How to Secure Your WordPress Website for Free
WordPress is one of the most popular websites on the internet. With more than 200 million active users per month, it is clear that there is great interest in this content management system. This continuous growth in popularity has led to WordPress becoming a target for hackers and cyber-criminals who wish to gain access to user accounts, or worse, the site itself. For this reason, it is extremely important to take the necessary security precautions when operating a WordPress website. In this article, we will discuss some of the best practices that you can use to keep your WordPress site secure and how you can do this for free using the available plugins and services.
Backup Your Site Regularly
Backups are an essential part of any well-run site. With so much instability and innovation on the web, it is always good practice to make sure that you can fall back on something reliable. This is especially important for sites that get a lot of activity as it prevents any downtime and data loss. The best thing about having a regular backup is that it allows you to restore it quickly if anything goes wrong. It also provides you with a reliable place to restore content from if you are ever in need of it. The most reliable and simplest way to backup your WordPress site is to use a dedicated tool like BackupBuddy or BackWPUp.
These types of tools take care of all of the heavy lifting for you so that you can simply hit the backup button in the dashboard and get on with your life. This way, you can focus on growing your business and connecting with your audience rather than worrying about your site’s backup plan.
Use Strong Passwords
If you are using the same password across multiple accounts, it is highly likely that you are compromising one account and potentially putting all of your other accounts at risk. Passwords should be a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, it is a good idea to use different passwords for each account that you have. Having different passwords for each account allows you to maintain a degree of security while also keeping your accounts separate. If you use the same password for every account, it is as good as leaving it open to any Tom, Dick, or Harry to see what you are working on.
Keep Your WordPress Dashboard Updated
WordPress updates are essential for keeping up with the times and also ensuring that your site is safe and functional. However, too many updates can be detrimental as they can overload your site’s resources and slow it down. This is why it is important to keep up with the updates but not overload your site with too many. Updates should be for security purposes only and any new features that are introduced should be well-documented and backed up by a solid community.
Ensure that your WordPress dashboard is always up to date by keeping on top of the news section and following the recommended WordPress practices. This will help maintain a strong, healthy site that is always ready to update should the need arise.
Use A VPN To Enforce Login Security
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are great for helping to secure your connections while online as they create a secure tunnel through which you can access all of the resources that you need. They also work well to hide your IP (Internet Protocol) address which prevents any third party from snooping on your communications or viewing your site activity. It is essential to use a VPN to login to your WordPress account as all unencrypted data is placed at risk of being compromised. This includes things like your login credentials (usernames and passwords) as well as any files that you are uploading to your site. Most VPNs are completely free to use and there is generally no limit to the amount of data that you can log in to with. You can use the NordVPN app to easily get started with a VPN on your mobile device.
Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that requires you to input a second code (usually a six-digit number or password) in addition to your regular username and password. Most major websites now require you to input this secondary code (authenticator) when you login so you can verify that this is indeed your account. Most two-factor authentication security systems work by sending a one-time-use code to your phone via text message or email. You then need to input this code in addition to your username and password to log in to your account.
This added layer of security is great for preventing hackers and cyber-criminals from accessing your account as it adds an extra step to the login process. While it is not possible to stop every hacker attack, using two-factor authentication is a good way to reduce the risk of your account being compromised.
Use A Regular Password Manager
Passwords are a vital piece of any security protocol, and properly managing them is even more important. Having a dedicated password manager greatly simplifies the process of keeping track of all of your passwords as they can be stored securely and easily accessed from any device or location. Some great tools for password managers are 1Password and Dashlane. These tools offer a variety of features, from very simple to complex encryption, to create extremely strong passwords that are hard to guess. Furthermore, they generate random passwords for you so that even if someone gets access to your password manager, they will not be able to use your personal information because the passwords are completely random. A benefit of random passwords is that they make your site much more difficult to hack as it is harder for hackers to guess at your passwords due to the complexity of the random sequence. For these reasons, using a random password generator is a great way to secure your WordPress site.
Use A Security Bracelet Or Necklace
Security bracelets and necklaces that contain small gadgets that can be hidden in the palm of your hand are a great way to add an extra layer of security to your logins. When you log in using a security bracelet or necklace, the little gadget in the piece of clothing will beep or vibrate, indicating that you are logging in as a second factor of verification. This prevents the possibility of anyone else using your account as you are providing a physical token that only you can access.
Security bracelets and necklaces are a great way to add an extra layer of security to your logins as the little device in the jewelry piece can beep or vibrate when you log in using two-factor authentication. Ensure that the security bracelet or necklace that you use is checked frequently for security updates and bug fixes as these can be critical for ensuring the safety of your account.
Use HTTPS
The ‘S’ in HTTPS stands for ‘secure’ which indicates that all of the data being transferred from your device to the server is kept private and safe. This is done using encryption so if you are looking for a secure way to send sensitive data to a website, using HTTPS is a great way to go about it. In addition, all of the data that is being transmitted can be tracked and verified through a digital fingerprinting (also known as Tamper Data or Identity verification) which creates an extra layer of security through transparency. To secure your WordPress site through HTTPS, you will need to get a certificate from a trusted certificate authority like Let’s Encrypt. This ensures that your visitors know that your site is secure and verified as being operated by the owner (or authorized agent).
Use Two-Step Authentication
Two-step authentication is a security feature that requires you to verify your identity through an email or text message in addition to your username and password. This added layer of security is beneficial as it forces you to enter another code before you can access your account. Most two-step authentication systems work by sending a verification code to your phone via text message or email. You then need to input this code in addition to your username and password to log in to your account.
Two-step authentication is a great way to prevent hackers from incorrectly guessing your password or accessing your account if you have chosen the wrong username. It also requires that you enter another code which may discourage any would-be intruders. You must use two-step authentication for all logins to your WordPress account to ensure that your account is always safe and secure.
Use A Spam Filter To Prevent Unwanted Email
Spam filters are great for helping to keep your inbox clean by preventing unwanted email from being delivered to your inbox. They can be set up to automatically remove any spam that is sent to your email address. The best part about these filters is that they require very little maintenance as all you need to do is reset them once every month or so to prevent spam from being blocked.