WordPress offers designers and developers the incredible creative freedom to produce aesthetic, functional and exciting websites. It has launched companies and businesses to a whole new level of global visibility and afforded many workers the opportunities for entire careers based around the platform.
However, no matter how well-designed, perfectly crafted and visually pleasing your site is, there is one element of WordPress development that, if not properly considered, could make all other aspects completely irrelevant.
Security is the most important feature of any websites. If you fail to prioritize it correctly, you can find yourself falling victim to hackers, malware and many other less-than-savory outcomes, resulting in wasted time and even potential financial repercussions.
Thankfully, WordPress provides a plethora of security plug-ins that are the perfect addition to the other layers of protection that you have in place.
WordFence
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WordFence is most definitely the most popular WordPress security plug-in, but it’s also hailed by many as the best. As an entirely free product, it’s a great place to start and boasts 50 times more speed and security on your site just from simply installing it. The plug-in provides a variety of protection, including a dedicated firewall.
Other key features cover:
- Login security, including two-step authentication
- IP blocking
- Security scanning
As soon as you set WordFence to run, it will begin by completing a comprehensive scan of your computer, highlighting any problems and vulnerabilities and providing solutions where it can.
This option is perfect for beginners who are just learning to use security plug-ins. There are also options to upgrade once you come to grips with the basics.
Security Ninja
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Another great multi-faceted security option, Security Ninja, is a comprehensive security suite for your site that provides users with over 40 security tests on different elements of their website. It will subsequently supply you with the right code snippets for quick fixes.
This plugin is particularly notable for its protection against brute-force attacks, which are some of the most common and troublesome in the industry. This software lets you test the strength of your passwords against hackers and ensure they can’t gain access to your login details in this way.
Unfortunately, the plug-in doesn’t account for situations where hackers can intercept your passcodes by connecting to the same, shared network as you (e.g. public WiFi), so it’s always worth using extra preventative measures here. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is your best bet for ensuring security even when on-the-go.
WP Security Audit Log
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Knowledge is power, and that is equally as relevant when it comes to securing your site. That it what makes the WP Security Audit Log so very useful. The plugin does pretty much what it says on the tin. It provides an audit log of all activity across your WordPress blogs and accounts.
This tool gives users an incredible benefit, as it means suspicious activity can be identified long before it becomes a problem. When an issue is flagged up, it will immediately notify the site own with a security alert.
These warnings cover a vast amount of potential threats, including letting you know when a new user has created an account, when any files have been edited or uploaded, when the code is modified or when account settings have been changed. It even covers failed login attempts, which significantly improves your chances of avoiding a brute force attack.
Acunetix WP
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Acunetic WP Security is a great security tool that covers a vast range of bases to provide extra layers of security to your WordPress installation. As well as monitoring and regularly scanning your systems to identify any potential vulnerabilities, this plug-in will also provide you with bespoke advice on ways you can increase your levels of protection. Some of the examples of remedies suggested by this software include:
- Tips for establishing protective file permissions
- Securing your database
- Changing passwords
- Editing vulnerabilities in core code
Another key element of Acunetix is that it creates regular full back-ups of your entire WordPress database. This means you always have a recent copy to revert to if you do suffer a security breach.
Antivirus For WordPress
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Malware all across the net is becoming an increasing problem, with many internet users on red alert for infected domains. This means that, if you do contract a virus, it could be terrible for your online reputation. Fortunately, there are many anti-virus plug-ins for WordPress that can help protect you.
Antivirus For WordPress is one of the leading options available to help secure your site from infection. It provides constant monitoring to identify and solve spam injections and any other malicious code, including malvertising links and worms.
The plug-in provides a wonderfully simple user interface. It’s perfect for users of all level and can be set up quickly to provide instant protection.
You don’t have to be a technical expert to secure your WordPress site properly. These five plugins will all go a long way to providing the protection you need.
Have you ever used the tools mentioned above? Do you have another personal favorite that you think deserves a spot on the list? Leave a comment below with your ideas!
