With WordPress now being the most popular content management system in the world – roughly one-quarter of all websites now use it – there are many people out there who spend their days trying to figure out how to break into websites that are operating on it. By default, WordPress is a pretty secure platform that, when used properly, will not be vulnerable to a wide variety of attacks. However, it is important to understand what steps can and should be taken in preparation for such attacks so that they do not occur in the future. We’ll discuss how you can check your WordPress website for basic security flaws and avoid any mishaps from prying eyes in the future.

Potential Sources for Entry

While having a strong password for your WordPress login is crucial, fewer than ten percent of all break-ins are caused by password compromises. The largest single source for security breaches on the WordPress platform comes from…hosting providers. Verifying beforehand that your hosting provider is secure is essential in maintaining security, as nearly forty percent of all break-ins are directly linked to vulnerabilities in hosting providers’ services. Pinging URLs in the pursuit of finding vulnerabilities via hosts is a common tactic for would-be hackers, so understand and be prepared. Themes are the second-most common route of entry, especially themes that are out-of-date or poorly constructed. Plugins account for about one-fifth of all break-ins in terms of route, so be sure that you update plug-ins as often as possible and only use those that are substantially evaluated.

Secure Your Computer

In a world in which all of our accounts and profiles are essentially linked, it isn’t hard for our online identities to come crashing down like a house of cards. Many hackers know that the best target for such break-ins – if possible – is actually via computer. If an individual can access a webmaster’s computer, then he or she will have access to the website and virtually all other credentials as well. In order to ensure that there is no possibility for this method of entry into your website, do a thorough cleaning and securing of your computer. By ensuring that there is no malicious software on the computer, you’ll be able to significantly reduce the risk of compromise through another common route.

How to Tell If Your Site is Compromised

While it won’t be possible to tell if your website has been compromised in all cases, you can evaluate it for a variety of conditions. First, be sure to handle the issues mentioned above and change your WordPress password afterward to shut off any potential outside access. Next, download a copy of your WordPress website and scan it for any malicious items. Be sure to analyze membership lists and roles to see if there are any odd-looking users – particularly with access roles. Look for any weird redirects, banner ads or database tables that seem out of place. In addition to this, be sure to check out and see if there are any strange keywords that are driving traffic to your website – spam keyword hacks that are pinging URLs are the most common infiltration of WordPress websites, but can be easily detected.