As someone who owns a WordPress website, it’s crucial to stay informed, about scams and hacks that may target your site. Scammers and hackers are constantly improving their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to websites. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the scams today. Provide you with tips on how to safeguard your WordPress website.
1. Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks involve deceiving users into revealing information like login credentials by pretending to be an entity. These scams often take the form of misleading emails or counterfeit websites that imitate known brands or services.
To protect yourself against phishing attacks it’s important to;
Exercise caution when encountering emails requesting information or login credentials. Always verify the authenticity of the sender before sharing any data.
Consider installing an anti-phishing plugin such as Antispam Bee, which can help filter out suspicious emails and comments.
Keep your WordPress core, themes and plugins up to date regularly in order to patch any security vulnerabilities.
2. Malware Infections
Malware infections can lead to issues such, as data breaches, website defacement and unauthorized access. Hackers often inject code into websites in order to gain control or steal sensitive information.
To protect your website from malware infections it’s important to take the following precautions;
- Install a security plugin, such, as Sucuri Security or Wordfence, which will scan your website thoroughly to detect any malware or vulnerabilities.
- Regularly back up all the files and databases associated with your website. This will allow you to easily restore your site in case of an infection or any other issues.
- Make sure to use unique passwords for both your WordPress admin account and database. This will significantly reduce the chances of access.
Brute force attacks are a threat where hackers systematically attempt to guess login credentials by trying combinations of usernames and passwords. To safeguard against attacks;
- Consider using a plugin like Limit Login Attempts that limits the number of login attempts allowed.
- Create password policies that include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
- For a layer of security, it’s advisable to implement two-factor authentication using plugins, like Two Factor Authentication.
Another type of threat is update scams where users are tricked into installing software or providing sensitive information under the pretense of a legitimate software update. These scams often target plugins or themes.
To protect yourself from update scams it’s important to follow these recommended steps;
- Only download updates, from trusted sources such as the WordPress repository or the website of the plugin/theme developer.
- Regularly check for updates within your WordPress dashboard. Make sure to update your plugins, themes and core to their versions.
- Consider enabling updates for critical security patches using a plugin like Easy Updates Manager.
Top 5 Free Security Plug Ins for WordPress
- All in One WP Security and Firewall
- Wordfence Security
- BulletProof Security
- Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening
- iThemes Security
By implementing these security practices and staying alert you significantly lower the risk of falling prey to scams and hacks. Always remember that prevention is much better than dealing with the consequences of a compromised WordPress website. At Wizseller.com we scan your website daily and do daily backups against corruption or intrusion.
