Since there are 2,800 attacks on websites every second and spending to defend against online threats is expected to reach $1.75 trillion by 2025, cybersecurity is a hot topic right now, as it should be. Is WordPress secure? is a reasonable question given how these assaults impact people, small enterprises, and large corporations equally?
Hackers love to target websites that utilize WordPress as their content management system. 2019 saw a 94% increase in successful assaults against WordPress-powered websites. Even with WordPress' 65.1 percent CMS market share, nine out of ten attacks is still a significant number.
You might start to doubt the wisdom of using WordPress as your CMS after reading these statistics. Is WordPress genuinely safe to use, you might wonder?
Simply said, absolutely. But before answering that, let's delve a little more into this issue so you may better understand what makes WordPress susceptible to security issues, how to prevent them, and ultimately feel more at ease with your CMS decision.
Is WordPress secure?
Publishers who take website security seriously and adhere to best practices can use WordPress with confidence. The use of secure plugins and themes, maintaining responsible login processes, employing security plugins to monitor your site, and routine updating are all examples of best practices.
Let's divide the security of a WordPress website into its three primary parts: the WordPress core (the source files that govern the essential functioning of WordPress), plugins, and themes. This will enable us to comprehend WordPress security in its entirety.
Is WordPress core secure?
Short answer: When upgraded to the most recent version, WordPress core is secure. However, users can take further measures to fortify WordPress core on their website.
Longer answer: Unlike themes and plugins, the WordPress core is the single component, and a top-notch security team looks after it. WordPress often issues security updates to patch its core files in order to address software flaws. Install any updates WordPress provides as soon as you can because the problems they fix are all known in advance.
Additionally, you can take additional steps to keep WordPress operating as safely as possible. These consist of:
- creating secure passwords to protect your login. It's also worthwhile to check at extra features like two-factor authentication and plugins that restrict the number of login attempts and add captchas.
- putting in a WordPress security plugin that can check your website for malware and regularly running website scans.
- enabling SSL to allow people to connect to your website safely.
- use a secure supplier to host your website.
Visit Ultimate website security for WordPress Checklist for a comprehensive list of best practices you can do to safeguard the WordPress core.
Are WordPress plugins secure?
Quick response: Not always. Use only trustworthy, legal plugins, and update them as required.
Longer response: If WordPress' core files are its beating heart, plugins are, well, pretty much everything else. They enable limitless customization and flexibility for WordPress. The problem is that plugins are created by other parties, and not all of them are assured to be kept up to date or even secure in the first place. Consequently, plugins are one of the most widely used entry points for hackers into WordPress-powered websites.
Don't get me wrong; plugins are required for anything that extends WordPress core functionality. But be extremely careful where you source your plugins, just as you wouldn't download a dubious file from a dubious website. Stick with the WordPress plugin directory, and consider user feedback, frequency of updates, and popularity when selecting plugins.
A trustworthy plugin can nevertheless be dangerous if it is not kept up to date. Install plugin updates as soon as they become available, and keep up with any fixes and enhancements that developers make.
Are WordPress themes secure?
Quick response: Not always. Use a theme that complies with WordPress requirements and update it as required.
Longer response: Since many themes are created by outside companies, WordPress does not control or certify them. Despite how crucial it is, don't install a theme just because you like the way it looks. Additionally, your theme must adhere to WordPress's code standards. Choose a theme from the list of authorized WordPress themes. you may determine the security of any WordPress site, including your own.
Last but not least, I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I've said it before: Update! Another simple way for unauthorized access to your website's backend is through outdated themes.
“A regular update schedule for your themes and plugins is essential to preserving the security of your WordPress website. Before putting updates for themes and plugins into production, you should test them separately, perhaps on a staging site. This is to ensure that the modifications don't ruin current functionality or, worse, completely crash the website. – Alec Wines, WP Buffs' Head of Growth
Is WordPress reliable?
WordPress is dependable, yes. However, it has its weaknesses, just like anything connected to the internet, and hackers will always try to find a way in. However, it boasts some of the greatest infrastructures and is fundamentally designed to fend off attacks from bad actors.
The truth about cybersecurity-
You should also be aware that, in an ideal world, identifying the dangers and putting the appropriate mechanisms in place would make it impossible to be hacked. Secure, however, is not the same as immune.
No matter whatever CMS you use, there will never be 100% security, and there will always be hazards associated with hosting content online. The best thing you can do is lower the likelihood of assaults, and if you prioritize security, you'll be fine. It indicates that you presumably already do because you're asking the first question about WordPress' security.
