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Unprecedented growth in cyberattacks has made running a safe website challenging. Considering the essence of a website for a successful business, we can’t just neglect this massive part of business management.
That’s why we are here with five actionable tips to secure your WordPress from all the incoming threads.
WordPress is the most used CMS of all time. It powers over 43.5% of all websites worldwide. However, its popularity also comes with risks. In fact, WordPress is targeted by around 90,000 cyberattacks every minute!
That translates to 5.4M attacks every hour.
That’s why protecting your WordPress login can help you from getting hacked. Before jumping in, let’s briefly examine the types of cyberattacks and how they help hackers access your WordPress login.
Types of Cyber Attacks
Let’s take a look at the three most common cyberattacks and how hackers utilize them to get your sensitive information.
#1. Malware
Shortened from Malicious software is a code—or software—that is created for the sole reason of harming a website. This is the most common cyberattack that messes up with your computer, server, or network as soon as it enters it.
They usually enter your systems through malicious links, scam messages, or emails.
#2. Phishing
This one also occurs via your email, SMS, or social media.
In this attack, hackers use social engineering techniques, such as manipulation and psychology, to trick the victim into sharing sensitive information or downloading malicious files.
There are several kinds of phishing attacks, such as spear-phishing and whaling.
#3. Spoofing
Spoofing is another type of cyberattack in which the attackers disguise themselves as one of your allies or business partners that you already trust. That makes it easier for cybercriminals to interact with you and extract your personal information.
Criminals can disguise themselves as a trusted website, known as domain-spoofing. Or they can be in the form of a friendly email, which is email-spoofing.
05 Tips to Stay Ahead of Attackers
Now that you understand the common cyberattacks, let’s examine how you can prevent them from happening to you.
#1. Don’t Respond to Spammy Emails
As we discussed, most cybercriminals use emails to send you persuading messages that may lead you to leak your sensitive information.
That’s why checking an email’s authenticity is essential before responding to it.
You can easily spot a fake email most of the time by just looking at it. These emails:
- Look spammy.
- Have tons of grammar mistakes.
- Spark a sense of urgency.
- Are sent from a suspicious and fake-looking email.
First, looking at the sender’s email can tell you the email’s authenticity. Fake emails are usually very long and may contain words that are not even real.
A lot of times, these cybercriminals are from countries where they speak English as their second language. That’s why these emails are filled with basic grammar errors that you can quickly point out just by skimming through them.
To avoid grammatical mistakes, scammers also use AI to write emails.
So, it’s wise to run the suspicious email through an AI checker to see if a bot wrote it.
Conversely, emails from reputable businesses and organizations usually go through quality proofreaders and editors who eliminate errors or grammatical problems.
Moreover, these emails spark urgency or a massive consequence for not taking a particular action, threat, or promising unreal cash or benefits. This is one of the significant signs that the email is a phishing attack.
#2. Change Your Login URL
Even if the cybercriminal successfully extracts your sensitive information, they can still not log in to your WordPress if your login URL is not set as default settings.
Usually, you can log into WordPress by adding /wp-admin in front of the website’s URL.
For example, https://examplewebsite.com/wp-admin will let you access the example website’s login page. From there, the cybercriminal can perform brute force to guess your password and get inside your website.
You can prevent this by hiding your login URL.
The easier way is to download a plugin like WPS hide login. Once installed, go to the plugin’s settings and set up your new, robust, and unguessable login link.
That’s it! Now you have a secure login URL.
#3. Download a WordPress Security Plugin
You can also take a massive step toward your WordPress security by installing a comprehensive security plugin. Plugins like Jetpack and All in One Login offer fantastic customization and are feature-rich.
These plugins allow you to add Google reCAPTCHA to prevent bots from accessing your WordPress login. That saves you from potential brute force attacks.
You can also add other security features like limiting login attempts. If activated, you can only attempt 3-5 incorrect passwords before getting your IP temporarily blocked.
Reliable security plugins offer unique features that allow you to whitelist/blacklist selected IPs. That can help you protect your WordPress login page.
#4. Add 2-Factor Authorization (2FA)
Adding two-factor authorization is another fantastic way to prevent hackers from accessing your login page.
Adding a 2FA prevents attackers from getting unauthorized access by adding an extra form of identification by sending an OTP or a unique code to the email or mobile phone.
In such a case, it makes it difficult for intruders to break in, even if they have cracked the password.
You can easily add a 2FA by using your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to “Users” and select “Your Profile” there, you will see “Two-factor options.”
Enabling it will make this extra security feature work. Don’t forget to save the changes, and there you go!
Alternatively, download a lightweight plugin called WP 2FA.
#5. Use a Firewall
Last but not least.
One of the best ways to secure your WordPress login is to prevent scammers from reaching it. And adding a firewall is one of the best ways to prevent attackers from accessing your website.
A firewall works as a shield that guards your website 24/7.
It authenticates the traffic that comes to your website by using a set of principles and prevents spam and bots from entering your website.
Although it is not the best solution for preventing all kinds of malware, it adds another layer of security to your website.
You can easily add a firewall to your WordPress using Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF.) Alternatively, you can use a plugin like Sucuri.
Final Words
Securing your website should not be just about installing a security plugin or adding a firewall. It’s essential to add as many layers of security as you possibly can.
Nowadays, since cyberattacks are so common, equipping your WordPress with security plugins is not enough!
You should also be considerate about your conversations, emails, and even private messages. As the world of cybersecurity is evolving, hackers are leveraging the latest technologies to create malware and commit other cybercrimes.
It’s a dangerous world; maximize your WordPress security and be safe!
