According to a university study, a hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds. And while some of those attacks are on personal computers, a significant proportion targets businesses. Falling victim to an attack can result in lost information, reduced trust from customers, and a financial hit as you try to rectify it – which is why you must protect your WordPress website.
The cost of cybercrime continues to rise with experts predicting the amount of data stolen will increase through 2020, in spite of measures business have taken, such as GDPR.
Business owners must prepare for the worst and take the necessary steps to protect your WordPress website and secure it from the smartest hackers out there.
Five ways to protect your WordPress website from hackers
1. Focus on security
The first step is to put the security of your website at the top of mind. Take stock of where vulnerabilities could be in your site and put together an action plan to rectify them. Not only will this give you the peace of mind that you are proactively doing something to protect your business and customers, but it will help demonstrate that you are more reliable and trustworthy than your competitors.
2. Install firewalls
An unsecured WordPress site is vulnerable to hackers. A great place to start is by installing a firewall to protect it.
You can choose a firewall plugin or a code-based firewall. For optimum security and performance, a server level firewall is the best choice as it is processed by your web server before any other code on your site.
3. Add multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a way to add an extra layer of security to the login process. Although it requires a bit more work, it ensures the person logging in and placing an order or accessing sensitive data is who they say they are. It also clearly demonstrates to your customers that you are taking precautions to protect their personal information.
While password only access is easier for users, it’s also easier for hackers to break in.
4. Backup your data
Even if your hosting company keeps backups, you should never rely on them to take care of something as vital as your website. At the absolute minimum, you should be backing up once a month, though daily is ideal.
Make a copy of your entire site, including images and all content so that if you do have to start over, it wouldn’t be completely from scratch. Keep this information offsite – on a separate drive and not on your computer so that it remains accessible and secure at all times.
5. Implement Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
It is best practice for all WordPress users should install a certificate and use encrypted language via SSL to secure their site. Any information users provide over an encrypted network is more protected than one that isn’t encrypted, and your potential customers will be checking for the green padlock to confirm they are transacting safely.
Without it, people may bounce away from your site out of fear of vulnerability.
If it hasn’t already been a priority, 2019 is the time for site security. Don’t delay in implementing the steps outlined in this blog to protect your WordPress website. Add the plugins and backend security measures needed and stay on top of current hacking methods so you can counteract the methods of cyber-criminals.
At WP Tech Support, we can handle all aspects of your site’s security to ensure you’re protected from hackers – including backing up your website to our secure cloud server for complete peace of mind.
Our great value monthly plans range from just £28 per month – a small price to pay to ensure your website stays healthy, up to date and secure. In fact, we’re so sure that you’ll love it that we will refund you if you’re not 100% happy!