Your Top 3 Security Hacks for WordPress

Tighten Security on your WordPress Website.

One of the great things about WordPress is that it’s so easy to get started.  However by default that can mean some important things can be arranged a little better to tighten up security and access to your website.  Let me take you through some of the basic things you can easily do to tighten security on your website and it won’t take you very long at all.

Everything you need to access can be found within your site Administration Dashboard which you can access here – http://yourdomainname/wp-admin – type in your username and password and away you go.

 

So Let’s Get Started With Your Top 3 Security Hacks

We are going to concentrate in the three main areas listed below

1. Default Admin Settings
2. Change Your Password
3. Deal with SPAM

The Master Key is Hidden in Your Admin Account: 

This is the place where you give permission for ‘users’ to access your website backend.  Usually it will just be you but sometimes there will be good reasons to have multiple users who may have varying degrees of access.

The problem is the default setting. Every single WordPress install has it’s administrator user set up this way. Hackers know this and it gives them their first leg-up into your site.  If you know about this issue, you can change the Admin Username when you are installing WordPress.

If you didn’t do that then just follow this step by step process:

Login to your Dashboard > Scroll down to Users > Add a New User >

Fill in the new details > Give the new user the ROLE of Administrator >

Save the changes >Log out as the original user >

Log in as the new user >Delete the default user.

Be careful, it you get this wrong you may have lost control of your site.

Your Password:

The next weak point is usually the password and this is THE most important place to tighten security on your website.  We are often so intent on getting the software installed ,that we rush through the set up process.  So while you are in the Dashboard, take another look at the password you set.

Is it really strong?  Does it contain any personal information?  Is it comprised of real words? Is it long enough?

If you are unsure about how to create a better password do some reading about creating better passwords.  Once you think you have everything you need, go in and change the password.

Record it somewhere because you WILL forget it.  Then schedule in a regular time to change it so it stays a good strong password.

The best thing to can do to tighten security on your website and keep if tight is to make regular changes to your passwords making it extra difficult for the bad guys to gain entry.

Akistmet and Spam:

Spam is the thorn in the side of anyone with an email account or a website so it’s important to make sure that you keep it in check, that’s why taking steps to tighten security in this area will pay real dividends.  Akismet is installed but not activated on your site by default. If you don’t take steps to control and get rid of spam your site could become a target for some of the webs nasty people.  They may add virus’, malware or redirects to your siteand get you shut down, annoy people in your name or wreck your site.  This is bad, very, very bad.

You will find Akismet in your Plugins

If you don’t have a key you will need to follow the instruction in the plugin to get one.your Plugins folder.

For a site for private use this is free, for a business site there is a small fee.  Make your choice.

Add the key to the form and away you go.

You have now taken some important steps to tighten security on your WordPress site and in doing so made your site a little safer.  On top of that you now have much more control over who can put what kind of content on your site and you have taken control of the Administration Dashboard.

Website Security is your responsibility, learning how to tighten security on your WordPress site is not difficult and step by step things will just keep getting better.  I’ll be posting more useful tips regularly so if you want to keep in touch you can easily do so via Facebook.  If you have any questions or need some help please visit the Facebook Page, LIKE it and then leave a message to let me know what you need or leave a comment below.