How to Protect Your WordPress Website from Viral Attacks
On the internet, it is very common for websites to be ‘viral’ or ‘influenced’ by other websites. This happens because each website is essentially a platform that can be used by anyone to share content. WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that is utilized by over 66 million websites across the globe, with over 16.7 million sites on the internet using it currently. Even though WordPress was built with anti-virus in mind—and offers great defense against malware and harmful content—it is still vulnerable to viral attacks due to its open architecture. In this article, you will learn about some of the most effective methods for keeping harmful viruses and malware off your WordPress website.
Use A Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) is a collection of servers spread around the world that cache and accelerate content for websites. A CDN can help your website avoid loading slower for your visitors and reduce the amount of traffic directed towards websites that are infected with malware or harmful content. As your site’s content is hosted on a remote server, rather than on your own computer, you remove the need to worry about whether or not your site is vulnerable to cyber attacks or malware. Because your site’s visitors are browsing content that is hosted on a different server than your site, any malware or harmful content that infects one server will not affect your site.
Keep Up-to-date With Updates
Up-to-date security is important to prevent vulnerabilities and keep your website or social media accounts secure and protected from hackers. Updates are available for WordPress to patch known security vulnerabilities and to ensure your website is always protected against new threats. You can use a tool like WordPress security updates to check for and install available updates when they are released. This tool will also alert you when a new version of WordPress is available so you can upgrade your site automatically.
Revise Your Website’s Access Control
When someone accesses your website, they should only be given the information they need to see and not any additional information that could be dangerous or sensitive. Using access control with your WordPress website will help limit the amount of data that can be accessed by unauthorized users. You can use plugins like Revise Security to control who can access your site and monitor what information is being accessed.
Use A Strong Password
A strong password is important for securing your WordPress account and preventing unauthorized access to your account. Furthermore, you should use a different password for every website and social media account you have, as this will make it harder for hackers to gain access to your personal accounts if they get their hands on your computer. You can use a generator like PassHash to create random passwords and store them in a safe place, so you do not have to keep writing down your strong passwords. With a strong password, you can rest assured that no one will be able to guess, hack, or otherwise gain access to your personal accounts without your permission.
Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress website by requiring a user to supply a code sent to them via text message or email to login to their account. Using 2FA on your account will also prevent unauthorized access to your account should someone obtain your password. You can use applications like Google Authenticator or Authy to supply you with a code for each social media account you have registered with WordPress, ensuring you always have the code you need to access your account whenever you need to. Should anyone obtain your password, they will not be able to access your account without the code you have been given.
Consider Using A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN is a tool that allows you to securely access a private network, such as the internet, from a location that is not completely trusted. This VPN will encrypt all of your traffic, preventing anyone, including hackers, from being able to read your personal information. Using a VPN to encrypt your traffic is something you should consider, especially if you are visiting a website that you deem unsafe. While many VPNs are incredibly safe and secure, there is always the chance that your personal information could be accessed by a hacker whilst on a public network. If you decide to access a website that you know to be bad, you can prevent any malicious activity by using a VPN whilst there.
Monitor Network Traffic
You should always be aware of how much traffic is being sent over your network and whether or not this traffic is secure. Use tools like HTTrack or Wireshark to monitor and analyze the contents of network traffic so you can ensure your website’s security and continue improving it as needed. A simple network monitor, such as Wireshark, can help you track down any issues that may arise from a lack of security on your end or on the other end (where the site connecting to you is hosted).
Backup Your Website Regularly
Your website’s content and settings are important assets that you cannot afford to lose, so you should take the time to back them up regularly. Be sure to use a tool like Cloud Backup to ensure that all of your website’s content and settings are safe and accessible from anywhere at any time should your website be compromised by a malicious actor. Regular backups will also help you identify and deal with any issues that may arise from a lack of security on your end or on the other end (where the site connecting to you is hosted).
Avoid Free Blogger Blogs
If you are looking for a free blogging platform to create and host your website, avoid using a free blogging service that is offered by a third-party and which has known security vulnerabilities. Instead, use a premium blogging platform like WordPress, which has a proven track record of being safe and secure.
Use A Content Filtering Curator Plugin
Some websites are simply more enjoyable to browse than others, so you may find yourself accidentally clicking on a URL that you deem as unsafe. A content filtering curator plugin is a great way to ensure that your WordPress site is only displaying safe and curated content from trusted websites. It prevents you from unwittingly visiting websites with harmful content and malware by automatically screening all the web content that you browse and displaying warnings or blocking content that is deemed as unsafe or malicious. You can use a tool like SaferVPN to create a VPN for your WordPress website so you can access content and surf the web as usual whilst staying safe and monitored. This tool also allows you to create a free account with SaferVPN and access their entire network of servers, ensuring you always have a fast and secure connection whether you are at home or on the go.
Use An Incognito Browser
An incognito browser is a type of web browser that does not save any browsing history or other information about your previous interactions with a website. Incognito browsers prevent you from accidentally leaving a trace of your activity on a site that you visit frequently whilst staying anonymous and untracked.
Consider Using An Anti-Spam Service
Spam, or unsolicited commercial email, is extremely common on the internet and one of the main reasons why people use anti-spam services. Using an anti-spam service will help keep your email inboxes pristine by eliminating unwanted emails. There are two types of anti-spam services. The first is email validation, which scans the email you receive and ensures it is not spam. The second type of service is anti-spamware, which helps detect and stop spam before it even reaches your inbox.
Check The Reviews Of The Plugin You Are Interested In
The reviews of the plugin you are interested in will provide you with valuable information regarding its security and effectiveness. Reviews are important because they usually contain valuable information regarding a product’s quality and capability. Sometimes reviews can be somewhat exaggerated, so it is important to look at what other websites have to say about a product or service. Be sure to look for both positive and negative reviews, as they can both be helpful in finding out more about a product or service you are interested in trying out.
Keeping your WordPress website secure, up-to-date, and functional is not easy, especially since this content management system is open-source and has a very large and active community behind it. Even though WordPress was built with security in mind, it is still vulnerable to malware, hacking, and other cyber attacks due to its open architecture. Be sure to implement the security measures listed here to help keep your website safe and sound.