We all put a lot of effort into creating and managing your Business / Blog Website built on WordPress. Thus its security becomes a prime concern for us. We are constantly vigilant that some outsider may hack and damage our website.
Though there are ways we are compromising our website’s security and making it vulnerable to attack from hackers and spammers. Let’s see 11 major ways you are unknowingly compromising your WordPress website’s security :
Compromising Security of WordPress Site
1. Leaving Inactive Plugins
We all have a habit of installing several WordPress plugins to check their work. We usually deactivate them if we don’t find them useful. In the long run, we gather a lot of such inactive plugins on our website, which are no longer in use and will not be used in the future.
We also usually forget to update these plugins. These plugins can become a source of trouble. Hackers can use them to gain backdoor entry to your website and damage it. So it is advisable to remove these inactive plugins properly without leaving a trace.
2. User Accounts Security
Letting users create accounts with weak credentials can also become a big problem. Especially if this user has some role to play in managing the website, hackers can use any of these accounts to break into your website. Put some restrictions on users, so they have compulsorily to create a strong password.
3. Admin User Account Security
For admin users, you must be extra careful and keep the login page URL non-guessable to hackers. There are a few plugins available for the same. Also, never keep the username of admin as admin. It reduces the effort of a hacker to hack your website as he already knows the username and only has to guess the password now. If you keep the username and password both strong and not easily guessable, the hacker will find it tough to break in.
Top Plugins to help secure your WordPress Website
4. Unmoderated Comments
If you are in a hurry to gain more comments on your posts or website and have left the comments un-moderated. And you have made your website a paradise for spammers, and they will take full advantage of it and flood your website with a comment, including links to various websites. Don’t let any comment pass unmoderated. Read them and publish them only if you find them reasonable.
5. Using Obsolete Version of WordPress
WordPress keeps updating itself to fight the known vulnerabilities in its earlier versions. Thus keeping it safe from any possible attacks. When we are not keeping our website’s WordPress version updated, we leave a way for hackers to get into our site and harm it. Updating a WordPress website is not very difficult; it can be done with just a click of a button from the admin panel. So do it before it’s too late.
It’s good to keep a complete website backup before making these updates. Version 4.9.5 is the latest version of WordPress as of now. Check if you are using an older version of it. Also, one more problem with the older version is that new themes or plugins you might like to use might not be compatible with the older WordPress version and may open up new vulnerabilities.
6. Using Obsolete Version of Theme
Same as the WordPress version, the theme version is also important. These authors also keep updating their themes based on new trends. They may add new plugins, page builders, demo layouts, or other cool stuff to their theme. They may also fill the security gaps in their theme by adding new functions or scripts.
Also, they have to keep up with the changing WordPress versions. So to keep your theme working properly, you need to keep updating it. It will keep your website safe and more user-friendly.
7. Using Obsolete Versions of Plugins
The obsolete plugin is also one big issue when discussing the WordPress website’s security. Some plugins author stops updating their plugins. If you are using plugins that are not updated for a long time, you are making your site vulnerable to attacks.
You should very soon try to find an alternate plugin that can fill up for this obsolete plugin. Also, check when it was last updated while installing a new plugin. As a rule, don’t install any plugin that has not been updated in the last 6 months.
8. Ignoring Server Security
If your server security is compromised, there is no use in securing your WordPress website whatsoever. Server security is not to be left unchecked for your website. It would be best to buy hosting from an authenticated hosting service provider and not go with short-timer or cheap companies.
9. Allowing Registration Without Authentication
If you allow people to register on your website, it must not go unchecked. I mean, you should always have an authentication system. Though WordPress has its email authentication system, an additional authentication will be no harm. No fake users or bots should be able to register on your website. These fake user and bot attacks make your website vulnerable.
10. Using 3rd Party APIs without proper security
In this era of Web Services, it’s no surprise that you might be using a 3rd party API on your WordPress website, be it a Payment gateway API or SMS gateway API, or any other. The data access from these APIs must be via safe routes and encryptions.
11. Not Keeping Regular Backups
Whatever best you try, there is always a chance that someone will find a way to destroy your website. Even if you see bank websites are not 100% secure, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter get hacked.
You should always keep a disaster management system handy. If you are running a WordPress website or any other type of website, you must take a regular backup of your website. If you are adding new content regularly, you should take a weekly backup; if not, a monthly backup would also do.
By taking care of small things, you can keep your WordPress website safe, at least from your side. Let the hackers or spammers have a tough day. If you read till here, you would surely have liked the article. Please subscribe to our newsletter and ask if you have any WordPress-related/unrelated queries in the comment section.
