WordPress is a renowned blogging platform and millions of websites including renowned blogging sites are using this CMS. So, hackers are trying to access WordPress based websites. WordPress CMS regularly releases updates to handle all the known vulnerabilities, but with the introduction of third party themes and plugins, WordPress becomes vulnerable. Sometimes hackers also get access to the whole server by finding vulnerabilities on the website.
In the last few months, it has been observed, a few vulnerabilities and mass hacking of the WordPress websites. Thousands of websites were hacked by these vulnerabilities. There are many instances in which a vulnerable plugin led to the hacking of a complete web server. So, if you are a WordPress user, focus on website security. You must always keep your CMS updated and secure.
In this post, some renowned security plugins available which are used by WordPress development services for web development work. These security plugins provide a wide range of features to make the website secure from known threats. These plugins keep the services updated with the latest security and threats. If you are really concerned about your online business running on this CMS, you must use below plugins to make it secure.
1. WordFence
WordFence is a renowned security plugin for WordPress. It regularly scans your website for malware infection. All the files of your WordPress core, theme and plugins are scanned. If it diagnoses any sort of infection, it will inform you. It makes your WordPress website faster and secure. For making a website faster, it implements a Falcom caching engine. This plugin is free to avail, but a few innovative features are present for the premium users.
Key Features:
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The free version is strong enough for small scale websites.
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Developers save money when they signup for different sites.
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It has a complete firewall package with tools for manual blocking, country blocking, brute force protection, web application firewall, and real-time threat defense.
2. Sucuri Security
Sucuri Security is a plugin from a popular website security and auditing firm Sucuri. This plugin offers multiple security features including security activity auditing, malware scanning, file integrity monitoring, blacklist monitoring, and a firewall. It comprises several blacklist engines comprising Google Safe Browsing, Norton, Sucuri Labs, McAfee Site Advisor and several more to scan your website. If there is anything suspicious, it will send an email notification.
Key Features:
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It offers different options for SSL certification. You have to pay for these, but it’s present in the form of packages.
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The customer service is present in the form of real-time chat and email.
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You get instant popups when something is suspicious with your website.
3. iThemes Security
iThemes Security is also a highly-recommended security plugin that offers multiple ways to secure your WordPress website. With a single click installation feature, you can block automated attacks and secure your website. It also handles different security holes in your website. It identifies registered users’ activity and implements two-factor authentication, password expiration, malware scanning, and numerous other things. It scans the whole website and checks if there is any possible vulnerability on your website. It also stops brute-force attacks and blocks IP addresses that try to perform brute-force.
Key Features:
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The iThemes Security plugin provides a file change detection feature, which is crucial since most webmasters don’t identify when a file is messed with.
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Implement an additional layer of protection to the login form by implementing the Google reCAPTCHA.
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The plugin compares the WordPress files with the current version of CMS, making you understand if anything suspicious is present in those files.
4. All In One WP Security & Firewall
All In One WP Security & Firewall is another renowned WordPress security plugin to identify the vulnerabilities in a WordPress website. This plugin is simple to use and lowers security threats by adding the latest security practices. It secures against the brute-force login attack and blocks if someone tries to brute-force. It sends an email notification when somebody gets locked because of failed login attempts. It suggests a user remove a weak password and forces him/her to apply a strong password. It also tracks the account activity of all the users and keeps track of the username, and login details. It also allows you to implement automatic backup and get the email notification. It disables admin area editing to protect PHP code.
Key Features:
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This security plugin has a blacklist tool where requirements can be set to block a user.
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The plugin shows how strong your website is and a graph that points to certain areas of your website. It’s one of the top-rated features for the average user to find what’s going on with the website security.
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The plugin is free without any fees along the way.
5. BulletProof Security
BulletProof Security is not the most recommended WordPress security plugin available in the market, but it is still beneficial with some amazing features. It by default has a setup wizard that helps you manage the plugin settings. The settings panel also comprise of links for deep documentation to help you know how the scans and security settings work. It includes a malware scanner allowing you to analyze the integrity of the WordPress files and folders. For security boost, it comprises of the login protection, database backup utility and security logs. You can also set up the email notifications with the security logs and get alerts when needed.
Key Features:
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Maintenance mode
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Database backups and restoring
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Login security and monitoring
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MScan Malware Scanner
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A security log
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Anti-spam and anti-hacking tools
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Hidden plugin folders
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A full setup wizard
These are some top-rated WordPress security plugins that when implemented can secure your website from all sorts of malware, brute force, and hacks.
Conclusion
These WordPress security plugins can be integrated to make your website secure. You do not require downloading all these plugins. Just give a try to anyone and check if it suits you. If you feel performance is not satisfactory, you can download another one to use. Every single plugin provides unique security features. You will be relaxed after implementing any of these plugins on your website. Malware scanning, brute force protection and exploit scanning are few quality features that are necessary to have on a website. If you are ready to invest and do not want to be in any sort of trouble, apply premium versions of the plugins having advanced security features. A few plugins also provide free customer support and security assessment. With the growing number of hacking attacks, it is important to have proper security on your website.
