HostUtopia servers perform constant scanning of files for malware and known viruses. However we are often asked what the best WordPress Security Plugins I can install on my website myself for further protection?
This isn’t to say that WordPress is not secure, or that Drupal or Joomla are any better. The most common way for a hacker to enter a WordPress installation is through a Third Party WordPress Plugin, Theme, or an outdated WordPress installation. Simple WordPress security plugins can easily thwart off hackers trying exploit your website.
With thousands of plugins out there it’s impossible to control what users install on their WordPress websites. In all likelihood it is a very fine plugin, but it hasn’t been updated in some time, or it was poorly programmed from the get go, riddled with holes for hackers to enter through. Once a hacker identifies a plugin’s weakness it’s easy to then find other WordPress installation that have that same plugin. Rule of thumb is to use only plugins that come from reputable programmers that have shown solid update sequence. Another good practice is to make sure that any unused plugins on your website have been deactivated and deleted.
Introducing three WordPress Security Plugins that harden your installation from hackers:
WordFence Security – A powerful security plugin that provides a firewall and malware scanner. The Free version includes an endpoint firewall and malware scanning; free users receive firewall rules and malware signatures on a delay. Premium adds real-time firewall rules and malware signatures, country blocking, an IP blocklist, and more. It also offers live traffic tools with geolocation insights. We’ve used this on several sites and had great results. You can set how tolerant you want to be and have Wordfence block IPs based on your settings and number of login attempts. Note that country blocking and automatic IP blocklist features are part of the Premium offering.
Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security, originally Better WP Security) – A comprehensive security plugin offering site hardening, brute-force protection, and built-in two‑factor authentication (2FA). In just a matter of seconds, any WordPress website’s security can be dramatically improved.
BulletProof Security – This plugin helps protect against XSS, RFI, CRLF, CSRF, Base64, code injection, and SQL injection attacks. One nice thing about BulletProof is that you can add your own list of injection codes to look for. Today, many site owners prioritize widely adopted, actively maintained options such as Wordfence, Solid Security, Sucuri Security, and the WPScan Vulnerability Scanner alongside or instead of BulletProof.
Theme Security with WordPress Security Plugins: While protecting your WordPress Installation is important you should also be concerned about your theme. Many third party themes are pre injected with malicious code. While WordFence will check your theme for malicious code, you should also make sure that your theme is using the latest WordPress Code. That’s where Theme-Check comes in, a plugin that will check all the code in your theme and recommend fixes for you. It’s simple to use and it’s very effective in keeping your theme current.
While we lean more towards WordFence, the others are just as good at protecting your WordPress installation. WordPress Security Plugins only go so far; in the end, remember this: strong, unique passwords are a core security control, and enabling multi‑factor/two‑factor authentication (MFA/2FA) significantly increases account protection. Make your password Big and Ferocious like: 1%kKErt#27lMt&@q – who’s going to guess that!
Now have a great day, and be safe online!
