Keep Secure Your WordPress Site Using Actionable Steps

In today’s highly connected digital ecosystem, our lives, businesses, communications, and a lot of activities depend on the websites and web applications. All websites contain sensitive data and deliver business-critical information services to the targeted audience. Due to the rapidly increasing use of websites and web applications, vulnerabilities have become quite rampant. Even the smallest security loophole can give cybercriminals a chance to destroy the web-based business, damage customer confidence, and brand reputation in a short time span. The bitter fact is that more and more people are making WordPress sites for meeting their specific business goals. But unfortunately, website security is not anywhere near the top of their list of priorities. When a website is hacked by cybercriminals, it is very difficult to compensate the loss caused by them in terms of site's SEO ranking, customer's confidence in your brand, revenue, etc. So, what are the ways to protect WordPress websites? Have a look at some key strategies and tips to secure WordPress sites: 1. Never Ignore WordPress Calls For Upgrades And Updates When you run a WordPress website, you get several notifications of WordPress upgrades and updates. Most of the website owners ignore those updates and keep running the site with old software, themes, plugins, add-ons. Always keep in mind that when you create and operate WordPress sites, you eventually run into the need of updating your site's software, plugins, themes, etc, to A. Perform maintenance and security related works, B. Eliminate harmful bugs and security loopholes and C. Maintain the high performance of your website. So, never ignore WordPress calls for automatic updates. Just check your Email inbox regularly and see is there any call for an update the WordPress software, themes, plugins, etc. Implement the important updates ASAP without any fail. It will prevent hackers from taking over your site. Opt for WordPress web design services/maintenance services if you don't know how to do this. 2. Craft A Definite Password Management Policy Whiling operating websites professionally, you can't be ignorant towards the security & privacy of site's login details. Most of the individuals use easily predictable passwords for multiple websites & E-accounts, making it easier for professional hackers to hack websites easily and create the havoc without any difficulty. To avoid the mess and streamline your digital life, you should have a definite password management policy. It will help you to use and manage the site's login details easily, reset forgotten passwords, unlock the compromised accounts, etc. You can use the Password Management Software to complete this work effortlessly. This will greatly reduce the risk of your site from being hacked by cybercriminals. 3. Use Two-Factor Authentication As incidents of cybercrime are escalating at unprecedented rates with each passing day, you can't bank on the ancient defensive methodology of password protection alone. Professional hackers can break even the most difficult password using the sophisticated technologies. Therefore, it is necessary for you to add an additional line of security to your site by using the Two-factor authentication (TFA). It's a process of verifying the identity of a person who is trying to access your website. This technology works in this way:

It is an effective technique which reduces the security risks to your website up to a great extent. 4. Recourses For Website Security You can't combat different security challenges to your website manually. It is very difficult to protect your website against cybercriminals 24*7 and keep it live. Therefore, you should use some resources to protect your website from online security vulnerabilities. Here are some options you can use:

5. Backup Your Site It doesn't matter how many steps you take to protect your website. Today's knowledgeable hackers know the advanced reconnaissance tactics to circumvent traditional methods of website security and hack the sites easily and quickly. Therefore, it's always a wise idea to backup your site 24*7. You can ask your hosting company in this regard. Alternatively, use WordPress backup plugins to take the backup your site. It will help you to restore your site easily if it is hacked. Always keep the stored files on an external backup (Pen drive, Dropbox, etc) to maintain the privacy and security of the stored data. 6. Conduct The Security Audit Regularly You should not eliminate the possibility of security loopholes on your WordPress sites. Therefore, you must conduct the website security audit from time-to-time in consultation with expert WordPress developers and website security experts. This will help you to come across all the security loopholes of your site. Fix them ASAP to increase your site's security up to a great extent. Final Words: Various security issues give sleepless nights to website owners. A single security loophole is sufficient for hackers to bring your web-based business down. Just use the above-mentioned tips and protect your WordPress site from hackers and cybercriminals. Source: https://hirewpgeeks.wordpress.com/2017/10/02/keep-secure-your-wordpress-site-using-actionable-steps/