WordPress is a popular content management system that millions of websites and individuals worldwide use. Its ease of use, flexibility, and open-source nature makes it a popular choice for bloggers, businesses, and anyone who wants to create a website.
However, this very popularity also makes it a prime target for hackers who are always looking for vulnerabilities and weaknesses to exploit. Ensuring that WordPress is secure can be daunting, but it is necessary if you want to protect your website and users.
The popularity of WordPress has also led to an increase in the number of security vulnerabilities. Many plugins are available to secure WordPress, but finding other ways to protect your site without using them is essential. In this article, we’ll explore how to secure WordPress without using plugins.
Importance of securing WordPress without using plugins
Plugins are great tools that help enhance WordPress websites. Some of them may also function as security plugins, providing protection against threats. However, relying entirely on plugins can be risky. It exposes your website to vulnerabilities since plugins can never guarantee 100% protection against all types of cyber threats.
Moreover, plugins can be exploited themselves, leading to potential security risks. Hence, it is imperative to use additional lines of defense to secure WordPress sites.
How do you secure WordPress without using plugins?
As the most popular content management system on the web, WordPress is a frequent target for hackers and cyber criminals. While there are plenty of plugins available to enhance the security of WordPress sites, there are several manual steps that website owners can take to secure their sites against common threats.
1. Update WordPress regularly
One of the most important security measures for any CMS is to keep it updated. WordPress is no different in this regard. Regular updates are essential for keeping the platform secure, as they often address known security vulnerabilities.
Fortunately, WordPress makes updating the core platform and installed themes and plugins easy. Automatic updates can be enabled for all updates or individual updates, making it simple to maintain the latest version of WordPress.
2. Keep themes and plugins up to date
Outdated versions of WordPress themes and plugins are a common target for hackers, as they can contain vulnerabilities that are easily exploited. Make sure to keep your WordPress themes and all plugins up to date by regularly checking for updates and applying them as soon as they become available.
3. Use strong passwords
Another key step in securing your WordPress site is to use strong, unique passwords for all user accounts. This includes your own account, as well as any other accounts with administrative privileges on your site.
Avoid using easily guessable passwords, and consider using a password management tool to generate and store secure passwords.
4. Use strong and unique passwords for all users
A strong and unique password is one of the best and easiest ways to secure your WordPress login. A strong password should be at least twelve characters long, containing both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Avoid using common passwords such as ‘password’ or ‘123456,’ as they are easy to guess. Instead, use a combination of random words that have personal meaning to you but cannot be found in a dictionary.
5. Secure WordPress login page and password
For many website owners, WordPress is the go-to content management system (CMS) when building a website. Its user-friendly interface and abundant plugins and themes make it a convenient tool for website creation. However, with its popularity comes the risk of cyber attacks that may compromise website security.
One of the most vulnerable areas of a WordPress website is the login page and password. In this blog section, we’ll share practical tips on how to secure your WordPress login page and password.
The login page is the entry point to your WordPress website, which makes it a prime target for hackers. If your login page is not secure, it can easily be brute-forced, allowing hackers to gain access to your website and potentially steal sensitive data, install malware, or deface your website. Hence, it’s essential to secure your login page and password to protect your website and its visitors from cyber threats.
6. Implement two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress login. It requires users to provide two forms of identification before accessing your website. Usually, this means entering a password and a one-time code sent to your mobile device or email. 2FA can protect your website against hackers who may have guessed or stolen your password.
7. Limit login attempts
Limiting login attempts is another way to secure your WordPress login. By default, WordPress allows unlimited attempts to log in, which makes it easy for hackers to launch a brute force attack. However, you can install a plugin that limits the number of logins attempts a user can make before being locked out of your website. This reduces the chances of a successful brute-force attack.
8. Hide the login page
By default, your WordPress login page is located at yoursite.com/wp-login.php or yoursite.com/wp-admin/. This makes it easy for a hacker to launch a brute force attack as they know where to find your login page. However, you can hide your login page by changing its URL or customizing the login form. Several WordPress plugins can help you achieve this. Hiding your login page adds an extra layer of security as it makes it harder for hackers to locate your login page.
9. Restrict file permissions
By default, WordPress sets file permissions to allow anyone to read and write files. This can be a security risk, as it allows hackers to execute malicious code on your site. To restrict file permissions, use an FTP client or SSH to change the permissions on all files to 644, and all directories to 755.
10. Disable file editing in WordPress dashboard
One of the ways that hackers can gain access to WordPress sites is by exploiting the file editor feature in WordPress. This feature allows users to edit theme and plugin files from within the WordPress dashboard. Unfortunately, it can also be used to inject malicious code into your site. To disable file editing, add the following code to your wp-config.php file:
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);
11. Restrict access to important files and directories
One of the easiest and most effective ways to secure your WordPress site is to restrict access to important files and directories. This can be done by creating a file called .htaccess in the root directory of your site and adding the following code:
Order Allow,Deny
Deny from all
12. Backup your WordPress site regularly for added security
Creating regular backups of your WordPress website can reduce the amount of damage caused by a potential security breach. With a recent backup file, you can easily restore your website back to the most recent working version. There are many backup plugins available on WordPress, but there are also other ways to back up a website without a plugin.
One way to back up the website is by using the web host’s backup feature. Many hosting companies offer automatic backups, which provide an easy solution for website owners. Alternatively, you can use FTP software to download the website’s files and then use the export feature in the WordPress CMS’s admin panel to export the website’s database.
Conclusion
In conclusion, securing WordPress without using plugins is achievable with a few simple steps. By implementing strong passwords, keeping WordPress and all plugins up-to-date, restricting access to crucial files, and utilizing security protocols such as HTTPS and two-factor authentication, you can significantly reduce the risk of your website being hacked.
While plugins can provide additional security measures, a plugin-free approach can also be effective in keeping your website safe. By following the best practices outlined in this article, you can ensure that your WordPress website is as secure as possible.
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