WordPress Security Threats That You Should Look Out For

When running a website on WordPress, it is sensible for you to pay attention to security. There are constant threats to blogs and sites running on WordPress. Oftentimes, you will find out about a security breach after it has happened.

The better option is preventing the threats from materializing than reacting later. Being proactive with WordPress security might be the best thing you ever did.

Here are five WordPress security threats you should look out for and also how you can prevent them.

Login Using Different Combinations

Unauthorized users can attempt to login to your website using a variety combinations of usernames and passwords. With the programs and tools available to them, they will be able to get in eventually. This is known as brute force login.

The good news for you is that you can prevent this by installing a plug-in. The Limit Login Attempts plug-in places a quota on the number of login attempts a user can make. Extending beyond that number, the user is locked out.

Confirmation of Login Information

A major drawback of the current WordPress login form is that it informs the user which part of the login information he/she has gotten wrong. For instance, if the username is correct and the password wrong, WordPress informs the user about it. This makes it easier to use brute force login as the hacker has a clear idea of whether he/she needs to change the username or password.

This issue can be resolved by entering this line of code into your WordPress theme’s functions.php file:

function failed_login () {
	return 'the login information you have entered is incorrect.’
}
add_filter ( 'login_errors', 'failed_login' );

Global Registration Open

Any person from around the globe can register on your website. This is a feature of all WordPress websites, but is disabled by default. Unless you are targeting a worldwide audience with your side, you should leave this option disabled.

To ensure it’s disabled, go to the Settings tab and access the General settings. There, uncheck the ‘anyone can register‘ checkbox. Also, select ‘subscriber‘ as the New User Default Role as an extra precaution.

Access to Editors

It is usual for WordPress site owners to provide access to editors. While it certainly helps with the design and layout of the website, it also poses the risk of someone gaining access to your dashboard. From there on, that person can change the theme, layout, background, etc., of your website. Enter this line in your functions.php file to prevent unauthorized access:

define ( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );

WordPress Version

Any person with even basic knowledge of WordPress can find out which version of the platform your website is using. Then, they can target particular vulnerabilities in the said platform version to access your website. You can prevent this by changing the information in your page header meta and also in the readme.html file.

To change the meta, use this code:

function remove_wp_version () {
	return '';
}
add_filter ( 'the_generator', 'remove_wp_version' );

As for the readme.html file, just change the title to anything off the top of your head. Only make sure it wouldn’t be easily deciphered by a hacker. You can even remove it entirely if you wanted to, or just remove the version number from inside the file.

Conclusion

These are five WordPress security threats you should look out for and the ways in which you can prevent them. By no means are these five the only security risks you entail when running a website on WordPress. There are many other ways and tips you can use to make your WordPress site secure and safe from any intrusion or malware. Start by addressing these five threats to get off on the right foot.