Enterprises of all sizes rely on WordPress to power their websites, e-commerce applications, and communities. However, running WordPress comes with its risks. Just two plugins in 2022 led to critical vulnerabilities for six million users, putting their data, financial information, and login credentials at risk.
Securing WordPress can be complicated and expensive for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that may not have dedicated security staff. Fortunately, there are seven easy fixes that can address the seven most common issues plaguing WordPress sites.
The first issue is outdated WordPress core files. WordPress releases core updates every three months, and missing these updates leaves sites vulnerable. Shockingly, around 40% of sites are running on outdated versions. To address this issue, site administrators need to regularly check their WordPress dashboard for updates and schedule maintenance windows for applying these updates.
The second issue is outdated themes and plugins. While themes and plugins allow users to customize and add new functionalities, they must be updated regularly to stay compatible with the latest version of the core. The WordPress plugin dashboard displays the newest versions of each installed plugin corresponding to the latest core version.
Running regular malware scans is the third issue to tackle. Attackers often exploit vulnerabilities in widely-used plugins to compromise websites. Therefore, it is crucial to check plugins for flaws before installation and to always install the latest version. Regular security scans can detect potential malware infections. WordPress offers several cybersecurity detection and removal plugins to quickly identify and eliminate threats. The primary goal is to ensure that the site core, theme, and plugins are up to date and free from suspicious file injections or malware. Scanners should be set up to run at scheduled intervals and offer on-demand scan capabilities from an administrative interface.
Although there is no cybersecurity detection and removal plugin from the WordPress core team, independent researchers can report vulnerabilities to the plugin author and core team. In some cases, the core team may remove the plugin from WordPress.org.
Credit card skimming is the fourth issue to address. This method involves attackers inserting malicious JavaScript code into e-commerce applications to steal sensitive credit card information. Along with keeping the site and plugins up to date, site owners should install monitoring tools, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and certificates to protect against cyber theft. Integrating verified payment merchants like Stripe or PayPal provides additional protection. Conducting a PCI compliance audit with an auditor is critical for ensuring compliance with relevant standards and taking recommended actions.
Blocking unauthorized logins is the fifth issue. Brute-force attacks, where attackers repeatedly try every possible password combination, are common. By using strong login credentials and obscuring the site’s back-end login page, brute-force attacks can be made difficult. Implementing CAPTCHAs on the site can further deter repeated login attempts. Popular technologies and plugins like GoogleReCAPTCHA v3 and hCaptcha offer user-friendly alternatives.
The sixth issue is preventing search engine optimization (SEO) spam. Attackers take advantage of outdated plugins and themes, undefined user roles, spam-like content, and weak security controls to insert spam keywords and pop-up ads. Site owners should remove suspicious-looking plugins and themes, install spam security plugins, and regularly monitor their sites.
The seventh issue concerns file-inclusion vulnerabilities. WordPress installations rely on sensitive files, and if not properly protected, these files can be easily compromised. To prevent vulnerabilities, specific code can be inserted into the .htaccess file, which restricts access to sensitive directories and protects files from unauthorized access.
Following these easy fixes and practicing tight security will greatly reduce the risk of attacks on WordPress sites. It is important to keep WordPress up to date, utilize security plugins, carefully research themes and plugins, and choose a reliable host provider. By taking these steps, users can protect their websites, data, and users from potential cyber threats.