WordPress websites can be vulnerable to several attacks if you don’t secure them properly. There are a lot of factors that can lead to this, including outdated software, a low-quality web host, and more. If you’re unaware of these considerations, you won’t be able to secure your site.
Fortunately, WordPress gives you full control over your website and how you choose to protect it. Simple security measures such as enforcing strong passwords and installing a security plugin can go a long way toward hardening your website. In other words, vulnerabilities can be mitigated.
This article will review the most common types of WordPress threats. Then, we’ll discuss how to protect your website from the vulnerabilities that can lead to those threats. Let’s get to it!
What Are the Most Common WordPress Security Threats?
WordPress powers approximately 43 percent of all known websites on the web. Due to its sheer popularity, cyber attacks on WordPress sites are common.
That’s not to say that WordPress is not secure. In fact, it releases regular updates and security patches. However, many users forget to update WordPress and its components (including plugins and themes).
That can lead to WordPress vulnerabilities, which in turn open the door to cyber attacks. A single plugin with a security vulnerability can affect hundreds of thousands of websites.
Here are some of the most common types of threats that you should be aware of:
- Malware infections. Attackers can infect your site with malware to gain control over user devices or steal sensitive information.
- Structured Query Language (SQL) attacks. This type of attack uses SQL queries to try to gain access to the database and its information.
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. XSS attacks try to “trick” the browser into executing scripts that enable them to hijack user sessions or gain access to information.
- Brute force attacks. With this type of attack, malicious actors will try to gain access to the WordPress admin using different combinations of credentials.
Increasing website security means taking steps to minimize the vulnerabilities that can open the doors to these attacks.
4 Most Common Types of WordPress Vulnerabilities (And How to Fix Them)
Now, let’s go over the most common types of WordPress vulnerabilities. We’ll also show you what you can do to eliminate these vulnerabilities from your site.
1. Weak Passwords
Weak passwords remain a significant issue for businesses as many users default to simple credentials. In fact, the most popular password in the world is “123456.” If you use that password with the default admin account username in WordPress, you’re putting your website at serious risk of cyber attacks.
While simple username and password logins are vulnerable, they’re still the preferred option for most businesses. Nearly 70 percent of global companies rely on passwords as their main method of online security.
With this in mind, enforcing the use of strong passwords can be an effective strategy for securing your site. When you sign up for WordPress, the Content Management System (CMS) will automatically generate strong passwords and you can ask users not to change them:
This may have limited success depending on the audience. It can be easier to enforce the use of strong passwords for members of your team, but public users might prefer to stick with their trusted 123456 credentials.
Some security plugins (which work alongside WPSec) can help you force the use of strong passwords. With this feature, users won’t be able to complete signup unless they set credentials that are harder to crack.
2. Outdated Versions of WordPress and Its Components
Outdated versions of software tend to contain old security vulnerabilities. Since WordPress is open-source software, its developers make public any security vulnerabilities once they are patched. This is often true for WordPress plugin development as well.
Therefore, if you don’t update the WordPress software, you’re essentially leaving these vulnerabilities open and potentially missing out on new features. What’s more, outdated plugins and themes might not work well together, presenting compatibility issues.
With this in mind, it’s best to update WordPress as well as any plugins and themes whenever possible. To do this, you can go to Dashboard > Updates and look for any update notifications for individual plugins.
For major updates, it can be smart to create a backup of your site before applying them. This way, you’ll have a recent copy of your content in case something goes wrong.
Ideally, you’ll check your website daily (or as close to it as possible) for updates. This process should only take a few minutes, but it’s one of the most essential security tasks you can carry out.
3. The Lack of a WordPress Security Plugin
Installing a WordPress security plugin is perhaps the most effective measure you can take to safeguard your website.
Security plugins typically combine multiple features to protect your site. These security features will vary, but you’ll want to use a tool that offers malware and vulnerability scanning, backup solutions, brute force protection, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), and more.
Getting all those features in a single plugin can be difficult (especially for free). So, a good solution can be to combine WPSec with other compatible security plugins:
WPSec can automate security scans for your WordPress website. The tool also enables you to run scans on demand and returns in-depth reports of any security issues it finds. This way, you can troubleshoot them immediately.
4. A Vulnerable Web Host
Not all web hosts offer the same level of features to help you protect your website. In particular, budget web hosts may be lacking in this area.
Ideally, your web host will offer a robust set of security features. Here are some of the most important to look out for:
- Automatic backups. Some hosting services take care of backups for you. They’ll make copies of your site on a schedule and enable you to restore them from the hosting dashboard. This can be a lifesaver if you lose access to WordPress due to an attack.
- Brute force or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection. A brute-force attack is when a hacker tries thousands of username and password combinations to get into your website, while a DDoS attack is when malicious actors overwhelm your website with fake traffic to render it unavailable. If your web host uses a Web Application Firewall (WAF), it can help you block known malicious IPs or suspicious activity on your site.
- Multi-factor authentication. If attackers can get into your hosting control panel, they can gain unrestricted access to the website. Your web host should let you use 2FA (or additional factors) to keep your website safe.
- Automatic WordPress updates. Some managed WordPress hosts offer automatic updates for the CMS. This can be a useful feature if you don’t get the opportunity to check your website every day.
Note that if your web host doesn’t fulfill these criteria you can always migrate your website. On WordPress.org, you’ll find a list of official web hosting recommendations.
If migrating your site sounds daunting, keep in mind that many top-quality (and secure) web hosts offer free migration services. This can help you move your website without having to copy its files and database manually.
Conclusion
WordPress is a secure software that gets regular updates to patch security vulnerabilities. However, you’ll still need to take steps to protect your site against threats like brute force and DDoS attacks.
To recap, here are the most common vulnerabilities among WordPress sites (and what you can do to fix them):
- Weak passwords: You’ll want to enforce strong passwords for users on your site.
- Outdated versions of WordPress and its components: It’s important to regularly check your website for new updates.
- The lack of a WordPress security plugin: You can use WPSec to scan your website and pair it with other security solutions.
- An insecure web host: ideally, your site should be hosted by a reliable company that implements several security measures.
Do you have any questions about the most common types of WordPress vulnerabilities? Let us know in the comments section below!