As web designers and users of WordPress we have to be aware of security, and the appropriate measures that need to be taken in order to make a website secure. Security within WordPress is known as hardening, as with any large online site with many users the sites can often be targeted by hackers. Unfortunately hackers and scammers will always be around however, there are security measures you can put in place for you account to ensure the risk of being hacked is kept to minimum.
Website designers often recommend a safety plugin to be installed on your site, however in 2013 it was found that 73% of WordPress accounts were vulnerable. Over half of the most used commercial plugins were considered to be vulnerable.
Its always important to keep in mind that the WordPress is an easy to use site and is relatively secure, however the more components added such as themes and plugins the more vulnerable your site is likely to become. Simple measures can be done to keep your account and information safe.
As a website design company we understand the importance of keeping the account up to date, whenever an installation or update presents itself on your dashboard be sure activate it. If you are concenerd about loosing your work then ensure to back up your pages. WordPress continuously looks to fix security holes which is the reason why updates are vital for a safe site.
Working as website designers we often have many plugins on our site, with the WordPress site you to ensure you are keeping plugins and themes up to date. When plugins and themes are added to a site they act as a back door to the site. This means that out of date themes and plugins can cause a security risk and possible access to personal information.
We often find ourselves using a lot of plugins, however we often stop using some plugins if we find they become unresponsive to website designs. If you find yourself not using a theme or plugin the safest thing to do is delete them. Doing this reduces the risk of any unwanted users. Deleting these elements is imperative as their not being used because this means they also not being updated. This method will decrease your chances of hackers.
Be very cautious of where your plugins and themes come from. You need to ensure that your downloads are coming from secure sites, these sites are more like to scan anything that they are selling. WordPress is known for intense screen of plugins and themes. Always ensure your sources are credible.
Be sure to change user names, admin is often used when WordPress is installed by using a different name to login will be able reduce the risks of being hacked. Password changes are essential, regular changes in the password will be able to constantly keep your site safe. Using random letters and numbers will work well in not being detected. Ensure that your password is strong this will be shown visually on a WordPress account.
A two step authentication is always a reliable security measurement. When the password is entered a code will be sent to your phone to ensure that you are the one who is logging on.
Installing a firewall is always a sensible thing to do. By installing a firewall on your computer will insure that any malware will be detected, this can prove useful when your on unfamiliar sites.
When hackers attempt to login onto a site they will continuously try to logging on using different password’s until they have cracked the code. By limiting logins you be able the system to only accept a password from a IP address a certain number of times. The user is then restricted for logging on for a certain amount of time.
Security is often comprised when too many people have access to the account. By limiting access to only people who need it lowers the security risk.
Working as website designers loosing work is the worst case scenario. Always remember to back up your site, its easier to make a schedule so the work is regularly being backed up and kept up to date. This means that if their has been a security risk on your site you are able to restore your site from a safe place without months of work being deleted.
Conducting security scans on your themes will prove very helpful. This scan will detect unwanted code and malware.