Regular Maintenance Keeps Your WordPress Website Secure
WordPress is one of the most common website platforms, used on over 25% of all websites on the internet. It’s a popular choice because it’s optimized well for search engines, offers many flexible customization options, and can be easy for business owners to maintain.
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
But one issue that can worry people is security. Because it’s an open-source platform, it can contain more potentially vulnerable areas than static HTML sites. Open-source is continually under development as users share ways to improve the software.When a site is hacked, it’s often because preventative measures haven’t been taken from the beginning. But even if you do the right things, your site can still get hacked through out-of-date plugins, themes, or WordPress files.
Following are several measures you can take to keep your website secure and maintained:
- Keep your version up-to-date. Using older versions can make your site vulnerable. Important Note: Always backup your website files and database before updating. If something goes wrong during the update, you will have a backup to restore!
- Update your plugins regularly. Be sure to research new plugins before installing them; look for how many people have downloaded them, what others have to say, and when it was last updated. A poorly-designed or out-of-date plugin invites hackers into your website’s back door. Whether installing a new plugin or updating an existing one, ensure it is compatible with the version you have installed.
- Delete all inactive and unused plugins.
- Tighten up the security features in your “Settings” section. For example, turn off comments or limit the length of time users can comment on your posts and don’t allow open registration.
- Change your username from the default “admin” username.
- Make sure your passwords are secure. Yes, using your pet’s name as your password for all your accounts is easy. Please don’t do that. Use a password generator – if it’s difficult for you to remember, it will be harder to hack.
- Back up your website frequently, and don’t store the backups where your site is hosted. That way, if your site does get hacked, you can get it up and running again quickly.
- Consider using a service that scans your site for trouble spots before it goes down. Sucuri Security is a monitoring & malware cleanup service that helps keep websites clean & secure.
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Would you like support for keeping your WordPress website secure and safe from malicious code, vulnerabilities, and corrupt files, functioning correctly, and kept up-to-date and backed up? Webb Weavers Consulting, based in Ventura, CA, can help! See all the details about Webb Weavers Consulting’s WordPress Website Maintenance Plan. Still unsure? Consider the benefits of a WordPress Website Maintenance Plan.