The Best WordPress Security Measures and Practices for Your Business

WordPress is amazing for a lot of reasons – but problematic for one. You see, it’s so well-liked and used globally that it’s gotten a lot of people working on new plugins, new code, and tons of awesome features. The downside, however, is that because it’s used so extensively, hackers are doing their darndest to get into your website. That’s why WordPress security is kind of a huge deal.

But knowing is half of the battle, so let’s start by buffing up your website’s weakest areas.

Know the Weakest Areas so You Can Buff Up Your WordPress Security

Because WordPress is designed to be so user-friendly, it comes with some pre-programmed features. Unfortunately, those features can turn into a liability unless you realize they’re meant to be changed. The top 3 concerns are:

• Every WordPress site comes with default values.
• Passwords.
• The wrong plugins.

What are default values? Well, when you first set up your site, the username is pretty much always “admin”. Go change that, ASAP. Changing that will give you an added measure of safety, unless you’re also using that user name to publish a blog. What that means is that it isn’t hard to figure out someone’s user name. That’s why changing the default values is important. Then, you need to attack your password.

Every year, they publish the most commonly used passwords. So if your password is “password” or “abc123”, you’re on the list. Congrats – and go change that immediately! Pick something hard but memorable, like maybe a few favorite song lyrics. Passwords are a huge concern – and a huge topic.

Finally, plugins. Well, the wrong plugins. We’ll talk about that in a moment, though! But first, let’s take a step back and talk about where you live.

The Importance of Using a Strong Server and Host Provider

Or rather, let’s talk about where your website lives. The server (or host provider) you use is a lot like the neighborhood where your website lives. So if you’ve built an amazing, beautiful, idyllic house, it’s important to remember that you build that website in the right neighborhood.

Because most hackers don’t actually want to break into your house. They want to take over your (server) neighborhood, and they’ll use your house (website) to achieve their means. Once they’re able to take down a server, then they can unleash their zombie horde at websites with juicy tidbits, like credit card numbers and personal identification information.

And since nobody wants to unwittingly unleash the zombie apocalypse, make sure you choose a good neighborhood for your website. Don’t skimp, thinking that saving that extra $2 on hosting will be worth it. Because it won’t be.

How the Right Plugins Turn your Website into a Well-defended Castle

Okay, so now that we’ve got your website built in a good neighborhood, let’s turn it from a beautiful house into a well-defended castle. And we do that with the right wordpress security plugins.

Now, “free” and “paid” aren’t how you differentiate the “right” from the “wrong” WordPress security plugins. That only determines how much you’re paying. What differentiates them is how well they work – and what they do. The “wrong” plugins give hackers a back door right into your website – and from there, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to borrowing your server to unleash the zombies.

The “right” plugins are ones like iThemes Security Pro. They’re plugins that add a moat to your castle. They filter out the problematic traffic and deter hackers. They add layers of protection – and mesh well with other WordPress security plugins so that you can add even more layers of protection to your website – and your virtual neighborhood.

Make sure to keep your website, and your virtual neighborhood, safe by using the right WordPress security measures. Because if you’re online, somebody’s trying to hack your info. So don’t let them have it – or your business.

Looking for a step-by-step “how to” on completely securing a WordPress site? You can check out this comprehensive resource from CloudLiving.

Want more great info on keeping your business safe and growing? Stay tuned here for more details. Or, if you’re ready for more specific info for your business, then let’s chat.

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