52% of WordPress vulnerabilities result from outdated plugins. Explore 10 things you can do to mitigate these and other website security issues to increase your WordPress website security.

WordPress, a widely used CMS, powers 43.2% of websites. However, its popularity has made it a prime target for cybercriminals exploiting WordPress security weaknesses, such as outdated software and weak passwords. This is why knowing how to secure your WordPress website from hackers is crucial to protect your customers and your brand’s reputation.

This article covers common vulnerabilities, potential attack methods, and tools you can use to safeguard your site. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, this guide will give you an overview to help you stay ahead of harmful malware and protect your WordPress site.

So, let’s dive in and start securing your WordPress website!

WordPress Website Security: Don’t Let These 6 Common Threats Take You Down

WordPress is the go-to choice for millions of website users and administrators, providing a straightforward platform for creating professional websites. Unfortunately, its popularity makes it a popular target for cybercriminals who aim to exploit website vulnerabilities and plant malicious software (malware). Hence, identifying and removing malware immediately is crucial to prevent further attacks.

With hackers constantly seeking ways to infiltrate websites, WP site owners must stay vigilant. This entails taking all of the necessary precautions to protect their sites from cyber threats using the latest security measures and industry best practices.

As a leading provider of digital certificates, we understand the importance of strong website security. So, let’s discuss the most common website security threats that WordPress sites face today and learn to fix them. There are several common WordPress website security threats that owners, administrators, and users should be aware of:

1. Malware Infections

WordPress websites risk malware infections through malicious plugins, themes, or code injections. Malware is malicious software that’s intended to exploit or harm computer systems. It can cause your website to malfunction and even lead to data breaches via unauthorized access.

Website viruses cause common problems, like slowing down performance, generating unwanted pop-ups, and defacing web pages with harmful links. If you notice any of these signals, it’s crucial to investigate the possibility that your website has been infected with malware. This can pose a serious security threat to you and your website visitors, so taking prompt action is essential.

There are many types of malware, each with unique characteristics and effects. Three of the most common types include ransomware, adware, and viruses.

2. Vulnerable Plugins and Themes

Malware isn’t the only concern regarding WordPress add-ons. Vulnerable plugins and themes are also a big security issue facing WordPress websites. Everyone loves plugins; they simplify content creation, optimization, and website security. But as with any software, they have vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

A recent example is the Elementor Pro plugin vulnerability, which gives attackers control of 12+ million websites. Although the publisher has released a patch, affected websites are still vulnerable until they apply it.  

3. Brute Force Attacks

Hackers usually target WordPress sites using brute force or dictionary attacks to crack login passwords. In a brute force attack, automated software repeatedly tries various combinations of words, letters, and numbers to guess the admin password. This differs from a dictionary attack, which uses common words (like those found in the dictionary) to guess login details. The Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) mentions that 80% of hacking-related data breaches are due to brute force or lost/stolen credentials.

The brute force attacks often use automated bots (i.e., infected computers and other controlled devices) to try thousands of guessed username and password combinations until they gain access to your dashboard.

4. SQL Injections 

SQL injections are server-side attacks that involve bad guys injecting malicious code into your site’s database. This approach can be used to steal sensitive information or take control of your site. In 2021, OWASP reported injection attacks as the third most dangerous web application security risk, with 274,228 reported occurrences in the web apps they studied. To protect your SQL database in WordPress: 

• Read expert SQL security advice on web application firewalls,
• Regularly scan for vulnerabilities, and
• Use prepared SQL statements instead of dynamic SQL, which can be vulnerable to attacks.

We’ll cover additional ways to secure your WordPress site against this type of attack a little later in the article.

5. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks are a class of cyber attacks where hackers inject malicious code into a website’s pages. They’re known as client-side attacks because they target the users instead of the server database like other injection attacks.

When visitors access the website, the malicious code is executed in their browsers, giving the attackers access to sensitive information such as login credentials. Therefore, a WordPress site that needs to be updated or secured is always exposed to medium-level XSS vulnerability risks.  

6. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

A DDoS attack is a malicious act where a network of compromised devices floods a target server with a massive volume of data or requests. Why? To disrupt its normal functioning and deny service to legitimate users. These attacks pose a significant threat to online enterprises, including WordPress-based websites, leading to slowdowns, crashes, and a negative user experience. Data from F5’s 2023 DDoS Attack Trends report shows attacks on target applications and services that exhaust resources and exploit vulnerabilities increased by 165%.

To increase your WordPress website security against these and other threats, it’s vital to implement various security measures.

How to Protect Your WordPress Site Against Hackers and Malware (10 Ways)

Let’s delve into some practical tips and strategies that can significantly minimize the risks of WordPress malware attacks and help you fortify your website against potential intrusions. While it may not be possible to achieve 100% security online, implementing these effective measures can go a long way in mitigating the threats posed by online miscreants.

1. Lock It Up: Implement HTTPS For WordPress Website Security via Encryption

Our first recommendation for how you can secure your WordPress site and data from hackers is to install an SSL/TLS certificate on your server. An SSL/TLS certificate is essential for website security as it enables you to encrypt the data exchanged between a client and server in transit using transport layer security. This makes it harder for cyber attackers to access or read your sensitive data via man-in-the-middle attacks.

While many hosting companies offer free SSL certificates, investing in a premium digital certificate is advisable for websites handling sensitive data. Why? Because you can add another layer of security in the form of trusted digital identity.

Add Digital Identity to Your Website

A verified digital identity is a way to establish trust between the website and its visitors. It assures that the website belongs to a legitimate organization, not an impersonator or phishing website. Trusted digital identity is essential for businesses that rely on online transactions and sensitive customer information, such as credit card details or personal data.

A trusted certificate authority (CA) issues SSL/TLS certificates to website owners after verifying their domain ownership and/or organizational identity. The validation process for each certificate type differs in rigor and informational requirements:

• Domain Validation (DV) certificate: For DV certificate validation, the CA only needs to verify the domain ownership through email verification or domain name system (DNS) records. This is okay for informational sites that don’t collect any sensitive user data.
• Organization Validation (OV) certificate: For OV certificate validation, the CA verifies additional information, such as the organization’s legal status, locality information, and phone number. This should be the minimum validation for websites that collect sensitive data.
• Extended Validation (EV) certificate: For EV certificate validation, the CA conducts a more comprehensive process that verifies the organization’s legal status, physical address, phone number, and other information. This is ideal for healthcare and financial organizations in particular.

The CA’s validation process is fundamental in ensuring the authenticity of a website’s digital identity. Website owners should choose a reputable CA to issue SSL/TLS certificates and follow SSL certificate best practices.

Buy an SSL/TLS Certificate

Check Your Links to Avoid Mixed Content Issues

Transitioning to HTTPS is easy and has the added benefit of improving SEO in Google search rankings. However, it’s imperative to prevent bad guys from exploiting your mixed content issues by ensuring all pages use HTTPS links and content. Mixed content errors occur when insecure assets (e.g., scripts, images, videos) are linked to HTTPS pages. Here’s an example of a basic mixed content error:

Image caption: The server indicates the specified page as “mixed content” (hence not protected by HTTPS) because it requests an insecure script.

2. Stay Current: Keep Your WordPress Site’s Assets Updated

Updating your WordPress website is one of the most important steps to keep it secure. This includes updating the WordPress software, themes, and plugins. Maintaining up-to-date WordPress software ensures website security and enhances performance and functionality. Outdated software can lead to slow page load times, broken links, and other user experience issues. Keeping your WordPress software, plugins, and themes up to date ensures your website runs smoothly and efficiently.

It’s equally important to choose reputable plugins and themes from trusted sources. Using untested or unverified extensions can introduce security vulnerabilities to your site, so research and read reviews before installing anything new.

Hackers target outdated versions of WordPress because they contain known vulnerabilities that can be exploited. By keeping your site updated, you can ensure that any security holes are patched and your site is less vulnerable to attacks. You can also enable automatic updates to confirm that your site is always running the latest version, providing visitors with the best possible user experience.

3. Prioritize WordPress Vulnerability Remediation: Don’t Just Run Vulnerability Scans

Of course, you’ll want to regularly scan your website for known vulnerabilities, as this can help prevent XSS attacks and other issues from being exploited. But website security scans will only take you so far; you also must put that information to work for it to be useful through vulnerability remediation.

For example, focus on tightening your site security and controlling access to sensitive data and systems. This can be achieved by:

• Sanitizing and validating user inputs and data to prevent SQL injections,
• Limiting site dashboard access to only necessary users, and
• Encrypting sensitive connections and data.

The vulnerability remediation process involves four steps:

1. Detecting vulnerabilities (through scans and penetration testing),
2. Prioritizing based on severity (from worst to least dangerous),
3. Fixing the security issues (e.g., applying updates and removing malware), and
4. Monitoring (continuously) for security issues.

4. Step Up Your Security: Implement Strong Password Security and 2FA

One of the most effortless ways hackers can access your WordPress website is through weak passwords. Therefore, use strong and unique credentials for all user accounts on your site, including your own. Additionally, consider implementing two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires users to provide a second verification form (such as a code sent to their phone) and their password. This adds an extra security layer to your site and makes it much harder for hackers to gain access.

When it comes to website security, WordPress.com and WordPress.org have different approaches:

• WordPress.com is a managed platform, meaning that WordPress takes care of the technical aspects of running a website, including offering 2FA as a built-in feature.
• WordPress.org, on the other hand, is a self-hosted platform, and users need to manage their website’s security. This includes installing a 2FA plugin to enable two-factor authentication.

Luckily, there are many 2FA plugins available for WordPress.org users, offering various authentication methods such as SMS verification, email verification, or authenticator apps like Google Authenticator. By choosing and installing a 2FA plugin that suits their needs, WordPress.org users can enhance their website’s security.

5. Keep Hackers Out: Limit Logins & Change the Default Login URL

It’s time to talk about how to secure your WordPress website from hackers who use brute force attacks. One way to improve access-related security is by limiting access privileges. It’s important only to grant admin access to those who require it to perform their job responsibilities, as only some people need access to everything. By doing so, the risks associated with phishing attacks are reduced.

For instance, if a user with subscriber access has their WordPress credentials compromised, the impact is not as severe as it would be if it were someone with admin privileges.

To improve your WordPress website security against login-based attacks, set login restrictions within the WordPress dashboard directly. This feature lets you define the maximum number of login attempts permitted from a single IP address within a specific time frame. You also can change the login page URL as well within that same dashboard:

Another way to make these changes is via your site’s WordPress functions.php file. Create a backup of functions.php and add the code to limit login attempts and change the URL. Furthermore, one may customize, save and upload the modified file as needed to control login attempts and modify the login URL.

If there are numerous login attempts within the designated time limit, the IP address will be temporarily barred from accessing the login page. This is an efficient safeguard against brute force attacks at the same time.

6. Bolster Your Site’s Defenses: Safeguard Against XML-RPC Related Vulnerabilities

What is XML-RPC? An XML-RPC is a vital WordPress API since WordPress 3.5 that enables remote interaction with your site using HTTPS and XML protocols. What we mean by remote access is using third-party apps to manage your site and connect (e.g., via automation services like IFTTT or Zapier).

Hackers often target XML-RPC files for brute-force login attempts and code injection. Removing this file prevents unauthorized remote access to sensitive data and ensures that only legitimate visitors can access your site.

To avoid security breaches relating to XML-RPC, security experts may suggest disabling it if you don’t use mobile apps, ensuring that your site is protected from potential hacks. You can remove the XML-RPC file manually by making a few changes to your .htaccess file via a secure FTP connection (FTPS for encrypted FTP or SFTP for SSH-based secure FTP) or by using a third-party plugin.

This small but crucial step can save you time and money in the long run by protecting your website from potential security breaches.

7. Remain Vigilant: Mitigate XSS Vulnerabilities to Ensure Visitor Safety

There are several measures to secure your website visitors against cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities on WordPress.

• Install a web application firewall (WAF) that detects and blocks abnormal requests commonly found in XSS attacks.
• Update all plugins and themes to patch any security vulnerabilities.
• Use a WordPress security plugin to monitor users for unusual activity and quickly detect and remove any malware.

• Implement WordPress security-hardening steps such as two-factor authentication and disabling XML-RPC to increase security.
• Follow the ”least privileged” user policy to limit the damage that can be done if a user’s account is compromised.

Teach your employees to exercise caution when clicking links and check the source before opening emails from unknown senders. Although completely removing XSS vulnerabilities from code may not be possible, implementing these measures can help protect your website from such attacks.

8. Outsmart the Threat: Defend Your Website from DDoS Attacks

You can take several measures to prevent or detect DDoS attacks on your WordPress website early:

• Install a web application firewall (WAF) to analyze incoming requests and block malicious traffic. Some firewall plugins and other tools (such as SiteLock, which we’ll talk about shortly) offer WAFs that are equipped to handle DDoS attacks are necessary for this purpose.
• Use a content delivery network (CDN) to act as a barrier against overwhelming traffic, decrease loading times, and detect unusual traffic activity.  
• Monitor traffic logs and data usage statistics in real time to help detect DDoS attacks early on. Of course, it’s hard to see through all the “noise”; this is where using a third-party managed security service provider can help.
• Utilize geo-blocking features to block IP addresses originating from countries known for launching DDoS attacks. While this is a temporary solution, it can lessen the intensity of the attack until a more permanent solution is implemented.
• Invest in intelligent routers and switches to help identify bogus IPs and block them from affecting system and network resources.

Managed WordPress web hosting providers with high-end networking hardware can also provide an initial level of security against DDoS attacks.

9. Defend Your Site: Use Strong Cyber Security Practices

Maintaining the security of your WordPress website is an ongoing process that requires a comprehensive approach and adherence to key cyber security practices. However, it’s important to recognize that achieving complete security is difficult due to the inherent risks associated with websites. External factors such as user inexperience, insecure servers, unsecured Wi-Fi, compromised computers, and poorly coded plugins/themes can all contribute to security vulnerabilities.

To improve the cyber security of your WordPress website, prioritize choosing dedicated hosting and secure digital certificate provider. Also be sure to:

• Create robust passwords,
• Exercise caution with third-party tools, and
• Educate your employees about potential vulnerabilities.

Following these simple measures can significantly help mitigate potential risks linked to WordPress website security.

10. Use SiteLock to Secure Your WordPress Website Against Common Cyber Threats

Last on our list of ways for how to secure WordPress website from hackers is to secure it against cyber threats like malware, viruses, and hackers by using SiteLock. This cloud-based security solution offers various features, including:

• regular vulnerability scans,
• malware removal,
• website application firewall, and
• vulnerability patching.

Additionally, it comes with a web application firewall (WAF), a security tool that helps protect websites from cyber attacks. It analyzes incoming traffic and blocks any malicious activity before it can reach the website. This added layer of protection can help prevent data breaches and keep sensitive information safe.

SiteLock’s daily malware scanning and automatic removal services are among its most significant advantages. It ensures your website is always protected from potential cyber threats by immediately detecting and removing malware and mitigating other security threats. Moreover, the WAF adds an extra layer of security by filtering out malicious traffic and preventing common attacks like SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Knowing that your website and brand are safe and secure gives you peace of mind.

Use SiteLock to Back Up Your Site Regularly to Help You in the Aftermath

Regularly backing up your site is one of the most vital steps in website security resilience. This way, if your site is ever compromised, you can promptly retrieve the lost data. Automating website backups using a tool like SiteLock can simplify the process for you. It’s also a good idea to store additional copies of your backups in a safe location, such as a cloud storage service or an external hard drive.

By regularly backing up your site, you can have peace of mind knowing that your data is safe and secure. Furthermore, in case of a security breach or other issues, having a recent backup can help you quickly restore your site to its previous version.

Learn About SiteLock Website Backup

Final Thoughts on WordPress Website Security

Don’t leave your WordPress website’s security to chance. Instead, protect your site from cyber threats like viruses, malware, and hackers with the best site security tools. Top-notch website security requires regular website and web app vulnerability scans, malware removal, vulnerability patching, and a powerful web application firewall (WAF) to prevent attacks like SQL injections and DDoS.

Protect WordPress Site: #1 Solution to Keep Hackers Out!

Now that all your queries on how to secure your WordPress website from hackers seem to be getting solved, get repose and ensure the safety of your site with SiteLock Security — a trusted security solution provider for website owners worldwide.

Register for the seamless application of this cloud-based security tool to your website to safeguard your online presence. With SiteLock security for WP site, you can be assured that your website and brand are fortified against potential cyber threats, giving you the confidence to focus on your business objectives.  

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