In 2025, WordPress continues to be one of the most popular website platforms, powering over 40% of all websites. Whether you’re running a personal blog, an eCommerce site, or a business homepage, WordPress offers the flexibility and tools to make your site shine. However, like any major platform, WordPress sites are a target for hackers and malicious attacks. But we don’t need to freak out or panic—keeping your WordPress site secure is entirely doable with the right precautions.

In this guide to WordPress security, we thought we’d try to break down the most important steps you (or your web development partner) can take to safeguard your website. This should help ensure it stays secure, as fast as possible, and—most importantly—up, live and running smoothly.

WordPress can automatically update minor releases, which often include important security fixes. You can enable this feature directly from the dashboard or use plugins like Easy Updates Manager for more control. 

1. Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Up to Date

Let’s start with the basics. WordPress is open-source, which means it’s constantly being updated by a large community of developers. These updates often include critical security patches. If you ignore them, you’re leaving your site potentially vulnerable to attacks. 

Hackers often exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated versions of WordPress or older plugins to gain access to your site. By keeping everything updated, you’re essentially closing the door on these opportunities as much as possible.

How to Do It (with Caveats):

Enable automatic updates: WordPress can automatically update minor releases, which often include important security fixes. You can enable this feature directly from the dashboard or use plugins like Easy Updates Manager for more control. We tend to review major releases prior to updating for our clients though. So speak to your developer before you dive straight in. 

Update themes and plugins regularly: You’ll see notification alerts in your WordPress dashboard when an update is available. Make it a habit to review and update them at least once a month (more frequently if you have high-traffic sites or important security plugins). But a word of caution, you must check if the update is compatible with your site. And ensure you have a good back up in place in case one the updates cause issues. Don’t update anything without a back-up in place! See further down this blog for more info on this element.

2. Use Strong Passwords and Consider Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This guide to WordPress security would be remiss in calling out poor passwords. Using “password123” might have worked for your high school email account (let’s hope you didn’t ever use a password like this though), but it won’t cut it for your WordPress site in 2024. Hackers are getting more sophisticated, and brute force attacks are a popular attack, so weedy passwords need to be ditched asap.

Weak passwords are like leaving your front door wide open. Strong passwords (and ramping things up with two-factor authentication) make it exponentially harder for hackers to break in.

How to Do It:

Create strong, unique passwords: Use a password manager on your device to generate and store complex passwords. Alternatively ensure you can remember your passwords and make them strong and unique to the site. Never share passwords across platforms. 

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 2FA requires something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone or email) to log in. You can set this up with plugins like Wordfence. 

Wordfence does come with a hit to the speed of your site, but you need to balance this against the security of your site. But also note, Wordfence (and others) can be a bit pushy with the notifications and ‘messages of doom’, all to try to get you to upgrade of course. 

But there are more features in security packages like Wordfence that can help block country IPs and more, all helping you block issues before they happen. But again, there can be Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) issues doing this, so again, we have to weigh the pros and cons. Clearly, if you’re site is getting hit, the decisions become easier. More on this below…

3. Install a Security Plugin

A good security plugin acts like a virtual bodyguard for your WordPress site. These plugins can monitor for suspicious activity, block brute force attacks, and even scan your site for malware. The best part? They’re pretty easy to set up.

With a security plugin, you’re not relying on your own vigilance alone. These plugins are programmed to detect and respond to threats in real-time, saving you time and reducing human error.

How to Do It:

Install reputable security plugins like Wordfence, iThemes Security, or Sucuri Security. Each have pros and cons, so do a little research to see which should suit you best.

Configure them to block login attempts, scan for malware, and notify you of any suspicious activity.

Even with the best security measures in place, accidents happen. That’s why regular backups are non-negotiable. If something goes wrong—whether it’s a malware infection, a botched update, or a mistake made by a developer—you’ll want to be able to restore your site quickly.

4. Limit Login Attempts

Brute force attacks are a common method hackers use to guess your admin credentials by trying multiple combinations of usernames and passwords. Limiting login attempts can help prevent these attacks. It’s a simple and effective approach, but remember not to run into issues when you forget your login details!

By restricting the number of failed login attempts, you’re stopping hackers from systematically guessing passwords. It’s a simple way to add an extra layer of protection.

How to Do It:

Use plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded or Login Lockdown to limit failed login attempts. Wordfence also offers this option.

Just a note here too. Always remember to limit the number of Plug-Ins on the site. More Plug-Ins can mean more risks and can also slow down sites.

5. Back Up Your Site Regularly

Even with the best security measures in place, accidents happen. That’s why regular backups are non-negotiable. If something goes wrong—whether it’s a malware infection, a botched update, or a mistake made by a developer—you’ll want to be able to restore your site quickly.

Backups give you peace of mind. You’re basically creating a “reset button” for your site. If anything goes wrong, you can restore from a clean backup and minimize downtime.

How to Do It:

Use plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or VaultPress for automatic, scheduled backups.

Store backups in multiple locations: consider cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox, or an offsite server. Updraft also offer great connections to various off-site storage options including their own. 

6. Use SSL to Encrypt Data (and Boost Your SEO)

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates encrypt the data exchanged between your website and your visitors, ensuring it remains private and secure. If you’re running an online store or handling sensitive customer information, SSL is a must. And when we say a must, we mean a must. Many browsers now display messages that block the site before you visit. If your site does not have an SSL certificate, you may as well just shut it down these days.

Not only does SSL prevent hackers from intercepting data, but Google also ranks secure sites higher in search results. It’s a win-win!

How to Do It:

Many hosting providers now offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt. Check your hosting panel to activate SSL. All our sites come with an SSL for example.

If you’re using an older website or migrating from HTTP, make sure to redirect all traffic to HTTPS (the secure version of your site). There are some great plug-ins to help with this too. 

7. Monitor User Roles and Permissions

Not every user on your WordPress site needs full admin access. In fact, you should carefully control who can do what on your site. Limiting user roles reduces the risk of internal issues, whether intentional or accidental.

By assigning appropriate user roles (administrator, editor, subscriber, etc.), you ensure that only trusted individuals can make high-level changes to your site. This minimizes the risk of errors and malicious activity. Here’s a link to help you decide what’s appropriate for you. https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/roles-and-capabilities/

How to Do It:

Review user roles regularly in your WordPress dashboard.

For tasks like content creation or SEO management, assign users to roles like editor or author instead of admin.

Use a plugin like User Role Editor to customize and manage user permissions.

8. Remove Unnecessary Plugins and Themes

Unused plugins and themes might seem harmless, but they’re actually potential security risks. Outdated plugins or themes can have vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. It’s best to keep only the essentials.

Each plugin or theme you install adds more potential points of attack for hackers. Keeping your site lean and efficient reduces the number of vulnerabilities.

How to Do It:

Regularly audit the plugins and themes you have installed.

Delete any unused plugins and themes—make sure to keep backups before making changes, just in case.

9. Secure Your Hosting Environment

The foundation of your WordPress site’s security starts with your hosting provider. A good hosting company takes proactive steps to protect its servers, but you can also add extra layers of protection.

Your hosting environment is where your WordPress site lives. If it’s not secure, your site’s security could be compromised regardless of what steps you take.

How to Do It:

Choose a reputable hosting provider with a strong security track record. They may not be the cheapest, but you’ll eventually find out why ‘Honest Bob’s Super Cheap Hosting Company’ is so cheap!

Use hosting that offers features like automatic malware scanning, firewalls, and DDoS protection.

Consider managed WordPress hosting for additional security features and expert support if you’re site is of paramount importance to you.

Security Made Simple

WordPress security doesn’t need to be stressful, and it certainly doesn’t have to be a never-ending task. By implementing these simple steps—regular updates, strong passwords, security plugins, backups, and user control—you can ensure your WordPress site stays safe and sound. Hopefully this guide to WordPress security will serve you well.

Jeff

Caffeine Creative are an experienced team based in the Cardiff area. We help with graphic design, web development, company values, social media, branding, video production, and more. To know more please contact us.