When it comes to WordPress security, many website owners rely on the basics—strong passwords, security plugins, and regular updates. While these are important, there are some lesser-known yet effective security hacks you can implement to ensure your site stays safe from hackers and malicious attacks. Here are some little-known WordPress security hacks that can help you level up your site’s protection.
1. Change Your Login URL
Why You Need It:
The default WordPress login URL is wp-login.php or wp-admin, which makes it easy for hackers to target your site with brute force attacks. Changing the login URL adds an extra layer of security by making it harder for attackers to find your login page.
How to Do It:
Use a plugin like WPS Hide Login to change the login URL to something more obscure, such as yourwebsite.com/custom-login. This prevents unauthorized login attempts from easily finding the right URL.
2. Limit Login Attempts
Why You Need It:
Hackers often use brute force methods to guess passwords, and if there is no limit on failed login attempts, they can keep trying indefinitely. Limiting login attempts prevents automated attacks and protects your site from unauthorized access.
How to Do It:
You can install a plugin like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded to restrict the number of failed login attempts. After a certain number of failed attempts, the IP address will be blocked for a set period.
3. Disable Directory Listings
Why You Need It:
By default, WordPress sometimes allows directory listings, meaning if a visitor navigates to a folder without an index file, they can see all the files in that directory. This can expose sensitive information and make it easier for hackers to find vulnerabilities.
How to Do It:
To disable directory listings, simply add the following code to your .htaccess file:
Options -Indexes
This will prevent hackers from seeing what’s in your directories and improve your site’s security.
4. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Why You Need It:
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity using a second method (usually a code sent to their phone or email) in addition to their password. Even if your password is compromised, 2FA makes it harder for hackers to gain access to your site.
How to Do It:
You can use plugins like Wordfence or Google Authenticator to set up 2FA for your WordPress login page. It’s easy to set up and a highly effective way to protect your site.
5. Secure wp-config.php
Why You Need It:
The wp-config.php file contains important information about your WordPress database, such as the database name, username, password, and other sensitive details. If this file is compromised, a hacker could gain full control over your WordPress installation.
How to Do It:
To secure the wp-config.php file, you can:
- Move the wp-config.php file: Move the wp-config.php file one directory level up from your WordPress installation to make it harder to access.
- Restrict access with .htaccess: Add the following code to your .htaccess file to prevent public access to wp-config.php:
<files wp-config.php>
Order Allow,Deny
Deny from all
</files>
This ensures that no one can access your wp-config.php file through a web browser.
6. Hide WordPress Version Number
Why You Need It:
WordPress displays its version number in the HTML source code of your site, which can be useful for hackers looking for vulnerabilities in a specific version of WordPress. Hiding your WordPress version number adds an extra layer of security by making it harder for attackers to target your site.
How to Do It:
To hide your WordPress version number, you can add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:
remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator');
This removes the WordPress version number from the site’s HTML source code.
7. Disable XML-RPC
Why You Need It:
XML-RPC is a feature in WordPress that allows remote connections to your website. While it’s useful for things like mobile apps and pingbacks, it can also be exploited by hackers to launch brute force attacks or DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks.
How to Do It:
To disable XML-RPC, you can use a plugin like Disable XML-RPC or manually add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:
add_filter('xmlrpc_enabled', '__return_false');
Disabling XML-RPC reduces the attack surface and improves your site’s security.
8. Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Why You Need It:
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) helps block malicious traffic before it reaches your website. It filters out harmful requests and can protect your site from a variety of attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and malware.
How to Do It:
You can use a WAF like Cloudflare or Sucuri to protect your WordPress site. Both offer free and paid plans, and they provide robust security features to help prevent attacks before they even hit your site.
9. Regular Backups
Why You Need It:
No matter how secure your site is, there’s always a risk of something going wrong—whether it’s a hacker attack, a plugin conflict, or a server failure. Regular backups ensure that you can quickly restore your site to a previous, secure state if anything happens.
How to Do It:
Use a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or VaultPress to automate regular backups of your site. You can store backups in a remote location, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, so that they’re safe even if your website is compromised.
10. Monitor User Activity
Why You Need It:
Monitoring user activity helps you spot suspicious behavior on your site, such as unauthorized login attempts or changes to critical settings. It’s especially important if you have multiple users with different access levels on your site.
How to Do It:
Use a plugin like WP Security Audit Log to monitor and log user activity. It tracks every action taken by users on your site, so you can quickly identify potential security issues.
Conclusion
Securing your WordPress site doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By implementing these little-known security hacks, you can significantly improve your site’s protection against hackers and malicious attacks. Start by changing your login URL, limiting login attempts, and using two-factor authentication, then move on to other tactics like securing wp-config.php, disabling XML-RPC, and using a WAF.
Remember, security is an ongoing process, so stay vigilant and regularly update your site to keep it safe from new threats.
