CMS 14 Aug 2026 27 Recently updated 4 min read

Securing your Wordpress Website

One of the most popular Content Management System (CMS) applications is WordPress. Unfortunately, this popularity also makes it one of the most targeted website forms on the internet. Therefore, ensuring your WordPress site is secure from every angle is essential. This article lists some common security features you can utilize and the steps you can take to further increase the security of your WordPress installation.

1. Keep WordPress Updated

Always remember to keep your WordPress installation up-to-date with the latest version release. This practice helps prevent any loopholes that could allow malicious access to your site or files. WordPress provides an easy way to update your installation via the WordPress dashboard for any major releases. Minor updates will be applied automatically. Since WordPress relies on many plugins and themes developed by third-party developers, it is also crucial to keep those plugins and themes updated regularly when new updates are released by their developers.

2. Use a Strong Password

Always use a strong password for your domain, consisting of at least 8 alphanumeric characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, and special characters. This complexity makes it difficult for brute-force attempts to succeed. Remember to apply this rule to your WordPress admin email accounts, FTP, database, and any other login details associated with your domain to ensure complete safety.

3. Limit User Access

Another way to enhance your WordPress website's security is by limiting access to your dashboard. WordPress has a unique User Roles feature that controls access for specific users. When sharing your WordPress details with a writer, employee, or similar, ensure you create a user account that only grants access to the necessary features. For instance, if you have a writer for your WordPress website, create an account that allows them to write and edit posts, access media, and other basic user functions required for their role.

4. Limit WordPress Login Attempts

Your website hosting provider typically blocks a certain number of login attempts to your wp-login.php page. However, you can take further steps to ensure that login attempts are limited. Our servers automatically block IP addresses that attempt more than 10 password entries within a 10-minute period. To limit login attempts to your wp-login page, download a login-limiter plugin. We recommend Loginizer, as it is free and effectively limits brute-force attempts on your wp-login.php page.

5. Disable File Modifications via the WordPress Dashboard

WordPress has a built-in feature that allows users to edit files related to plugins and themes. While this tool can be handy for experienced coders, it can pose a security risk for regular users, as malicious actors can use the same editor to inject harmful code. To prevent this, add the following code to your wp-config.php file, which can be found in the default WordPress installation folder:

define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);

You can also hide the wp-config.php file under your domain to further improve security. To do this, add the following code to your .htaccess file:

<Files wp-config.php>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</Files>

6. Change the Default WP Login URL

By default, your WordPress admin panel login URL is “domain.com/wp-login.php.” While this is easy to remember, it can pose security risks, as many malicious bots scan for this URL to attempt brute-force attacks. Changing the login URL to something like "domain-login.php" can help prevent bots from finding the login page.

Additional Security Measures

Prevent access to the XML-RPC file.
Enable two-factor authentication or a CAPTCHA plugin for the login page.
Monitor traffic to your site if you suspect malicious activity. You can also contact us directly for an in-depth look at your WordPress site if you suspect it may have been breached.
Use Cloudflare to prevent or block bots from reaching your website.

In most cases, keeping your WordPress installation updated will help circumvent most malicious attacks. We recommend that our clients set their WordPress installations to automatically update to avoid forgetting to keep their installations current.

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