Get Peace Of Mind, Protect Your Business Today
From the WordPress theme and plugin repository to any other third-party source, there are thousands of tools available for you to add to your website. Many of these offer additional functionality that can help improve how your site looks and/or performs.
Unfortunately, there is also a downside: many of these tools require access to sensitive information such as database credentials, API keys and user passwords. This poses a significant security risk as many of these tools are vulnerable to exploitation by hackers, especially those that allow remote access such as desktop applications or mobile apps.
What Can I Do To Secure My WordPress Website?
Check Your Third-Party Tools
You can easily check if your website is currently using any third-party tool with access to sensitive information by going to the Tools > Export menu in your WordPress dashboard and exporting the “Sensitive Data” report. If you see any tools listed that you don’t recognise or no longer use, then you should remove them immediately.
Use Strong Passwords And Two-Factor Authentication
One of the simplest and most effective ways to secure your WordPress website is to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication. This means using passwords that are difficult to guess and combining them with a second layer of authentication, such as a one-time code generated by an app like Google Authenticator or Authy.
Review Your Website Permissions
Another important step is to review the permissions of the tools you are currently using on your website. For example, if you are using a caching plugin, find out if it requires access to sensitive information such as your database credentials. If so, then you need to either remove that plugin or only allow access to the bare minimum amount of information required for it to function properly.
Perform Regular Automated Audits Of Your Website
Whilst following the steps above is important, there are many other tools on your site that may have been installed without your knowledge. This could be due to hidden plugins or themes, automatic updates or third-party tools with out of date access credentials. To check for this, you can use one of the many free and paid WordPress security audit tools available online.
Use A Secure WordPress Hosting Provider
Finally, the most important step you can take to secure your WordPress website is to use a hosting provider that takes security seriously. This includes using firewalls, malware scanning and intrusion detection systems. WP Engine is one such provider that offers all of these features as standard as well as a wide range of security-focused features such as server-side scanning, automatic backups and malware removal.
Whilst the steps above provide a good starting point, it is important to remember that website security is an ongoing process. By following these tips and using a host like WP Engine, you can help secure your WordPress website and prevent unnecessary damage caused by hackers.
Avoid Potential Website Threats!
The end of the year is a great time to take stock and make sure that your company’s website or blog are in tip-top shape. WordPress websites, for example, require much more maintenance than other platforms because they are open source, which means there are many plugins available on the internet. To avoid any potential security breaches you should be taking these 4 steps today! Call our team at Sharp Tack Media today if you need help securing your site so we can ensure it is running smoothly during this busy holiday season. Don't hesitate to contact us today!
