4 Bad Habits that Threaten Your WordPress Website
Be careful with what you don’t do.
Like us, WordPress can be your favorite CMS for your business, e-commerce store, portfolio and other endeavors. It is user-friendly and safe for everyone to use. But that does not necessarily mean you do nothing anymore to secure your website.
Every day there are threats that, if you are not careful, can put your WordPress website in danger. According to serial entrepreneur and security specialist Adam Anderson in his interview on Stop Riding the Pine,…
“Cyber security isn’t about computers; it’s about behavior.”
What you do online can leave your WordPress website in harm’s way. And those things that you don’t do has the capacity to generate even greater risks not just for your website but also for your business in general.
What are you to do before it happens? As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
Here are 4 bad habits that threaten your WordPress website. Know what they are and learn how you can overcome them:
1. Leaving your login as an easy prey to hackers
Brute force is one of the common threats online. You could be enjoying your time away from your website, but when you return you could find that you could no longer access it even after many attempts.
Someone was able to work her way through your login. There are mainly two kinds of people (attackers) who would try to access your website.
- Security analyst — who would test the strength of your security
- Cyber criminal — who would steal your information or worse ruin your business
But…
Here are some of the things you can do to secure your WordPress website:
- Strengthen your password and username — The brute force attacker would try all possible combinations to access your website. That is why it is recommended that you create a strong or complex username and password.
- Hide your admin login page — Do not tempt others to try to access your WordPress website by displaying the login page of your admin account.
- Use the 2-step login authentication — Add an additional layer of security to your login by requiring a second verification method. Apart from the username and password, you can also ask for the phone number, a security question, or a CAPTCHA. There are free plugins in the directory that you can install to your website.
- Use a passwords manager like LastPass — Avoid losing your account usernames and passwords. With LastPass, you get to store multiple account logins in one place. It also allows you to share your logins with your team securely.
2. Missing plugin and core software updates
Outdated plugins can leave a hole in your security. The thing is that plugins have to be compatible with your theme and core WordPress software in order for your website to work properly.
What you can do:
- Maintain your website regularly
- Set up automatic updates
- Install a reliable automatic updates plugin
Always be aware when an update for your plugin or core software arrives. By default, WordPress initiates automatic updates for minor core releases.
But for major core updates, you have to do it yourself.
You can find notifications on your dashboard regarding new releases and updates. Do not wait until they turn red or when it’s already too late.
3. Not having a backup
Backups are essential for any website. You do not want to lose all of your hard-worked data when something inevitable happens, and start all over from scratch.
What you can have a backup for:
- Images, videos, and other files
- Lines of code
- Plugins
- Themes
- Core installation
Have a regular backup of your WordPress database and files. It is also helpful when you are planning to upgrade your website or migrate it to another place online.
4. Visiting infected websites
Malicious entities may try to steal your information or gain access to your account using links and ads. It pays to be careful when visiting places in the internet as they could be injected with virus or malware.
What you can do to keep your WordPress website safe:
- Check plugins before installing them
- Check themes before installing them
- Install an anti-virus program in your computer
- Install an anti-virus plugin in your website
- Use an ad block software on your browser
These malware are deceptive in nature. They can come in different forms and different ways. They can be found on decent-looking website banners, on help desks, and even within lines of text.
On this note, Anderson was right when he said that it’s the user’s behavior that puts a website at risk. Where you go online matters.
Another suggestion is to check a website’s security first using Sucuri’s site checker.
Final Thoughts
Website security is not to be taken lightly. It can cause your business greater danger than you expected.
As the most popular content management system, WordPress is not exempted from malicious attacks. But, website owners and developers can take preventive measures to secure their websites.
You can strengthen your login credentials, have a backup, maintain your website, and be careful with the website you visit. Again, threats can just be around the corner.
Before it is too late, take action and practice good habits to protect your website.
Now, over to you. Do you know of other bad habits? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Give us a clap or leave us a comment to let us know what you think about the 4 Bad Habits that Threaten Your WordPress Website.
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