Web security is a big concern for every site owner. And if you’re a beginner then it is more serious for you.  There are many myths related to WordPress security. But not everything there is to be believed, just don’t run with the rumors spread. Wait for a while and think, WordPress is the most popular CMS and millions are using it. If it was really an insecure platform, how could it manage to stay in the first position up to now? Actually, WordPress itself is not insecure. Just its improper use makes it insecure.

So here in this article, we are going to discuss some the legit steps that help you to secure your WordPress website. So let’s go through them and practice it.

Keeping WordPress Software, Themes and Plugins Up to date

Though WordPress is a free and open source software, it is well maintained and regularly updated. One of the prime ways to secure your WordPress website is keeping it updated with the latest software version available. Not only WordPress software version, the themes, and plugins you are using also update their versions time to time. So, to avoid external attacks you should make sure your theme and plugins are up-to-date.

Choosing Proper Hosting Company

Choosing a right hosting company matters for your website security. Most of the people choose hosting company on seeing their price range. This could be a thrive for you. So, think twice before you go with the cheap cost. You must research the hosting company that you are going to choose and make sure it’s safe and secure.  WordPress.com itself is a secure hosting provider, whereas WP Engine, Bluehost, Godaddy etc. are other most preferred and secure hosting providers.

Checking & Limitting Login Attempts

Limiting login attempts is yet another great way to fail the hackers attempt to crack your password. Mostly, the hacker tries several login attempts to enter into your site. So if you set the login limitation, you can protect your site from brute-force attack. You can easily limit login attempts of your site using simple WordPress plugins. Login Lockdown, Limit Login Attempts, WP Limit Login Attempts, etc are the free and mostly used WordPress plugins for limiting the login attempts.

Using Security Plugins

Using WordPress security plugins is yet another important step to secure your WordPress websites.  Security plugins, track the vulnerabilities and other issues happening in your website and reports you. There are many free and premium WordPress security plugins available.  Using such plugins keeps your website secure.  All In One WP Security & Firewall, Wordfence Security, iThemes Security etc. are some of the most preferred security plugins.

Backup WordPress just in case

Though you pay lots of attention to web security, do lots of things for it, but still, you are not 100% secure. In this case, a backup of your website could help. Backup lets you restore the site immediately when something went wrong. It keeps your hard work safe and secure so that if anything bad happens, you won’t have to start from scratch. Again, plugins can do this for you. There are many free and premium plugins available for WordPress backups. Just you need to install a good one, set a schedule and the rest plugin will do automatically. UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin, BackWPup etc. are free yet powerful WordPress plugins.

Cover your wp-config.php File

Wp-config.php file is where all the confidential details and information of your WordPress site locates. So, protection of your wp-config.php file is the must. If your this file is secure then it would be difficult for a hacker to know the important details of your site and the core of your WordPress site safe.

To protect your wp-config.php file, you just have to move it to the directory above your WordPress install i.e. above your root directory.

If your server has .htaccess file, you can simply place the following code at the top of the of it and protect the wp-config.php file.

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Setup SSL Encryption

Using a private encryption is an optimal act to secure the WordPress admin login, pages, posts and much more. SSL encryption gives a better security for you by ensuring harder password interception. Most hosting service providers offer free SSL certificates with hosting plans. So, if you are planning to launch your new website or going to change the web host of your existing website, the best idea to go with the company that assures SSL certificates.

Security researcher Yashar Ghaffarloo says the following: “Adding an SSL certificate can mean the difference between security for not only you as an administrator, but also for your users. When information is transmitted, SSL is an easy way to ensure that it is secure. With services like LetsEncrypt and CloudFlare free SSL, there’s no reason not to implement SSL. This is something I not only preach, but also do myself with my product and service review website Review.org

Learn More: Why is SSL important for your website? Where to find free SSL certificate?

To Conclude:

These are some basic yet very important ideas to secure your WordPress website. When you are a beginner or the one with no technical knowledge, security is what frightens you. But considering all these easy tricks helps you to overcome security related issues. There are lots of other technical and nontechnical ways to make your WordPress website secure. But here I have just discussed some of the common and simplest things to do targeting WordPress beginners. Hope it was useful for you. If you have any queries related to post or want to know more about WordPress security, then please feel to share.