For a secure WordPress without vulnerabilities

There is no magic quick fix, but there are a few ways you should consider implementing that are standard practice. Here are three examples:

1. Keep everything up to date
   Keep track of and update the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. It can also be a good idea to remove anything you don’t use, as anything that is disabled is not secure (and easily forgotten).
   
2. Use strong logins and two-factor authentication
   Make sure to use unique passwords (it helps to keep track of everything with a password manager). In addition, it is wise to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all admin accounts.
   
3. Automatic (extra) backups
   Ensure that the website is automatically backed up every day, both files and database. Backups should be stored separately from the server so that they remain available if something happens. Also, check regularly that they can actually be restored.

There are other ways besides those we have mentioned, such as using a security plugin (e.g. WP Guardian) and protecting wp-admin by restricting access via IP.

A WordPress vulnerability is a security flaw – or in a plugin or theme – that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access or affect the website.

For example, an attacker could log in without the right permissions, upload malicious code, read sensitive information, or take over parts of the site.

Vulnerabilities most often occur in older versions of the core, plugins, or themes and are most easily remedied through updates. Therefore, ongoing updates and security monitoring are crucial to reducing the risk.

There are many different ways – passwords that have been compromised, clicking on malicious links, or a vulnerable core – but one of the most common reasons is vulnerable plugins.

Up to 96% of all WordPress breaches can be linked to outdated plugins. The best way to deal with this is to make sure you keep your add-ons up to date. A service like WP Guardian helps you with effective protection and stops threats before they pose a major danger.

Our main protection, which is included for all our customers, is Imunify360. It’s a broader, server-based security system with several layers: Network Firewall, WebShield, Web Application Firewall (WAF), Malware Scanning, Proactive Defense, and Intrusion Detection/Prevention (IDS/IPS).

Our Malware Scanning is customized for WordPress and other platforms and identifies malicious code in files, while Proactive Defense stops malicious code in real time by blocking execution at the server level. However, Imunify360 works in a general and behavior-based way.

WP Guardian therefore complements Imunify360, primarily through its virtual patching and WordPress-specific vulnerability database, which provides more precise protection against known vulnerabilities. This means that your website receives targeted protection even if updates need to wait.

Virtual patching, sometimes also called vulnerability shielding, means that a vulnerability is blocked without updating the code, plugin, or theme itself. Instead of installing a real patch in the application, i.e., updating the code, a protective layer is placed in front of the application. This blocks attacks that attempt to exploit vulnerabilities. The problem that caused the vulnerability may remain in the code, but it cannot be exploited from the outside.

With WP Guardian, your site will be virtually patched for known vulnerabilities that have been identified, often before the latest update has been released and you have had time to install it. That is the strength of WP Guardian.

Example: If the cause of a vulnerability is an outdated plugin, an update can prevent the vulnerabilities from occurring in the first place. But before the update is released, and before you have time to install it, an intrusion can occur – and that’s where WP Guardian comes in. As long as vulnerabilities still occur, WP Guardian will handle them before they can be exploited.

No system guarantees 100% protection, but WP Guardian comes close. (However, upgrades give you new features in your software that you may want, so it is recommended that you update responsibly when you have the opportunity.)

A vulnerability can be seen as a way to trick wp-admin rights, i.e., to create backdoors that you as a user will not notice. The service uses technology from Patchstack, which scans:

• All your installed plugins
• Your theme
• Your WordPress core

Each scan identifies vulnerabilities based on a risk scale of low, medium, high, and critical. The vulnerabilities are then plugged to drastically reduce the risk of the identified backdoors being used.

Please note that if you have created your own plugin, it will not be protected; only known plugins are covered.

1. Log in to the client area and navigate to your web hosting account
2. Click on it and then press the WP Guardian button
3. Select the number of sites you want to protect and pay for the upgrade.
4. When it is complete, go to cPanel -> WordPress Manager (WP Toolkit) and click on Vulnerability Protection on the sites you want to protect.