WordPress is an easy platform to use for content management. However, you could have security risks if proper measures are not put in place to protect the site. WordPress development companies know the best security measures to implement, and this post will highlight some of them.
Every WordPress development company knows that security is the most vital feature of a site. It affects almost every aspect of the site. You can make your WordPress development installation secure and keep the site safe from hackers who plan to steal your data and gain access illegally.
To start with, there are some things you must check to ensure that the installation is secure. This includes setting up a strong password as well as website permissions. You will need some plugins as well to secure the installation. These plugins can be quite difficult to set up because some of them conflict with others or even freeze. The steps below can help smoothen the installation process and make the site secure.
Every WordPress web development company knows the default username and password used for WordPress installation. Hackers also know this username and password, and they use it to hijack your installation process and lock you out of your site. Even if you use a different password, they have scripts to guess password value. This isn't the only loophole during installation. Hackers also know the default value of the database name. With this information, they can hijack the installation process and change settings.
While WordPress installs, it suggests some default values for the user. So take note of this loophole and fix it before the process starts. You can change this value to another prefix, completely ignoring the default value.
Most times, the next screen after this provides a default admin value. You should also do yourself some good and use an entirely different username. If you choose to interact with other users on the site, you can choose a nickname that they will see. This nickname is important because it doesn’t give hackers any new ideas about values to try. Be sure to avoid using your real name or anything that can be linked back to you. When you pick a password, select a mix of number and letters as well as special characters. This will give you a stronger password. Look at the bar next to the password to see the strength.
This doesn’t change anything if you did not fix different values during the previous installation. Your site is still vulnerable to attacks. You can still change them during installation, as it is straightforward and easy. You can start by changing the table prefix because it is linked to the database.
Just like what was mentioned before, using the default value "admin" as the username is not safe. You could make your site vulnerable to hackers. This may seem difficult especially if you are not tech savvy. However, you can rename the username without having to create a different user account. Do it by deleting your admin account and creating an entirely new account.
Here is how you can do this. Start by logging into the dashboard. From there, click on users and begin to add a new user by simply clicking the "Add New" option. You can now change the username to one of your choices. Do not forget to avoid using real names that can be linked to you or easy to guess.
The next step requires filling other fields, and they include email, password, website, and names. You are not obligated to fill all these fields; some can be left out like the last name and website. Only use a strong password should be used and set up the role as administrator.
When you're done, you can log out and then log in again with the new username that you chose. If you go back to see users on your dashboard, you'll see two different users, the old and the new. You need to delete the old one with the username admin. The delete option can be spotted after hovering over it with the cursor. You will see two options, edit and delete, click delete and get rid of it.
You can also add a new nickname to the new username. Do this by clicking on the sidebar. You will have to fill a form to add the nickname that you’ll use when interacting with other users on the site.
Hackers may try to guess your password to gain access to the database. Such an attack is called a brute force attack. The only way to prevent any vulnerability on the site is to avoid common passwords or easy ones to guess.
You can increase security with a plugin. One good one is Bulletproof Security. It is used to restrict the number of password guesses a person can have while trying to access a site. It works actively to suspend any user that uses a wrong password more than thrice over one hour on the site. This plugin is logged into the dashboard and then added as new. When it is installed, you can launch it using the side bar. From here, you can also select the default options to use and save them.
Be sure to protect the admin area as well because lots of hackers target it. To do this, add a simple trap that will redirect the hackers if they somehow manage to bypass the plugin for security. Another plugin that protects your admin area is Stealth Login Page. It can be used to serve as a second protection mechanism after the first plugin. When you're done installing this plugin, launch it through the sidebar and set it up as you did for the first. You can then add a URL or pin that hackers will be redirected to when they attempt to hijack your page. This process is important and must be added to the login page. You also need to permit it to log in to the dashboard.
You can protect your site using these simple measures during installation. There are also other options to fortify your WordPress site. You have the option of setting them up by yourself or contacting a web developer to do the job.
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