A WordPress website can become complex, with plugins, certificates, and access points all contributing to a tangled security network and subsequent safeguarding requirements.
At Squarebird, a WordPress-only digital web agency, we know a thing or two about how to keep your WordPress website secure. In this article, we’ll tell you all the best practices, from how to get an SSL certificate to the continued protection and maintenance of your online platform.
Get in touch today to find out more about our web hosting and development services.
“Having a healthy website makes the difference between people who love to be on your site for hours at a time, and people who don’t even make it past the door.” – Jamie Nicholls, Web Developer & IT Executive
How Can You Tell if Your Site is Secure?
The simplest solution to see if your site is secure it to check it has an SSL certificate installed. You can do this by looking at the URL – if it started with “https” instead of “http”, then it has an SSL as the “s” stands for secure.
It’s also worth talking to your hosting provider to see what they have in place server-side. Security measures include:
- Antivirus for scanning new files
- DDOS protection
- Overview of locked ports
By default, many machines come with a series of ports which are open, allowing for data to travel to and from them, which is how a computer receives external information (like from the internet). Without correct security measures in place, these ports could be open for attack, so your hosting provider ensures there’s protection for your systems, using software like Apache which have protocols in place to detect and block connection attempts.
In general, however, both you and the end user will only be able to see whether there is an SSL, and occasionally the name of protective software guarding the site.
What is an SSL Certificate?
The first thing to understand when it comes to WordPress security is the basics of website security in general. SSL certificates are perhaps the most fundamental element of website security – they’re the first thing in your URL, after all.
An SSL provides an encryption key for both ends of the connection to your site. When a user first visits a site, their browser will ping through a non-secure line to check for SSL certification. If the site is an SSL site, this will return a signed SSL certificate for the site that allows the transfer of encrypted data. The browser then uses the certificate, and the encryption key, to decipher and display this data on the user side.
How to get an SSL Certificate
Primarily, you can obtain an SSL certificate through your domain provider, buying and installing it onto your hosting platform. The hosting platform itself may also offer SSL certificates as an addon or part of their hosting package. You can go through a third party, but obtaining your SSL certificate from the source is always better.
At Squarebird, we only work with WordPress websites – and for good reason. Find out more >
Best Practices for Your WordPress Security
SSL is obviously one of the biggest indicators of your website’s security, but what other factors are involved?
1. Web Security
Having some kind of web-based security such as WordFence can enhance your WordPress site, offering features like traffic and malware scan to defend against malicious attacks. This side of security – tracking incoming connection attempts and dealing with them – is more the role of an administrator rather than your hosting or security provider.
2. Monthly Malware Scans
The types of malware, exploits, and other forms of cyberattacks are always changing and adapting to security measures. To ensure your systems are safe, regular scans need to be carried out to detect any malware and remove it before it can cause any damage.
3. Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) means there are multiple different methods and inputs required to access an account or site, such as a password and a code from a security app. Having at least 2FA (two factor authentication) on all your administration accounts will help keep things secure.
4. Larger Organisations
For bigger organisations, your security may need to branch into bigger things. For example, you may want to use advanced security systems with additional layers of protection such as:
- DDOS protection
- Security for switches
- Midway antivirus scans
Typically, you will only need to personally worry about these things if you have and host your own private server. Otherwise, your hosting provider will likely be the one who provides this support.
Common Challenges for WordPress Website Security
Users vs Bots
One challenge which often arises with your WordPress website security is knowing whether a request is coming from a user or a bot. This could be the difference between a genuine access attempt, or one with malicious intent. Telling these two things apart is one of the most common yet crucial issues.
You don’t want to block all bots, as you still want the ones employed by search engines to be able to access and read your site so it shows up on search engine results pages. However, you also want to be able to prevent malicious bots from overloading or inserting code into your site. The main challenge here is analysing access attempts, and resolving them in a way that doesn’t hinder search engines or your real users.
Plugins
Another common challenge is plugins – understanding what is and isn’t a good plugin. An easy way to tell is by looking at user feedback. A plugin with thousands of downloads, five-star ratings, and is being constantly updated is the sign of a good plugin that’s likely to be secure. On the other hand, lower popularity or ratings can mean the risk of backdoors, malicious code, or other issues.
As well as user verification, there are other systems you can utilise to check your plugins. For example, you can first install them on an air-gapped dummy site and run them alongside security software like WordFence or perform a malware scan to pick up on anything malicious inside the plugin – checking them before use in production or development environments.
We can help you overcome your web security challenges – get in touch today.
Reviewing the Security of Your WordPress Website
When it comes to your website, there isn’t really a governing body to ensure it remains secure. While implementing security is down to the site admin and the hosting provider, any checks or reviews should be made by you – the site owner.
There isn’t going to be someone dedicated to checking your website’s security, unless you’re employing them to do so. Some companies allow you to pay them to review and check your website, giving you recommendations on what to do. However, it is ultimately down to you as the website owner to ensure everything is working smoothly.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure what to look for; we’ve got a checklist to help you out!
Review Checklist
- Are you aware of any issues? Look into these first.
- If your site been going down loads, ask why.
- See if the server resources are holding. If they’ve spiked, look at upgrading your hosting package to get more resources.
- Have you had lots of false traffic from bots or malicious users? Look to block it via WordFence or another security plugin.
- Make sure all your plugins are up to date and secure – updates tend to hold patches, bug fixes, security updates.
- Talk to your hosting provider about latest technologies. Newer versions give better functionality, security, performance, and resource management.
How often do I need to review my website’s security?
When you need to review your website’s security depends on your site and the amount of traffic it gets. However, even with low traffic, it’s still good practice to do it as often as you can. It’s about finding a balance between the amount of traffic you get, the demand on your website, and the resources you have.
We’d recommend reviewing your web security at least every quarter, or more often if you can. If you know your site is having issues, on the other hand, it’s best to get on it right away.
Securely Hosted WordPress Websites from Squarebird
Your website’s security is a mesh of many different factors, from the systems deployed by your hosting provider to the certification of your domain. Administration also plays a key role, ensuring your systems remain up to date and fully functional.
At Squarebird, we offer web design, development, and hosting and maintenance services to ensure your website stays safe and protected. Get in touch today to find out more!