There are numerous security and backup plugin options for your WordPress site. The plugins are essential if you want to keep your site operating properly and safe from hackers.
These days, your website isn’t just vulnerable to a single hacker sitting in his basement trying to wreak havoc for malicious fun. You can also be victimised by bots – individual automated programs that seek out security flaws to exploit, or organised botnets – a group of automated machines working together to do more damage collectively..
These cybercriminals and their automated tools can steal your data, including the personal information of your customers. Hackers can also infect your site with malware that can infect others’ computers and slow down performance. In order to prevent this, consider the following plugins:
Backup Plugin
The first thing you need to do is have an automatic backup plugin that regularly backs up your website to a cloud directory such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. This won’t actually stop hackers from getting in. But it will give you an option if your security wall is breached.
If hackers do infect your website, then you can scrap it and rebuild from the last non-infected backup. If you don’t have this, then you will have to rebuild the entire website from scratch. The two best options right now are UpdraftPlus and Jetpack’s VaultPress. Both of these plugins will back up all of your files, data, and settings and can be easily scheduled so you don’t have to worry about them.
In addition, you can generally restore your entire website from one of the backups with just a click of a button..
Security Plugins
With the top-tier plugins, you are often looking at much of the same coverage, with the only differences being platforms and settings and ease of use.
Here are some of the top security plugins to check out:
- Jetpack — Not only does Jetpack integrate with the previously mentioned VaultPress, but it’s also a great option for many different functions. Jetpack can help you create and design your site, optimise it for mobile customers, and keep it secure. On the security end, Jetpack is great for stopping brute force attacks and will also inform you of website downtime which you can then monitor to see if it is because of server issues or an actual hack.
- Succuri Security — One of the features that make this such a great choice is that it allows you to continuously (and remotely) scan for malware issues on your website. Unlike many plugins, it also provides you with actions that you can take if a hacker manages to get through.
- WPS Hide Login —This is another interesting choice with site security. When you create a WordPress site, you are given a default admin web address. These can become targets of bots that try to use brute force attacks to get in and commandeer your site. This simple plugin allows you to change your login site address to something else of your choosing. This means that you (and only you) will know how to access your website, adding an extra layer of security for you.
Choosing Your Plugins
Having a backup plugin and some combination of security plugins is a must-have in today’s cybersecurity environment. If you do not take precautions such as these, you are leaving yourself open to attacks on multiple fronts — and these could really cost you and your business.
Until the next time
