We all know that WordPress is probably the world’s most popular CMS today, and it’s powering millions of websites. However, WordPress is frequently targeted by hackers. It’s not uncommon for WordPress sites to become infected with malware, which can shut down their essential features and, in some cases, cause a complete website shutdown.
Many webmasters have a common question about the vulnerability issues of WordPress sites. “How does malware infect or enter a WordPress website?” or “What can we do to stop malware from entering our WordPress website?“.
In this blog post, I have shared some common entry points of malware that you or your developer should be aware of to protect your WordPress site.
#1 Outdated WordPress Core
The most up-to-date versions of WordPress include new security patches. This simply means that running your website on an outdated version of WordPress is one of the most significant risks you may be ignoring. Failing to update the WordPress core can leave your website vulnerable to hackers who may exploit it. What’s the solution? Ensure that you or your web developer regularly updates the WordPress CMS of your site to its latest version.
#2 Weak Login Credentials
Weak login credentials, such as username and ‘admin’, and weak passwords are known to be easy entry points for brute force attacks. Always ensure that you have strong, hard-to-guess passwords for all sensitive areas, such as the website backend, FTP, and the server’s control panel. Additionally, you must hire a WordPress developer to customize the default login URL of your website backend from ‘wp-admin’ to something else.
#3 Vulnerable Plugins & Themes
Similar to the WordPress CMS, the plugins and themes of your WordPress site must be updated. If the themes or plugins of your site are outdated, they may contain poorly coded scripts, and it’s easy for hackers to target those codes and exploit your website. It is therefore vital to maintain your website regularly to ensure that all its plugins & themes are always up to date. If you don’t have the necessary resources or time to maintain your website, consider hiring a professional web developer to manage it on your behalf.
#4 Unprotected File Permissions
Having open access to the critical files of your WordPress site can also make it easier for hackers to have unauthorized access and inject their own scripts. When they do that, your website may redirect users to a spam website or break some of its essential features. Configuring file permissions correctly adds an extra layer of security.
#5 Insecure Web Hosting
When it comes to the security of a WordPress website, web hosting or server plays an essential role. No matter how well your WordPress website has been coded and protected, it may still be at risk of infection or hacking if your website hosting is not secure enough. Therefore, you must subscribe to only those web hosting servers that are well-known for their performance & support, and have hundreds of positive reviews.