Tips to Keep Your WordPress Site Secure
With over 60 million active websites across the globe, WordPress is one of the most popular platforms on Internet. Yet, because of the sheer amount of WordPress members along with its ease of use, WordPress is sometimes a target for hackers.
However, there are several ways that you can keep your site secure.
1. Choose a Strong Password: A strong password is a must for any account you have, including WordPress. Unfortunately, some people choose simple passwords or a general password they use for all of their accounts.
It’s imperative to create an original password that’s mixed with a variation of letters, symbols, and numbers. Hackers use password crack tools, and if you have a common password, it makes it easy for hackers to attack and compromise your website.
2. Backup: You should always back up everything on your WordPress website regularly. Although your website hosting company may help, it’s recommended to find a powerful backup plugin.
For example, Updraft Plus is a free tool provided by WordPress that backs up all of your data into your chosen destination, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, SFTP, FTP, and much more.
3. Choose a Strong Webhost Company: There are arrays of webhost companies available, and people often get confused as to which one to use.
It’s important to do you research before deciding on a webhost company as there are many companies that don’t utilize web security tools. Make sure you choose a webhost that not only offers security tools, but also monitors your website for threats.
4. Delete Plugins You Don’t Use: If you’ve installed a plugin you don’t want or if you’ve replaced an old plugin with a better one, make sure you delete the plugins you no longer use. While it’s simple to click the “Deactivate” button to stop the plugin, that isn’t enough to keep your website safe.
Keep in mind that although you’ve deactivated the unused plugin, if you don’t delete it as well, you are leaving codes on your server. This is an open invitation for hackers to exploit your website. Always press the “Delete” key after you’ve deactivated unused plugins.
5. Use a Secure Server Only: When you login to your WordPress account, make sure you are using a secured, wired Internet connection. If you a use a wireless Internet connection be certain that it has secure encoding and data encryption. Accessing your account from public places that offer free Wi-Fi makes your website vulnerable to hackers.
Source: WordPress: Stats: http://en.wordpress.com/stats/