Semalt: How To Harden Your WordPress Security

WordPress is one of the most popular resources for businesses creating and managing their own websites. While it can be a great tool, security is among the top concerns for many users. WordPress, since it's so popular, is often a big target for hackers, but that doesn't mean that a cyberattack is inevitable for you. 

While there's no foolproof way to ensure that your website is 100% secure, there are quite a few steps you can take and systems you can implement to protect your site as much as possible. The list we've compiled here is by no means all-inclusive, but it's a promising start to securing your site against potential threats. 

Semalt is your all-in-one resource for SEO and other web services. We offer a wide range of digital solutions to serve clients from around the world, from our Dedicated SEO Dashboard to our FullSEO and AutoSEO services. 

The Semalt team is dedicated to personalized customer service for each and every client, helping to guide you through the vast world of SEO and narrow in on the strategies that work for you.

The first, and seemingly most obvious, way to harden your WordPress security is by strengthening your passwords. We know: you've heard this advice time and time again, but there's a good reason for that. Weak passwords are easy targets for hackers, and if you use the same password for multiple websites or services, that's just an open invitation for even more of your information to be impacted. 

Make sure you're creating unique password with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If you're worried you won't be able to remember all your passwords, there are various apps and plugins you can use to store them all. Some password managers will even suggest automatically generated random passwords to keep your information extra safe. 

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is an easy and effective way to keep your information secure. This technology is the standard for keeping your internet connection safe, ensuring that both your and your customers' data will not be intercepted by hackers. SSL works by using encryption algorithms to scramble the data as it's headed from Point A to Point B, making it impossible for hackers to read it while it's traveling. You'll know a website uses SSL when you see "HTTPS" at the front of the URL, as opposed to the traditional "HTTP." 

You might also have heard the term TLS, or Transport Layer Security. This technology is an updated version of the standard SSL, though they are sometimes still referred to under the same umbrella term of SSL. If you're not sure how to install an SSL certificate, the Semalt team is happy to help.

You're likely already familiar with 2-factor authentication. If you log into a social media account from a new device, for example, you're likely sent a text message or email with a security code so that the website can verify your activity. You can use this same technology to protect your website from hackers. Everyone who uses your site, from subscribers all the way up to admin, can take advantage of this technology. 

Using 2-factor authentication is particularly handy if you or a user does use all the same passwords for multiple websites. Hackers might be able to figure out that password, but without access to the second form of authentication, they're not able to get in. This can be a simple yet hugely beneficial step for keeping your website secure. 

This step is another feature that you might be familiar with. Particularly when you log onto your online banking account or another website that deals with especially sensitive information, you might discover that you're automatically logged out if your profile is inactive for a certain period of time. This feature protects users' accounts from any unauthorized access.

You can use a simple plugin to install this feature on your WordPress website as well. Again, if this is something you're interested in but aren't sure how to do, the Semalt team can walk you through the process. 

Finally, one of the easiest ways to make sure your website is always secure is by making consistent updates. Often, WordPress sites are hacked simply because a component is outdated. So, make sure you're always up to date with the latest plugins, themes, and cores. If you fail to update your website, hackers may be able to trace and get into those outdated files. 

You can easily make sure your site is up to date right from the WordPress platform. On your dashboard, you should see an orange notification if any element of your site is eligible for an upgrade. There are also plugins you can utilize to check for new updates automatically.

Keeping your WordPress site secure might seem like a hassle, and we'll admit that it might take a bit of time to implement all the necessary changes. However, keeping the data of your company and its users from falling into the wrong hands offers a priceless peace of mind. If you're not sure how secure your current site is, Semalt is here to help.

Our team of experts knows all the ins and outs of WordPress and can help evaluate both the safety and the effectiveness of your website. After you've made the proper security adjustments, you can work with Semalt to also improve the content and SEO appeal of your website, helping you reach wider audiences and make sure that their information is always safe with you. Ready to learn more about Semalt, our Dedicated SEO Dashboard, and the wide range of other services we offer? Contact us today to learn more!