block dangerous plugins and let you know if you’re running potentially compromised plugins. You get the support you need to keep your site more secure and help if something does go wrong.

5. Focus On Your Login

Your WordPress login and login screen could protect your site or make it vulnerable if you don’t take precautions. By default, your WordPress login screen is easy to access. The default username is admin and a simple password is often used. It’s far too easy for hackers to access the login screen and try simple password combinations to get in.

There are four things you can do to protect your WordPress site, starting with the login:

• Always change the Admin login
• Use strong passwords
• Hide your WordPress login URL (custom setups and plugins help with this)
• Add two-factor authentication (custom coding and plugins create this for you)

All of these methods help lock out hackers. After all, if they can’t get in to your site, they can’t access your files or data. While it won’t prevent scam comments with malicious links, protecting your WordPress login is a key step in making your website hacker proof.

Hack Proof Your Website Now

Hackers are always on the look out for vulnerable sites. Whether you have 10 regular visitors or a million, your site is a target. Hack proof your website today to avoid being the next hacked website.

Looking for assistance in hack proofing your website? Contact the WordPress experts at Hidden Depth today to learn more about our WordPress services.

Image: Matthias Ripp