“Security is all about reducing a risk”

In this digital era, where online presence is pivotal, WordPress stands out as a cornerstone in website development. With its user-friendly interface and extensive plugin ecosystem, WordPress powers a significant portion of the internet. However, this popularity also makes WordPress sites a prime target for cyber threats. As a WP Engine user, ensuring the security of your WordPress website is paramount. 

Before proceeding towards the security practices let’s see why it is important. 

Why website security is important?

Website is the crucial part of your business which showcases your business online. A hacked website can cause serious damage to your business’s reputation and revenue. Hackers can steal company information, user IDs, and passwords, and can even spread malware to users. Therefore it is essential to ensure that your website is secure and protected from cyber-attacks. 

WP Engine provides a range of security tools and services that can help secure your website. It is important to regularly monitor and update your website to ensure it is secure. 

Here are some best security practices to fortify your site against potential threats:

• Stay Up to Date

One of the reasons behind website hacking is the outdated component. When plugins, themes, and core WordPress files remain outdated, they create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious hackers, potentially leading to a hacked site. Failure to update these files leaves a traceable track, inviting external intruders to target your site’s weaknesses.

If a developer finds any vulnerability in their code they simply update it to fix it. The longer your site remains outdated the more likely it is to be targeted by hackers. It may take some time to stay updated with all WordPress updates. However, if your WordPress site is hosted on any hosting platform like WP engine, it will automatically update all WordPress updates for you. And help you to stay on top of the latest updates to the core. 

• The role of WordPress hosting

The most significant factor affecting the security of your WordPress website is your WordPress hosting provider. A reputable shared hosting provider, such as WP Engine, goes above and beyond to safeguard its servers from typical security risks.

This is how a reliable web hosting provider safeguards your data and websites in the background.

• They keep a close eye on their network to spot any unusual activities.
• Good hosting providers have mechanisms in place to prevent widespread denial-of-service attacks.
• They maintain the most recent versions of their hardware, PHP scripts, and server software to stop hackers from exploiting a known security flaw in an outdated version.
• They can safeguard your data in the event of a significant disaster since they have disaster recovery and accident plans ready to be implemented.

WP engine is the most trusted and reputed hosting platform for WordPress websites providing all safety majors. They regularly back up your website and store them in a secure off-site location. They monitor customer websites for suspicious activity and have a team of security experts available 24/7 to handle any security-related issues.

If you are planning to buy a hosting platform for your WordPress website this is the right time and right platform. There is an ongoing sale on the WP engine with great discount offers. 

Check out here. 

• Install the plugin and theme from trusted providers

When it comes to choosing the theme and plugins that your website will utilise, it is important to have an expert eye. More code from each addition to your website means more possible security holes and more components to update and manage. You should always make sure to remove unnecessary plugins or themes completely. 

It is better to look for plugins and themes that are actively maintained, recently updated, and with good reviews like the GST plugin for WordPress. 

WooGST Plugin is the best choice for e-commerce businesses. It is regularly updated and has a large community of users. It is easy to install and activate.

If anyone is looking for a plugin that can manage GST calculations and generate an invoice for their online store, the WooCommerce invoice plugin would be the best choice for them. 

• Strong password and user permission 

Stealed passwords are used in most WordPress hacking attempts. By using complex passwords that are exclusive to your website, you may make that more challenging. 

It is not just applicable for the WordPress admin area, but also for your custom email addresses that use the domain name of your website, FTP accounts, databases, and WordPress hosting accounts. These passwords should be changed regularly and should not contain any personal information. Additionally, two-factor authentication should be enabled for extra security.

• Limit the login Attempt 

Take your login security to step further by limiting the login attempt. This security step helps to block the hacker who failed login attempts more than 3 times. 

The limit can be set according to your needs. For example, you can set the limit at 5 failed attempts. This extra layer of protection makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain access. Additionally, it makes it more difficult for hackers to guess passwords.

This security step should be enabled for user accounts to protect them from unauthorized login attempts. Using strong passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols is also recommended. 

• Use two-factor authentications

Using two-factor authentication is a terrific approach to further strengthen the security of your credentials. This security feature serves as a backup password that is updated about every 30 seconds. Hackers would have to figure out both the temporary security code and your actual password in less than 30 seconds to access your website, which would significantly raise the likelihood that you could stop them. 

Additionally, this security feature helps to prevent brute force attacks, where hackers attempt to access a website by trying different passwords. The temporary security code makes it more difficult for hackers to guess your password.

Conclusion 

By adhering to these security practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of your WordPress website falling victim to cyber threats. Remember, the responsibility of maintaining a secure website is ongoing, requiring diligence, regular checks, and staying informed about emerging security trends and vulnerabilities. With WP Engine’s robust infrastructure and your commitment to security measures, your WordPress site can thrive in a secure online environment.