Firstly, you may be wondering, “Is WordPress Secure?” Generally speaking, yes, it is! However, with 37% of the web useing WordPress (Source: https://wordpress.org/), the sheer volume of sites powered by WordPress means it’s an easier target for hackers.
So, here’s our guide on what you can do to look after your WordPress website from a security perspective! Our options fit into two camps, doing it yourself, and outsourcing it.
Doing WordPress Security Yourself
If your website is fairly static and is more informational than transactional, you may wish to do security yourself.
Keep WordPress Core And Plugins Up To Date
Yes, it may seem obvious however, it’s something that can easily be overlooked. I mean, hey, even Reuters wasn’t updating WordPress!
WordPress is open-source software and is regularly updated. You can set up WordPress to automatically install minor updates, however, major updates are manual. Your host may automatically install major updates for you too!
To update your Core, Themes and Plugins manually, we recommend doing the following:
Before starting, make sure you take a backup of your site
Method 1: Go to Dashboard > Updates
Updates”>
Check the box by the plugin
Click on Update Plugins
Method 2: To update plugins, navigate to Plugins
Filter by those with updates available by clicking on Update Available
Select all
Click on Apply
Have Great WordPress Hosting
Often one of the simplest changes you can make for security is to choose a great WordPress host. Some, like our preferred hosts WPEngine, Cloudflare and 34SP.com, include great security features as standard in their hosting plans. You can read more about Why Paying For Great WordPress Hosting Is Worth It.
Alternatively, Get Someone Else To Look After It For You!
I get it! You’re a busy business owner and your website is your online front! Often small business owners have to take on roles other than their day job, including bookkeeping, HR and Marketing. So, why not pay the experts to manage the security for you?
TEA Websites’ Subscriptions take the pain out of securing a website by managing it for you. TEA Websites ensures your website is secure with a host of features including:
- Secure Hosting
- Daily offiste
Photo used by John Schnobrich
