WordPress powers millions of websites worldwide, making it one of the most popular platforms for businesses. Its flexibility, comprehensive plugin ecosystem, and ease of use make it an excellent choice for building and managing a website.
However, like any website platform, a WordPress site needs proper maintenance and security. Outdated software, vulnerable plugins, weak passwords, and poor hosting configurations can create opportunities for attackers.
The good news is that a proactive approach reduces many WordPress security risks.
Here are 10 important steps businesses can take to secure a WordPress website.
1. How to Secure a WordPress Site by Keeping WordPress Updated
One of the simplest and most important steps to secure a WordPress site is keeping WordPress itself up to date.
WordPress releases updates that can include security fixes, bug fixes, and improvements. Running an outdated version can leave known vulnerabilities unpatched.
Before updating WordPress:
- Maintain a recent backup of the website.
- Test updates in a QA environment.
- Make sure themes and plugins are compatible.
- Monitor the website after updates.
For business websites, updates should be part of a regular monthly maintenance process, not something that happens only when a problem occurs.
2. Keep Plugins and Themes Updated
WordPress Core isn’t the only software that needs maintenance. Plugins and themes can also contain vulnerabilities.
A website with dozens of plugins creates more potential exposure, especially when plugins are abandoned or no longer supported.
Businesses should regularly:
- Update plugins and themes.
- Remove plugins you no longer need.
- Remove unused themes.
- Replace unsupported software.
- Review plugins for known security vulnerabilities.
If you don’t need a plugin, remove it. Simply deactivating an unnecessary plugin isn’t always the best approach.
3. Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
A compromised administrator account can give an attacker significant control over a WordPress website.
Every WordPress administrator should use a strong, unique password. Never reuse passwords across multiple services.
Where possible, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrator accounts.
MFA adds an extra layer of protection because an attacker needs more than the account password to gain access.
Businesses should also review their WordPress users regularly and remove accounts that are no longer required.
4. Limit Administrator Access
Not everyone who needs access to a website needs administrator privileges.
WordPress provides several user roles, enabling businesses to give employees and contractors only the permissions that they need.
For example, someone who only needs to write blog posts generally doesn’t need full administrator access.
Following the principle of least privilege can reduce the potential damage if an account is compromised.
Regularly review:
- Administrator accounts
- Editor accounts
- Former employees
- Former contractors
- Third-party accounts
- Unused accounts
5. Use Secure WordPress Hosting
Your website’s security isn’t limited to WordPress.
The hosting environment also plays an important role. A quality hosting provider should provide security features such as:
- SSL/TLS certificates
- Malware protection
- Server-level security
- Regular backups
- Security monitoring
- Secure PHP versions
Businesses should also ensure their hosting environment is running supported versions of PHP and other server software.
6. Secure a WordPress Site With HTTPS
HTTPS encrypts the connection between visitors and your website.
You can verify that your website uses HTTPS by checking that its address begins with:
https://
A valid SSL/TLS certificate is vital for modern business websites. HTTPS helps protect information transmitted between visitors and the website and is also a key part of modern browser security.
However, HTTPS alone doesn’t make a WordPress website secure. It protects data in transit, but it doesn’t prevent vulnerabilities in WordPress, plugins, themes, hosting, or user accounts.
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) can help protect a website from malicious traffic before it reaches the WordPress application.
7. Use a Web Application Firewall
Depending on the configuration, a WAF can help detect and block things such as:
- Malicious requests
- Automated attacks and malicious bots
- SQL injection attempts
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) attempts
- Brute-force and other repeated login attempts
- Requests from known malicious IP addresses
For business websites, a WAF can provide another important layer of protection alongside secure WordPress configuration, strong authentication, and regular maintenance. Two security solutions that offer WAF functionality include Wordfence and Sucuri.
8. Back Up Your Website Regularly
Even with strong security measures in place, no website is completely immune to an attack.
That’s why reliable backups are essential.
A good WordPress backup strategy should include:
- Regular automated backups
- Off-site backup storage
- Database backups
- Website file backups
- Regular backup testing
Most importantly, don’t assume a backup works just because the backup system says it completed successfully.
Businesses should periodically test restoring a website from backup to ensure the backups can actually be used during an emergency. A popular WordPress backup solution that offers these features is BlogVault.
9. Monitor Your Website for Suspicious Activity
Preventing attacks is crucial, but detecting problems quickly matters just as much.
Website monitoring can help identify unusual activity such as:
- Unexpected administrator accounts
- Changes to website files
- Suspicious login attempts
- Malware
- Unexpected redirects
- Unauthorized plugin installations
- Changes to website content
Early detection can significantly reduce the possible impact of a compromised website.
For businesses, security monitoring should be part of a broader IT and cybersecurity strategy, not something you rely on a WordPress security plugin for alone.
10. Don’t Forget About Your Website’s Users
WordPress security isn’t only a technical problem.
Employees, contractors, and third-party developers may have access to the website, hosting account, domain registrar, or other systems connected to it.
Businesses should establish basic security policies covering:
- Password management
- MFA
- User permissions
- Account removal
- Software updates
- Phishing awareness
- Third-party access
- Backup procedures
A technically secure website can still be compromised if an administrator’s credentials are stolen through phishing.
What About WordPress Security Plugins?
Security plugins such as Wordfence can help secure a WordPress site, but installing one shouldn’t be your only security strategy.
A security plugin may provide features such as malware scanning, login protection, firewall rules, or security notifications. Though highly valuable, one cannot compensate for every security problem.
A comprehensive approach should consider the entire environment:
WordPress → Plugins → Themes → Users → Hosting → Backups → Monitoring → Network & Infrastructure Security
Security is strongest when these layers work together.
WordPress Security Is an Ongoing Process
One of the biggest mistakes businesses could make is treating website security as a one-time project.
A website that is secure today can become vulnerable tomorrow because of:
- A newly discovered plugin vulnerability
- An outdated component
- A compromised user account
- An expired certificate
- A vulnerable hosting configuration
- A newly developed attack technique
That’s why you should approach WordPress security as an ongoing maintenance and monitoring process.
Regular updates, strong authentication, reliable backups, security monitoring, and appropriate hosting protections can greatly reduce the risk of a successful attack.
Need Help Securing Your WordPress Website?
Managing WordPress security can be difficult when it’s only one part of running a business. Regular maintenance, monitoring, backups, and security updates can help keep your website protected and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.
Net2Net IT Solutions can help businesses with website development, monthly maintenance, cybersecurity, and IT services.
If you’re concerned about the security of your WordPress website, contact Net2Net to discuss your website, security requirements, and how to secure a WordPress site.
