If you happen to have even the slightest hint of the web design world, you are probably aware of WordPress and how awesome it has proven to be as a Content Management System. Owing to its ease of use and huge popularity, WordPress has come forward as a website builder of the masses.
However, paying the price of this popularity, websites on WordPress have repeatedly become victims of hacker attacks over the time.
In this blog post, we will explore the reasons as to why WordPress websites are more prone to getting hacked through Brute-Force attacks, SQL injections, File Inclusion Exploits, Cross-Site Scripting, and Malware.
We will also weave in some of the measures that can help you secure your own WordPress website for a robust security.
Let’s begin.
The Open-Source Nature of the Platform
An open source code is probably a troublemaker for the WordPress community. Since all the security issues and any other similar shortcomings are put out for a public release, the malicious hackers can keep a track of the security vulnerabilities.
This track-keeping provides them with an idea of the issues faced by the WordPress community, giving them an advantage. This is probably one of the top reasons for WordPress websites get hacked more often.
Plugin & Theme Vulnerabilities
On one hand, WordPress plugins and themes make the platform extensive. On the other, they become the reason for security breaches for multiple WordPress websites. In fact, WordPress plugins are the biggest source of vulnerabilities in WordPress.
WordPress users install a lot of plugins and keep a number of theme files in their site’s database to carry out quick customizations. When outdated or abandoned plugins and themes become a security loophole for the website they are present on. Since they are no longer updated or taken care of. Hackers employ them to inject malicious codes on websites using these vulnerable plugins and themes.
It is also a common scenario that in an attempt to buy premium themes and plugins at cheap or discounted rates. Some WordPress users head to shady or unauthentic online stores that deal in such plugins and themes. These stores are an easy target for hackers who are looking to toy with users on board by later hacking their WordPress sites.
Version Updates
WordPress updates make way for new changes in the website builder and introduce security patches for any security issues faced by users during the previous version of the CMS. They definitely make the WordPress experience more wholesome.
However, a lot of new website users (Over 500+ new sites are daily built on WordPress) are not aware of the compulsion of running a version update every time there’s one. This widespread practice makes the target even more vulnerable, causing more website get hacked daily.
Exposed WordPress Database
Probably one of the best things about WordPress (which makes it easy for new and non-technical users to get around the CMS) is that it has simplified the naming of files and database structures for easy understanding and troubleshooting.
Obviously, hackers have a great time knowing that the “wp-” prefix is used to label almost everything and they can use this particular feature of WordPress to their advantage.
Lack of Safety Awareness Among New Users
Regardless of the website builder. Making a website secure is the prime responsibility of all kind of website owners including WordPress.
Since WordPress is fairly easy to use and accessible by all, a lot of people end up making their websites on WordPress with the help of several step-by-step guides. They often underestimate the security concern of these websites and let the website be, once they are finished creating it.
This data and practice are obviously known to the hacker community. They exploit this shortcoming on the part of WordPress users to hack more and more websites.
The Remedy
Hackers will continue to prevail and upgrade their hacking skills to penetrate several security measures implemented by website owners worldwide. However, there’s always something that we can do to negate the damage and be prepared. So, how can you make your WordPress websites more secure than they are?
Here’s a to-do list:
- Keep your WordPress version updated at all times.
- Practice supervision when it comes to allocating user roles on your website. Keeping these user logins monitored is also a great way to make sure that everything is under control, as expected.
- Always keep all your WordPress plugins and themes updated, it keeps them free of any security loopholes.
- Never download any themes and plugins from unreliable sources because they are the breeding ground for hackers.
- Choose strong login credentials for your WordPress websites. So that hacking the login page can get a little too difficult for notorious hackers. If you want, you can even hide the login page by using WordPress plugins such as WPS Hide Login.
- Use a reliable web hosting service to stay secure. A great web hosting provider will also ensure that your website is fast to load.
- The best thing to do for your site’s security is to use a robust security plugin such as WordFence, Sucuri, All In One WP Security & Firewall.
- Restrict login attempts and enable brute-force protection from hacking attempts.
Conclusion
Hackers operate for either of the two reasons; to have fun playing around with people’s websites or hack them for their economic gains or use of resources. Whatever the intent may be, making sure that your website is secure is more than just a compulsion.
Hence, if you want to keep your WordPress website secure and free from hacker attacks, it is best that you incorporate the safety measures provided in the listicle above. If everything else does not work for you, never hesitate from spending on a professional WordPress website security service.
A hacked website does no good to its audience nor its owner. In fact, an unsafe website can be flagged by Search engines for their weak integrity. We are sure that you definitely don’t want that happening for your website.
So, make the move today by making your website safer and making sure that you reap all the benefits of the WordPress platform.