How to protect your WordPress site and your customer data

10 Ways to Protect Your WordPress Site from Cyber Attacks

WordPress is the most used CMS platform in the world, with over 40% of all websites that use this technology. Although WordPress is a reliable system, there are still many vulnerabilities that website owners face. In this article, we will give you tips on how to secure your WordPress site and protect yourself from hacker attacks.

1. Use a strong, strong password

It is important to use a strong password to protect your WordPress site. The password should be long and complex, containing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.

Here are some tips for creating a secure password:

• Use at least 12 characters
• Avoid common or easy-to-guess words like “qwerty” or “companyname2023”
• Don't use the same password for multiple accounts
• Use a password manager to create and manage your passwords securely

Also, make sure you change your password regularly and don't share it with anyone.

2. Update WordPress and plugins regularly

It is important to keep your WordPress site, plugins and themes installed constantly updated, to avoid being vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Here are some useful tips:

• Make sure you always have the latest version of WordPress, plugins and themes installed.
• Enable automatic WordPress updates to always have the latest version available.
• Uninstall unused or outdated plugins and themes, as they may pose a security risk.
• Try to always use plugins and themes from reliable and verified suppliers, able to guarantee constant support and frequent updates.

Remember: the security of your WordPress site also depends on your attention and the good maintenance practices you adopt. At BigFive we are very careful about keeping sites updated that we make.

3. Use a WordPress security plugin

To increase the security of your WordPress site, it is advisable to use a security plugin. Here are three popular options:

1. Wordfence Security: Free plugin that offers advanced security features, such as scanning your site for malware and protecting against brute force attacks.
2. iThemes Security: Comprehensive security plugin that includes features such as scanning your site for vulnerabilities, protecting against brute force attacks, and managing security keys.
3. Sucuri Security: Premium security plugin that offers features like scanning your site for malware and protecting against DDoS attacks.

Remember that even when using a security plugin, it is important to take other security measures for your WordPress site.

4. Change the default URL of the admin area

To increase the security of your WordPress site, it is advisable to change the default URL of the administration area, in order to make it more difficult for potential hackers to find the login page.

There are various ways to do this, one of the simplest is to use the free plugin WPS Hide Login, available on WordPress.org. This plugin allows you to change the default login URL wp-login.php to any other custom word or phrase. This way, authorized users can access the admin area via a custom URL, while hackers will have a harder time locating the login page.

Please note: Changing the URL to access the administration area does not guarantee total protection from the risk of cyber attacks, but it still represents an important security measure to adopt.

5. Disable unnecessary WordPress features

WordPress offers many features and options that are not always necessary for your website, but which can still pose a potential security risk. Some functions can in fact be exploited by attackers to carry out attacks or to discover sensitive information.

For this reason, it is important to disable all functions and options that you do not use, for example:

• Disable user registration if not necessary
• Disable the publication of comments if they are not requested
• Disable website tracking, if not required
• Disable XML-RPC functions if not needed

In general, it is advisable to limit the use of unnecessary plugins and themes as much as possible, as they represent a potential point of vulnerability for the website.

6. Set a regular backup policy

Regular backup of website data is essential for security and business continuity in the event of attacks or malfunctions. Here are some guidelines:

• Choose a reliable backup solution: You can use dedicated backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy or VaultPress.
• Set the frequency of backups: it is important to define the frequency of backups based on the frequency of website updates. In general, it is advisable to back up at least once a week.
• Choose the storage location: Backups can be stored locally on the server or on an external cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
• Check the validity of the backups: It is important to periodically test the validity of backups and ensure that it is possible to restore the website from archived data.

The sites that are hosted on BigFive servers have by default two daily backups.

7. Use an SSL certificate for data encryption

Data encryption is a fundamental aspect of ensuring the security of a website. The use of an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate allows the information exchanged between the website and the user to be encrypted, protecting it from possible external attacks.

Below are some points to consider when using an SSL certificate:

• Acquire an SSL certificate from a certificate authority
• Install the SSL certificate on the website hosting server
• Verify that the website works correctly in HTTPS mode
• Configure the website so that internal links and resources (images, scripts, etc.) use the HTTPS protocol
• Set up an automatic redirect from the HTTP version to the HTTPS version of the website

All the sites to which BigFive offers the hosting service provide the SSL certificate included in the price

8. Use a reliable and secure hosting provider

It is important to choose a secure and reliable hosting provider for your WordPress site. There are many factors to consider when choosing your hosting provider, such as security, site speed, and customer support.

Here are some points to keep in mind when choosing your hosting provider:

• Make sure the provider offers reliable technical support that is available 24/7
• Check that the provider uses security protocols such as SSL and firewalls
• Check whether the provider performs regular backups of your site data
• Check that the provider offers fast loading speeds for your site
• Choose a provider that offers scalable hosting plans to support your site's growth

Some reliable and secure hosting providers you might consider are:

• ServerPlan
• Siteground
• Netsons
• GoDaddy
• AWS

9. Avoid using pirated or unofficial themes or plugins

It is important to use only official and certified WordPress themes and plugins to avoid the risk of vulnerabilities and cyber attacks.

Here are some tips to follow:

• Download themes and plugins only from the official WordPress repository
• Avoid using themes or plugins from unofficial or unverified sources
• Regularly check available updates for installed themes and plugins and proceed with updates only if they have been released by the official developers

Furthermore, we remind you that the use of pirated or unofficial themes or plugins is prohibited by the WordPress terms of use and may result in the cancellation of the site.

10. Enable protection against DDoS attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can take a WordPress site offline and cause data and reputation loss. It is important to protect your site from such attacks.

Here are some steps that can be used to protect your site from DDoS attacks:

• Use services like Cloudflare that offer DDoS protection
• Configure the server to limit incoming traffic from suspicious sources
• Use a WordPress security plugin that offers DDoS protection

Note: It's important to take protecting your site from DDoS attacks seriously, as the effects of an attack can be devastating.