Websites have been a crucial part of organizations, individuals, and businesses. Dependency on a good online platform has increased exponentially in the digital age therefore it is extremely important to prioritize the safety of your website. Out of all, WordPress stands out as the most sought-after content management system (CMS) with more than 44% of all websites using its software. This makes it very prone to Malware and Hackers can pose significant damage which will lead to data breaches, reputation damage risks, and unauthorized access. Security breaches happen most of the time due to the user’s lack of security knowledge. Hence security measures are mandatory to keep your website free from malware and protected from hackers.

Here’s where we discuss 9 effective measures to Protect Your WordPress Website Against Malware and Hackers:

1. Keep Your Site Updated:  To improve speed, and performance and maintain security, WordPress releases software updates regularly. These updates help you protect your online platform from cyber threats. Keeping your website updated is the simplest way to improve WordPress Security.  WordPress website developers say that nearly 50% of the WordPress sites are continuing on an older WordPress version which is why it is prone to malware.

Here’s how you check whether you have the latest WordPress version

• Login to the WordPress admin area
• Go to dashboard
• Check “Update” on the left menu panel
• Update → (If it shows your version is not updated)

Be on the lookout for future update releases to make sure your site is not an outdated version of WordPress. It is also advised to update plugins installed on your WordPress website and themes. Old themes and plugins may create issues with newly updated WordPress core software, bringing in more hackers and security problems. 

Pro Tip

Experts say that enabling automatic updates can cut some slack off work, but there are still chances of your website crashing due to issues with older plugins or themes. It is crucial to make sure that the website is updated and backed up regularly so that in case of an error you can get back to the previous version without much hassle.

2. Generate Strong wp Credentials: Users often end up making these common mistakes like setting up easy-to-guess usernames such as “test” or “admin”. Such credentials put your website at a high risk of getting malware issues and brute force attacks. Attackers often pose these types of forced entry on WordPress Sites that are not equipped with strong passwords. Your username and password should be complex and different.

Follow these ways to create a new WordPress administrator account with a new and strong username:

• Go to WordPress Dashboard
• Look for Users → Add New
• Create a new user and assign it as an administrator
• Generate a password and press the Add New Button once you come to the end of it.

• Make sure to add symbols, numbers, uppercase, and lowercase letters into the password. A 12-character password is recommended as it is very difficult to crack.
  

Pro Tip: The longer and more complex the password—– the safer.  For example, 52@cAm@! instead of “Camera”! Easier to recall yet harder to crack. 

Also, use a pattern on the keyboard like “qpzmwoxn”. instead of using actual words

Check the network before logging in. There might be a chance that you would have unintentionally been connected to a hotspot honeypot, an illegitimate wifi-access place in cyberspace that is operated by hackers. This is where there is a high chance of leaking your login credentials to the operators. 

School library wifi or public networks may not be as secure as we think. Hackers can intervene and tamper with or retrieve unencrypted data and login details.

WordPress website developers recommend using a VPN when you connect to networks in public places. VPN(Virtual Private Network) provides a protective shield of encryption to the connection, which makes it difficult for a hacker to retrieve data and protects your online activities.

3. Install an SSL Certificate for Transferring Data Securely: SSL(Secure Sockets Layer) is a data transfer agreement that encrypts the information exchanged between the website and its visitors making it almost impossible for the hackers to derive confidential information. It is easy to find SSL certificate-installed websites as you can see them use HTTPS instead of HTTP. Along with that, visitors can verify the authenticity by looking for the padlock symbol displayed in the browser which establishes trust on your platform. These days most hosting companies offer to include SSL in their schemes and plans. Other than enhancing security, SSL certificates increase the credibility of your website.

4. Be Regular with Your WordPress BackUps: It is essential to create a WordPress backup site as regularly as possible. This process helps the users to recover their website after an unfortunate event of a hacking incident, keeping the website at bay from cyber attacks or physical damage to the data hub. 

 Backing up data with WordPress is a breeze. A site can be backed up using a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration. Store these backups at a secured location, away from your website’s server to prevent future unauthorized breaches.

5. Beware of Third-Party Integration: One of the major steps to secure your web design is to verify the place of origin of your plugins and check integrations before using them. It is also essential to integrate from trusted and reputable sources such as official websites and marketplaces. Make sure you take the help of professionals to check the quality and reliability of integrations. Unprofessional coding and menacing extensions can become a gateway for hackers. Users can fix such issues with regular updates and reviews of the integrations.

6. Use Reliable WordPress Themes – Illegitimate versions of original themes are nulled WordPress themes. Themes are sold at cheap prices to attract users. But on the flip side, these themes have many security issues. When original premium themes are hacked and inserted with malicious codes it is called Nulled themes. These include malware and spam links. 

Themes open up the backdoor for malicious elements that can pose a threat to your WordPress site.

Users do not get any support because nulled themes are distributed illegally. In case of an issue, the user has to figure out how to fix it and secure WordPress.

Here’s what you may do to avoid becoming a hacker sweet spot:

• Pick WordPress themes from its official depot and reliable developers.
• Check for third-party themes in official marketplaces such as ThemeForest, where you may find several thousand premium themes
  

7. Get Rid Of Unused WordPress Plugins and Themes: When a user keeps unused plugins and themes on the site it can be damaging to the website. This pile-up increases the risk of cyberattacks and malware because it poses a gateway for hackers to gain access to your site.

Here are steps to delete an unused WordPress plugin:

• Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins
• Click Delete under the Plugin’s name
  

8. Carry Out Web Application Firewalls (WAF): A WAF is a robust shield between your website and threats. It sieves out traffic, detects malicious threats, and stops them from reaching your website. Web Application Firewalls are necessary as they stop the regular hacking techniques such as cross-site script attacks and Structured Query Language(SQL)injection.

9.Log Out Dormant Users Automatically: Several users have the habit of forgetting to log out. This is a very common way of letting hackers into your system. Essentially it invites anyone who uses the same device to exploit your confidential data. This applies to people who use public computers/internet cafes or public networks. 

Hence it is important to figure out the methods to keep inactive users logged out automatically.

Configure your WordPress Website to log inactive users out once they are done using it.

Most bank websites prevent unauthorized visitors from entering their sites to ensure that the client’s data is safe.

WordPress Security Plugin like Inactive Logout is the best way to keep hackers away from accessing crucial data. Other than logging out idle users, this plugin can also send custom messages about their sessions ending soon.

Conclusion:

We hope that by following the aforementioned methods you may significantly bring down the risk of breaches and data theft and with these methods you may safeguard the data and your confidential documents. 

In today’s digital landscape maintaining a secure online platform is an ongoing process. We as users need to be vigilant and need to take proactive measures to be several steps ahead of any potential threat. This article helps WordPress Users reassess their current position and helps them with tips to protect sites from malware effectively.