How to secure your WordPress site

If you’re using WordPress to create your website, you’ve made a good choice. It’s one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) and powers 42% of all websites on the Internet. It’s not hard to see why when this free, open-source CMS is user-friendly and highly customizable.

But how do you go about securing it? Follow these three tips to get started.

Table of Contents

1. Buy SSL certificate

SSL certificates play a massive role in security all over the web. WordPress sites are no exception. SSL certificates encrypt the connection of anyone visiting your site, so that malicious actors can’t intercept any data transferred. Essential for any site, but especially those that request sensitive data from users. Simply install this small but powerful digital certificate on your site’s server, and you’ll be good to go!

2. Get great plugins

The main appeal of WordPress is the availability of plugins that can bring a wealth of functionalities to your site. One big area is security. Whether you want to perform regular malware scans or add a firewall, you can find a plugin for that. Just be sure to check reviews, research the developer, and when it was last updated. If it hasn’t been worked on for a long time, try to find something more up-to-date.

3. Use password hygiene

If you want to keep your site safe, passwords like 123456 will just not cut it. Make sure your passwords are long (at least 12 characters), and made up of a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. And ensure you change it regularly!

4. Implement 2FA

Add an extra layer of protection for anyone who can access your site in case your password does get compromised. 2FA will ensure that anyone who isn’t supposed to be there won’t get in. These days, it’s straightforward to set up 2FA, and a variety of free apps are available.

5. Keep everything up-to-date

With a CMS like WordPress, everything is constantly being updated, from plugins and themes to the site software itself. It’s important to keep track of this and install these updates promptly, otherwise your site could be left vulnerable to hackers. These updates often come with vital fixes for known vulnerabilities, which hackers are always on the lookout for.

Wrap up

Like any other site CMS, WordPress needs securing. Fortunately, its ease of use and various plugins make it much easier. So there’s no excuse for not securing your site as soon as you can.