One of the major concerns of WordPress managers is ensuring the security of their WordPress websites, which cannot be easily overlooked. WordPress, due to its popularity among website building platforms, is constantly at risk of hacking and intrusion. The use of WordPress on many websites has led to an increase in WordPress site security issues. Since security is a relative concept, and it cannot be said that any system is completely secure, it is essential to utilize all available solutions to enhance security in WordPress.
In this article from Asarad educational magazine, we aim to introduce ways to enhance security so that you can secure your website by implementing these solutions. So, stay with us.
:Security for WordPress sites has various methods, as follows
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1. WordPress Updates
The first method to secure a WordPress website is to update WordPress and all of its plugins. WordPress is an open-source content management system that is regularly updated. WordPress automatically performs minor updates, but for major version updates, users need to initiate the process from the dashboard.
 2. Creating Strong Passwords
Strong passwords can prevent hackers from gaining unauthorized access to user information. Unique passwords are not only for the WordPress admin section but also for database user accounts, hosting accounts, and email addresses.
 3. WordPress Configuration File Security
This is one of the most critical aspects of website security because it contains database information. It is advisable to enhance the security of this file using security measures to limit hacker access to it.
4. htaccess File Security
In web systems, often written in HTML and PHP and hosted on Linux servers, the .htaccess file is used to configure directories and files on the Apache web server. Placing an .htaccess file in a directory allows it to be identified and executed by the Apache web server. An .htaccess file can instruct the web server on how to display different types of information and handle various HTTP requests. This file is very useful when you don’t have root server access to control Apache and is one of the ways to enhance security in WordPress.
5. Change the Admin Username
If the username “admin” is used in WordPress, the website becomes more vulnerable. When a hacker enters “admin” as the username on the WordPress login page, it becomes easy to identify that the target site’s user is an admin because the only message displayed is “The password you entered for the username admin is incorrect.” This confirms the validity of the admin username, and the attacker then proceeds to try various methods to obtain the password.
For better security, it’s advisable not to use this word.
6. Change Table Prefix
During the WordPress installation, you are presented with an option for the table prefix, which is “_wp” by default. You have the option to change it to any name you prefer. These prefixes are added before the names of your database tables. By changing them, the overall path of database tables will change, effectively obscuring access routes and thwarting potential intruders.
7. Employ SSL
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is used to secure the HTTP protocol, ensuring that data is transmitted securely. It provides internet websites with the opportunity to exchange data securely between the server and the browser, protecting their information from potential attackers.
8. Disable Host Directories
Hackers can access and view files through directories, potentially infiltrating a website and stealing user data. To enhance site security, it is advisable to disable host directories.
9. Adding two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is another excellent solution to prevent brute-force attacks. In fact, if you use two-factor authentication, even if your username and password fall into the hands of others, they cannot access the site’s management section
you protect your site against brute-force attacks.
10. Hiding Important System Files
If you’ve been designing a website using the WordPress content management system for a long time, you’re likely familiar with important files like wp-config.php and htaccess in WordPress. In fact, these two files are very important from a security perspective.
This is because crucial information about the structure and configuration of the site is stored in these files. Now, it’s crucial to ensure that hackers cannot access these files.
To enhance the security of the wp-config.php file, you should add the following piece of code to the htaccess file.
<Files wp-config.php>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</Files>
11. Updating Themes and Plugins
It’s best to always keep your website’s themes and plugins up to date. This is because the companies that develop themes and plugins regularly release updates. In fact, there may be security vulnerabilities or minor bugs that you’re not aware of. For this reason, it’s recommended to keep all of your website’s products up to date.
12. Disabling File Editing
If your website is compromised by a hacker and they manage to gain access to the WordPress dashboard, they can make changes to your theme files via the Appearance > Theme Editor path. This is genuinely dangerous. With a few alterations, your website could go entirely offline. For this reason, we recommend adding the following piece of code to your wp-config.php file to increase your site’s security and deactivate the theme editor in the WordPress dashboard.
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true)
