WordPress Security Checklist 2024: Essential Steps for a Secure Website

With WordPress powering over 810 million websites globally, the need to secure your site has never been more critical. The platform’s flexibility, driven by its vast ecosystem of over 60,000 plugins, also opens doors to potential vulnerabilities. In fact, a significant 56% of WordPress security breaches are linked to plugins. As cyberattacks continue to rise, with over 86 billion password attempts blocked in recent years, following a robust WordPress Security Checklist in 2024 is essential. 

In this guide, Unified Computing will help you protect your site, safeguard your data, and maintain trust with your audience.

Why WordPress Security Is Crucial for Your Business

As the most popular content management system (CMS), WordPress holds a market share of 64.2%. However, with great popularity comes increased risk. Here’s why following a WordPress security checklist is essential:

• Data Protection: Your site likely holds sensitive data, including customer details and business content. A breach could damage your reputation and lead to legal issues.
• Building Customer Trust: Secure websites earn more trust from visitors, leading to better user engagement and conversions.
• Preventing Downtime: A security breach can shut down your website, disrupting operations and damaging your brand.
• SEO Benefits: Secure websites with SSL certificates and robust security measures rank higher in search engine results.

Common WordPress Security Vulnerabilities

Before diving into the checklist, it’s crucial to understand some common WordPress security issues:

• Outdated Software: Failing to update WordPress core, themes, or plugins leaves your site vulnerable to attacks exploiting known security holes.
• Weak Passwords: Using easily guessable passwords opens the door to unauthorised access.
• Plugin Vulnerabilities: Unvetted plugins can introduce malicious scripts or expose your site to attackers.
• Brute Force Attacks: Attackers use automated tools to guess usernames and passwords until they gain access repeatedly.
• SQL Injection: This attack involves inserting malicious SQL queries into your site’s input fields, potentially compromising your database.
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injecting malicious scripts into a website’s pages that unsuspecting visitors run in their browsers.
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): Attackers trick authenticated users into unknowingly executing harmful actions.
• File Inclusion Exploits: Hackers upload malicious files to your server by exploiting poorly sanitised inputs.
• Spam and Malware: Malware or spam comments can easily compromise your site if not controlled.
• Phishing Attacks: Fake login pages or emails can trick users into revealing credentials or other sensitive information.

DDoS Attacks: Distributed Denial of Service attacks overwhelm your server with traffic, leading to downtime

How to Check If Your WordPress Site Is Secure?

Start by using an online security scanner like Qualys, SiteLock, or VirusTotal. These tools can quickly scan your site for malware, security flaws, and other issues.

Another option is to install trusted WordPress security plugins like Wordfence, Sucuri, Solid Security, All In One WP Security & Firewall, or BulletProof Security. To learn more about each plugin and its features, check out our section on the Best WordPress Security Plugins.

WordPress Security Checklist 2024

Following this WordPress security checklist will significantly reduce the chances of your website being compromised:

Update WordPress Core, Plugins, and Themes

Regular updates are essential for fixing bugs and addressing security flaws. Outdated software is the leading cause of security breaches, so always ensure your WordPress core, plugins, and themes are up to date.

Use Strong Passwords

Create strong, unique passwords that are at least 10 characters long, containing upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. Consider using a password manager like LastPass or Dashlane to manage these securely.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Add an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide a second form of verification in addition to their password. Plugins like WP 2FA can help you easily set up two-factor authentication.

Backup Your Website Regularly

If you’re comfortable with tech:

You can access your website’s files through FTP or the file manager provided by your hosting service. First, download all files from your WordPress root directory (typically found in the public_html or www folder) to your computer. Then, access your website’s database via phpMyAdmin in your hosting control panel. Select your WordPress database and export it as an SQL file to save on your local machine.

Alternatively, you can simplify the process by using a WordPress management tool to automate backups, along with other features like vulnerability or security scans, on a schedule that suits you.

Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A firewall helps block malicious traffic before it reaches your site. Consider using a DNS-level firewall for better protection, as it filters traffic before it hits your server. Popular choices include Cloudflare and Sucuri.

Switch to Secure Hosting

A trustworthy WordPress hosting provider should prioritise security, proactive monitoring, and responsive support to ensure your website remains protected.

Key features to consider include:

• Robust infrastructure security
• SSL certificate provision
• Routine backups
• 24/7 network monitoring
• DDoS protection
• Malware scanning and removal
• Automatic WordPress updates
• Server-level caching optimised for WordPress
• Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) support
• Account isolation on shared hosting for added security

Limit Login Attempts

Brute force attacks rely on guessing login credentials through repeated attempts. Plugins like iThemes Security allow you to limit the number of login attempts and temporarily block users who exceed the limit.

Disable File Editing

By default, WordPress allows admins to edit theme and plugin files directly from the dashboard. Disable this feature to prevent unauthorised access by adding the following line to your wp-config.php file:

define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);

Enable SSL for HTTPS

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) ensures secure communication by encrypting data between the user’s browser and your web server, helping to protect your website.

Steps to set up SSL:

1. Get an SSL certificate from your hosting provider, or opt for a free version.
2. Install and activate the certificate via your hosting control panel.
3. Update your WordPress URL by navigating to Settings > General and changing both the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) from http:// to https://.
4. Force SSL by adding this code to your .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.yourdomain.com/$1 [R,L]

Change the Default Login URL

By default, WordPress login pages can be accessed through wp-login.php or wp-admin, making them vulnerable to unauthorised login attempts. Changing the login URL adds an extra layer of security.

Here’s how:

1. Open the .htaccess file in your WordPress root directory.
2. Add the following line:

RewriteRule ^newlogin$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}/wp-login.php?key=randomstring&redirect_to=https://%{SERVER_NAME}/wp-admin [L]

3. Replace mylogin with the new login URL slug and 123 with a random string.

Disable XML-RPC

XML-RPC is often exploited for brute-force attacks. Disable it by adding this code to your .htaccess file:

<Files xmlrpc.php>

Order allow,deny

Deny from all

</Files>

Check File Permissions

Limit access to sensitive areas and set proper file permissions. WordPress uses three-digit codes to manage permissions:

• 644 for files (Owner: read/write; Others: read)
• 755 for directories (Owner: read/write/execute; Others: read/execute)
• 600 for wp-config.php (Owner: read/write; Others: no access)
• 644 for .htaccess (Owner: read/write; Others: read)
• 755 for uploads (Owner: read/write/execute; Others: read/execute)

Change the Default Database Prefix

Since the default wp_ database prefix is widely recognised, updating it can enhance your defense against SQL injection attacks.

Steps to follow:

1. First, ensure you back up your database.
2. Access phpMyAdmin, select your database, and navigate to the ‘Operations’ tab.
3. Locate the ‘Table prefix’ section, change wp_ to a custom prefix (e.g., wpnew_), and click “Go”.

Log Out Idle Users

To avoid unauthorised access during idle sessions, follow these steps:

1. Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:

add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'idle_logout');

function idle_logout() {

    if (is_user_logged_in()) {

        wp_enqueue_script('idle_logout', '/path-to-your-script/idle-logout.js', array('jquery'), '1.0.0', true);

    }

}

2. Next, create a idle-logout.js file. In this file, add JavaScript to monitor user activity and log them out after a period of inactivity.

What to Do If Your WordPress Website Gets Hacked

If your site gets hacked, follow these steps:

1. Isolate the Website: Take your site offline or move it to a different server to prevent further damage.
2. Restore from Backup: Reverting to a previous, clean version of your site is often the quickest way to recover.
3. Change Passwords: Update the passwords for all user accounts to strong, unique ones.
4. Scan for Malware: Use a malware scanner to detect and remove malicious files.
5. Identify Suspicious Files: Check your files and directories for unfamiliar code, particularly in plugins and themes.
6. Audit User Accounts: Review your list of users and remove any unauthorised accounts.
7. Reset Security Keys: Update your security keys in wp-config.php to invalidate any compromised login sessions.
8. Notify Affected Users: If sensitive data has been compromised, inform affected parties in compliance with data breach laws.

Conclusion

WordPress security is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. Following this WordPress security checklist will ensure that your website is well-protected against most common threats in 2024. By combining secure hosting, regular updates, strong passwords, and security plugins, you can significantly reduce your site’s vulnerability.

If you’re looking for expert guidance or a team to handle the security of your site, Unified Computing offers tailored solutions to build and safeguard your website. Their comprehensive approach ensures that your WordPress site remains secure, giving you peace of mind knowing that both your content and your users are fully protected.