How To Protect Your WordPress Website Against Hackers And Bots

Hackers and bots are two of the biggest threats against WordPress websites. If you dont take proactive measures to protect your site, then you can lose everything - your website files, your email list, your income, everything! If you want to avoid this scenario at all cost, then read this article.

Here are some basic measures you can follow to protect your site:

1. Make sure your version of WordPress is up to date

WordPress gets updated pretty regularly, and they do this for a good reason. With the sheer number of automated attacks carried out on WordPress websites daily, its important that the software is frequently updated to stop hackers, bots, and botnets in their tracks. If you dont update your software, then its like youre sending an invitation to hackers telling them to exploit the vulnerabilities in your non-updated software. 

2. Update your themes and plugins

Just like your core WordPress software, themes and plugins get updated from time to time as well. This is important so that these themes and plugins remain compatible with the latest version of WordPress. Also, if you dont update, chances are hackers and bots will find something to exploit so they can access your site.

3. Backup your website regularly

For your peace of mind, its best to back up your website regularly. There are several plugins you can choose from on the WordPress.org Plugin Directory that offers automated daily backups. More importantly, youd want to consider using a plugin that offers a 1-click restore feature. Even if your website gets hacked, you can still restore your site easily.

4. Use a strong and hard-to-guess username and password

You dont want to use the old admin username and password combination. Thats the first thing bots guess when they attack a site. Youre practically giving them free access to your site! For better security, you should use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep your login details in a secure location, or you can use a password manager to help keep your details safe.

5. Hire a WordPress security expert

Plugins can only do so much. In the end, bots are programmed by human hackers who can make these nasty pieces of computer code as sophisticated as they need to be. A human WordPress security expert is your best bet if you want to keep your site safe. Theyll come at a cost though so keep this in mind if you truly want to keep your WordPress site safe. 
