How to Protect Your WordPress Website with Godaddy
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either interested in building a WordPress website or are already doing so. If not, then why are you reading this? There are plenty of other SEO-related articles you can read if this is what you really want to know.
WordPress is the most popular CMS (content management system) in the world, so you’re bound to run into trouble sooner or later. Luckily enough, there are several plugins and apps that can help you protect your site from hackers and website attacks.
Use Two-factor Authentication
Keeping your WordPress site secure is pretty much essential. You don’t need to do anything special to achieve this, but you should at least set up a two-factor authentication using Google Authentication or Auth0.
With these two-factor authentication methods, not only do you get to choose between texts and phone calls to verify your identity, but you can also select a security question and answer that will also be required before you can log in.
Even if someone does get through to your WordPress account, they won’t be able to do anything destructive because two-factor authentication requires a key fob or a mobile number plus 6-digit code sent to your phone. So at least your site won’t be entirely taken over by hackers!
Use A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Protecting your data while online is important, which is why everyone should be using a VPN. A VPN lets you encrypt all your web traffic and hides your IP address, which can help you stay anonymous on the web.
You could set up a VPN not only on your home computer but also on your mobile device or server, depending on how you use it. There’s no wrong answer when it comes to VPNs; it simply depends on your personal needs.
Use A Password Manager
Another essential security measure for any website these days is a password manager. The best password managers will also generate random passwords for you so you can use them for all your accounts. This can help prevent passwords from being reused by hackers and ensure that none of your sensitive data is ever compromised.
Hackers looking to compromise a WordPress site will usually start by trying to guess the password, so having a secure and unique password is the best way to protect yourself from being hacked. A password manager makes creating unique passwords easy, and with a little bit of effort, you’ll be able to avoid using the same password across different accounts.
Use Cloud Flares
Another essential security measure for any website is a good CDN (content delivery network). A CDN takes incoming web traffic and breaks it down into smaller files, which are then delivered to your visitors more quickly. The best ones will also provide you with stats so you can monitor how many visitors you’re getting and where they’re coming from. This can help you determine which country or region your audience is coming from, ensuring you’re not violating any country’s or company’s laws by doing business there.
A CDN makes your site appear more professionally done and also reduces the amount of strain that your server is under, which can speed up your site and reduce the chances of downtime. You don’t necessarily need a CDN for speed, but it’s a great addition none the less.
Use Two Email Accounts
Having two email accounts, one for personal use and one for professional purposes, can also be extremely useful in terms of security. If you use the same email for both your personal and professional accounts, an attacker who gets ahold of either one of them can potentially access your other accounts via the phishing scam. So having two different email accounts is a good idea.
The best approach is to use a service like Gmail App for Android or the Mailbox iOS app to easily send and receive emails on the go. This way, you can ensure that no matter if your phone is connected to WiFi or even if you’re online, you’ll always be able to check and send emails. Not only is this approach reliable and fairly simple to implement, but it also makes your life a little easier in case you forget your password or login details.
Use A Hardware Key
A hardware key, such as the YubiKey, is another type of two-factor authentication that can be used in conjunction with a PIN or a password. If someone gets a hold of your hardware key, they can access your account without having to know your PIN or password. Just like with the other two-factor authentications mentioned above, you can set up the YubiKey so that it generates random codes for each new login attempt. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a link to be pressed on the YubiKey before you can log in.
Monitor Your Website Activity
Keeping track of all the activity that takes place on and around your website can also be extremely useful in terms of security. If you install a service like Google Analytics or Webmaster Tools, you can easily monitor all the activity that happens on your site. This includes things such as login attempts, logouts, and most importantly, whether your visitors are finding what they’re looking for or leaving immediately after clicking on a link or using an outdated product’s documentation.
If a hacker gets ahold of your login details, they will be able to access your Google Analytics account and see all the activity that happens on your website. From here, they can figure out what information they can access and how they can use it to their advantage.
Keep Regular Backups
Regular backups are essential to secure your WordPress site. This is particularly important if you’re using the same hosting provider as the ones mentioned above, as they will have backups running automatically. Daily, weekly, and monthly backups are all that’s required, but it’s best to go for at least bi-weekly if not monthly.
This is to ensure that you always have a copy of your site’s most recent data in case something happens to it. When that something does happen, you can use your backups to restore your site to its original state. This is better than trying to piece together everything that was lost, as it takes a lot of time and is quite the stressful process.
If you’re looking to build a business website or blog, then the most essential thing to keep in mind is security. The tools and tips discussed above can help you protect your WordPress site and its content from being accessed by hackers or malicious parties. So don’t forget about them and be sure to implement everything mentioned above, as it will greatly improve the security of your site.