Let’s explore WordPress security issues and how you can keep your WordPress website safe and secure, starting at the beginning.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a wonderful way to set up an affordable CMS (Content Management System) website, allowing you to manage and update your own content easily.
WordPress is arguably the most popular CMS, powering over 40% of the internet today.
It has gained popularity because it offers great functionality, is highly customisable for designers, and, when set up correctly, is loved by search engines, too.
WordPress allows web developers to build beautiful, bespoke designs, structures, and layouts, then seamlessly hand over the virtual keys to the client so they can make updates in-house. And because WordPress is open-source software, all of that is free!
Sounds great, right? It is, but if you don’t properly update and maintain your website, you can run into WordPress security issues.
Why Does WordPress Have Security Issues?
WordPress is open-source software, which means its source code is publicly available worldwide.
While this collaborative approach is amazing for innovation, it also means anyone, including hackers, can examine the code to look for vulnerabilities.
The longer a version of WordPress has been available without an update, the more time hackers have had to find and exploit those vulnerabilities.
Why Does WordPress Need to Be Kept Up to Date?
Technology evolves at lightning speed, and software needs to keep up.
When a security hole is discovered in WordPress, the global community of developers quickly builds a digital patch to fix it and releases an update. If you don’t run that update, your website remains vulnerable.
Keeping your WordPress website up to date is essential to avoid WordPress security issues.
Why Would Someone Want to Hack My Website?
You may think, “I’m just a small local business, why would anyone hack my website?” But most hacks aren’t personal.
Hackers target websites for a whole host of reasons: for fun, an experimental challenge, to learn something, to spread a message, or, more maliciously, to steal data and money.
Hackers develop automated programs that look for WordPress security issues in old versions of the software.
Not all hackers are malicious. “White-hat” hackers are the good guys who look for and report WordPress security issues and vulnerabilities so they can be fixed. However, “black-hat” hackers are bad news for your WordPress website. Keep it updated to keep them out.
WordPress Security Issues and Vulnerabilities
Open-source software is a positive thing because millions of eyes are on the code, so vulnerabilities are usually spotted and fixed much faster than in traditional, closed software.
That’s why there are regular WordPress releases. It’s a continuous cycle of improvement: a vulnerability is found, the WordPress community fights back with a fix, and we update our sites – like an online community watch program.
Is WordPress Safe?
Yes.
The WordPress core, along with mainstream themes and plugins, is highly secure, as long as everything is kept up to date.
WordPress security isn’t set-it-and-forget-it; it’s an ongoing practice of digital care and vigilance.
WordPress Security Updates
To keep your digital experience seamless and secure, and to reduce hacking risks, your WordPress core, themes, and plugins must be updated regularly.
We also recommend that you always back up your website’s database before hitting the update button.
In the rare event that a plugin update conflicts with your theme, a recent backup means your site can be fully restored in minutes. Phew!
How to Secure WordPress Websites
Securing your site doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are five simple steps you can take right now:
- Ditch “Admin”: Never use “admin” or your website name as your username. It’s the first thing automated bots guess. Go for something obscure.
- Enforce Strong Passwords: Use a password manager and change your passwords periodically.
- Lock the Digital Back Door: You can use plugins to change your login URL from the standard yourwebsite.com/wp-admin, to something unique to you.
- Install an SSL Certificate: This encrypts the connection between your users’ browsers and your website, keeping their data safe and Google happy.
- Change the Database Prefix: Changing the default wp_ prefix during setup adds an extra layer of obscurity that protects your data.
WordPress Security Plugins
You can fend off the vast majority of automated attacks by installing dedicated WordPress security plugins. These tools act as digital security guards for your website. Kaydee Web recommends:
Backup WordPress
The best safety net is a reliable, automated backup system. If your site is ever compromised or experiences a technical glitch, having an independent backup means you can confidently press “undo” and quickly reinstate your website.
While no website on the internet can ever be 100% invincible, taking these steps gets you as close as possible.
Need Help With WordPress Security?
Technology should support your business growth, not add to your to-do list.
If you’d like us to handle the updates, backups, and digital heavy lifting, we offer a comprehensive Performance and Protection package to keep your WordPress website safe, secure and thriving for just £25 a month.
Get in touch to tick WordPress security issues off your list of worries.
