Can I Make My WordPress Website Secure?
One of the biggest concerns for any website owner is whether or not their site is secure. After all, any information that is stored on a website (e.g., contact details, credit card information, etc.) is at risk of being accessed by anyone with the correct URL (http://). If this happens, the unauthorized access of this information could result in financial losses, especially if the website owner is based overseas and has no branch in the country where the theft took place.
Thankfully, there are several measures that you can put in place to make your website more secure. Following are some of the most effective security tips that you can use to protect your website and its data.
Update Your Website’s Software
The first thing that you should do to make your website secure is to update its software. This means that you will need to visit the WordPress website and follow the steps to update the software manually. The reason for this is that often, hackers find vulnerabilities in the software that is already installed on a site and use this to gain access to the site’s database and any other important information that is stored there.
You should update your website’s software as soon as possible after each new release. This way, you can ensure that you are always protected from any attacks or hacks that may take place because of an outdated software version. Furthermore, you should also make sure to update your website’s software when you notice any performance issues or any security breaches.
Use A Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Another way that you can boost the security of your website is to use a virtual private server (VPS). A VPS is essentially a physically separate server that is dedicated to your project and is located somewhere in the world. This way, even though the server is physically located in another country (e.g., Australia), it will feel like it is hosted locally (e.g., within your own data center in North America).
The great thing about using a VPS is that it gives you the flexibility to scale your site’s resources as needed. If you have a high-traffic site, you can always opt to purchase more expensive virtual server liners from the provider, which will give you more resources (e.g., more CPU cores and more memory). If you are worried about security, a VPS also gives you the flexibility to deploy a separate Magento instance specifically for handling transactional emails (i.e., your site does not have to deal with payments and logins directly from an already secured front end).
Monitoring Website Activity And Administering The Server
If you use an external hosting service to host your website, you can also hire a webmaster to monitor and administer the server for you. This way, you can rest assured that the server will be kept secure and up to date and that no one will have access to your sensitive information (e.g., credit card numbers, etc.) without your express permission.
With the above-mentioned tips, you can rest assured that your website’s security will improve. However, as pointed out by Patrick McKenzie of AWS, “Even if you use the most up to date version of all the websites and services your use, there are still ways that a hacker or a malicious individual can get access to your personal data. The best way to protect yourself is to use strong passwords, keep them in a secure place, and change them often. Never share your passwords with anyone and ensure that each site you register on uses a different password.”