WordPress Security Part One: Upgrades, Security Plugins/Monitoring Services, Hiring Someone
Many websites today are built using WordPress. This content management system (CMS) makes it easy for you to blog, sell digital or tangible products, update your website, and so much more. But like every other type of software, WordPress can be vulnerable to attack if you aren’t paying attention to your website security.
Don’t Ignore Upgrades
One of the simplest ways to keep your WordPress website running smoothly is to upgrade the software. When WordPress is ready for an upgrade, you’ll see the word ‘updates’ and a number, like this: update (1). You’ll see this on left side of your dashboard or at the top of your admin bar.
Click on the updates button and WordPress will guide you through what to do next. But before you upgrade, you should pause to make sure you have a recent backup of your website. This ensures that if anything breaks during the upgrade process, you can easily fix it.
Don’t wait too long between upgrades. Not only can this cause your website to break, it can leave you vulnerable. After every update, WordPress releases a list of bugs fixed. Some of these bugs are vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit. That’s why you should always update as soon as you can.
Install Security Plugins
You don’t have to tackle WordPress security on your own. There are plenty of security plugins that can help you. WordFence is the most popular option and it continually scans your website looking for vulnerabilities. If it does encounter a security lapse, you’ll get an email so you know the moment it happens. The plugin is free but you can upgrade if you decide you need more support.
Another security plugin that’s popular is Bulletproof Security. It will notify the admin user if any infections within your website are detected. It also caches the pages of your website so they load faster for your visitors. There’s an auto update feature with this plugin so you don’t have to worry about updating to the latest version. Bulletproof Security is free but you can upgrade if you want to extra support.
Hiring a Security Expert
Your website is the heart of your business. If you want to keep it healthy, hiring a WordPress security expert is the way to go. When you hire your expert, ask who’s responsible for back-ups. If you’ll be the one backing the site up, ask for step by step instructions to ensure you’re doing it correctly.
Another option is to hire a security team like Sucuri. Sucuri is a trusted name in the computer security industry and they offer website malware removal for an annual fee. In the event your website is attacked by a hacker, you’ll have a team cleaning it in less than twenty-four hours.
The worst thing you can do for your website security is to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich. Ignoring security problems won’t make them disappear. But with the right tools, you can tackle any threat that comes your website’s way.
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