If you own or manage a WordPress website then security should be one of your main priorities. It’s extremely important to make sure that your site remains secure. Otherwise, you could become a target for hackers, losing important data and information.
Unfortunately, a lot of WordPress beginners ignore website security, instead choosing to focus on their content and on building a community. This is a bad idea, and creating a strong WordPress security presence doesn’t actually have to be that hard.
To help you get started, I’ve put together a short list of my top five WordPress security tips, including:
- Regularly Change Your Password
Unfortunately, one of the worst things that can happen is for your admin password to be hacked, giving the hackers complete access to your website and its files. Changing your password regularly will reduce the risk of this happening, and I’d recommend using random alphanumeric passwords that are impossible to guess.
- Use A Security Plugin
Another great way to secure your WordPress website is to use a high-quality security plugin. The WordPress plugin library contains hundreds of choices, and I’d recommend using one with a lot of reviews and a good reputation.
The best WordPress security plugins come with things like malware detection and removal, daily file backups, brute force protection, and firewalls. Carefully consider your site’s needs and make sure that you choose a plugin that’s going to work for you.
- Only Use Reputable Plugins & Themes
One of the most common security mistakes that WordPress users make is using low-grade or ‘cracked’ plugins or themes. I’d recommend always paying for premium plugins or themes and using reputable free ones, otherwise you will be exposing yourself to a range of security risks.
- Be Careful What Hosting Provider You Use
If you’re using a poor-quality, unsecure hosting provider, you will be exposing yourself to a range of security risks. A huge percentage of hacking attempts are actually initiated on the server side.
Ultimately, I’d recommend using a big name hosting provider that has a reputation for excellence, even if they do cost a couple of dollars more per month. Providers like HostGator, GoDaddy, and BlueHost are always good choices.
- Keep Everything Up To Date
It’s also extremely important to make sure that you keep everything on your WordPress website up to date, otherwise you will be leaving yourself open to a range of security vulnerabilities.
For starters, make sure that you keep your WordPress software updated, and install new versions as soon as you can after they are released. Similarly, make sure that you update both your plugins and themes whenever you can.
Final Word
Keeping your WordPress website secure doesn’t have to be too hard. For starters, you need to make sure that you’re using a high-quality web hosting provider. Use a security plugin if you can, change your passwords regularly, and make sure that you regularly update things.
Just doing these few simple things will already make your website infinitely more secure than it would have been if you weren’t doing them.
