<h1> How to Keep a WordPress Website Secure in 2024 </h1>

In recent months, we’ve seen a notable increase in companies approaching us with concerns about the security of their WordPress websites. As we step into 2024, it’s never been more important that keeping your digital presence secure is not just advisable; it’s imperative. In response to this growing demand, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you fortify your WordPress site.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing security measures or starting from scratch, our upcoming posts will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard your website against the evolving landscape of cyber threats. Stay tuned as we delve into the best practices and strategies for WordPress security in 2024.

<h2> Why Is Keeping Your WordPress Website Up-to-date Important? </h2>

Keeping your WordPress website up-to-date and secure is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, regular updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. Without these updates, your website becomes an easy target for attacks, which can lead to data breaches, loss of customer trust, and potentially severe financial repercussions. Additionally, updating WordPress ensures compatibility with new plugins and themes, which can enhance your site’s functionality and user experience. Furthermore, a secure and up-to-date website is likely to perform better in terms of speed and reliability, providing a smoother experience for your visitors and improving your site’s SEO rankings. In essence, maintaining the security and updates of your WordPress site is vital for protecting your digital assets and sustaining your online presence.

<h2> The Steps We Take To Make Websites Secure </h2>

To enhance the security of WordPress websites, we implement a series of robust measures aimed at fortifying against potential threats. This included:

• Mandatory 2FA for admin accounts – We force admins to have 2 Factor Authentication on their accounts. There are a few options for this which includes an email code or an authentication app like Google Authenticator or 1Password (the later we couldn’t recommend more).
• Scan the website with Defender to check for modified or unusual files outside of a typical WP installation. – Some hackers will add unusual files into the root or installation folders in order to gain access, so we do a scan and delete to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary.
• Manually check for files – The scanner doesn’t always catch everything, especially in the wp-content folder as clients upload all sorts of files there. We go through and check, using our experience to find any suspicious files.
• Disabled error logging so there’s no public-facing error logs – This stops potential hackers seeing any issues/vulnerabilities the site may have.
• Removing any File Manager plugins – This is a way of preventing file access and editing directly in the admin area.
• Removing the Hello Dolly plugin – Typically installed by default, this plugin serves no purpose, so it’s 1 less plugin to worry about.
• Check for out-of-date plugins – Lots of plugin updates are security updates, so it’s always best to keep them up to date.
• Removed any unused plugins – No need to keep or update them if they are not in use. Again, it’s just less to worry about.
• Regenerated WP config salts – This invalidates existing authentication cookies, forcing users to log in again.
• Changed the database password – Just incase a hacker had this saved.
• Added htaccess rules as advised per WP documentation – https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/hardening-wordpress/.

<h2> What We Used To Secure The Site </h2>

A key component in our strategy to secure our WordPress website is the use of WPMU DEV’s Defender plugin. This powerful tool plays a crucial role in our security setup by providing robust features allowing us to do the above actions. Defender also helps to secure our site by implementing the latest security recommendations and practices directly within its framework. Its intuitive interface allows us to quickly address any vulnerabilities by patching them promptly. By integrating Defender into our WordPress environment, we’ve significantly enhanced our ability to detect and fend off potential security threats, ensuring our website remains safe and protected at all times.

Need help securing your website? We can help with anything WordPress related, so please get in touch via our website, email us at [email protected], or call us at +44 (0)1218 272750.