WordPress security: how to strengthen your website's protection?

WordPress security is a major issue for all website owners. As a popular platform, WordPress is also a frequent target of cyber attacks. It's therefore crucial to put security measures in place to prevent data leakage, guarantee the protection of sensitive information, and ensure the reliability of your site.

This article explores best practices for strengthening the security of your WordPress site, including performing a website security audit and applying other essential measures.

I. Update WordPress, themes and plugins regularly

Regular updates are essential to maintain a secure site. WordPress and its plugins are constantly being patched to address vulnerabilities:
 

• Automatic updates: Enable automatic updates for WordPress core and plugins.
   
• Extension monitoring: Uninstall or replace plugins that are no longer maintained, as they can become entry points for attackers.
   
• Secure themes: Use recognized themes and check that they are regularly updated to avoid the risk of hacking.

By keeping your website up to date, you reduce the chances of being attacked via a vulnerability that has already been identified and corrected.

II. Use strong passwords and double authentication

Weak passwords are one of the main causes of website hacking. To strengthen WordPress security, it's important to use strong passwords:

• Create long passwords made up of letters, numbers and special characters.
   
• Use a password manager to store your credentials securely, such as LastPass or 1Password.
   
• Enable double authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a verification code after password entry.

By combining a strong password with double authentication, you significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
 

III Installing an effective security plugin

WordPress security plugins are indispensable tools for monitoring and protecting your site against threats:
 

• Wordfence and Sucuri Security are among the most widely used plugins, offering features like a firewall, malware scans, and real-time monitoring.
   
• Automatic alerts let you react quickly to any detected threats.

By using a security plugin, you ensure proactive  protection of your site by detecting intrusion attempts or data leaks before they cause damage.

IV. Set up regular backups

Even with the best security practices, an incident is always possible. A regular backup strategy is therefore crucial to quickly restoring your site in the event of a problem:

• Use plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy to automate your site backups.
   
• Schedule regular backups (daily or weekly) and store them outside your main server (on a secure cloud service, for example).
   
• Test the restoration of these backups on a regular basis to make sure they're working properly.

V. Limiting access to the WordPress dashboard

The WordPress dashboard is a strategic point that needs to be protected:
 

• Modify the default URL of your dashboard (wp-admin) using a plugin like WPS Hide Login to make it harder for attackers to gain access.
   
• Limit login attempts by using a security plugin that blocks IP addresses after several failed attempts.
   
• Assign roles and permissions strictly. Only administrators should have access to critical site functions.

By securing access to your dashboard, you reduce the risk of hacking through brute-force attacks.

VI. Performing a website security audit

A website security audit allows you to check the security status of your site and identify any potential vulnerabilities:

• Use professional services to perform a full audit, or dedicated plugins like Security Ninja that provide you with a detailed report.
   
• Evaluate the permissions of files and folders on your site to ensure they are not vulnerable to unauthorized access.
   
• Review installed extensions to check that they are up to date and from reliable sources.

Regular auditing is essential to ensure that your site complies with security best practices and to anticipate potential data leaks.

VII. Securing communications with an SSL certificate

Protecting data exchanges between your site and your users is essential for data protection:
 

• Install an SSL certificate to encrypt exchanged data. It also improves your site's SEO, as Google favors secure sites (HTTPS).
   
• Check regularly that your SSL certificate is active and working.

An SSL certificate not only protects your visitors, but also enhances your credibility as a secure site.

Secure your WordPress site now with Esokia

For optimum security, call on our experts for a comprehensive website security audit, which will identify potential flaws in your website while ensuring that your WordPress site is protected against cyberthreats.

With Esokia's expertise, you can secure your digital applications and strengthen your company's digital security robustness.

Contact us today!