Online security has, over time, become a vital part of our everyday life. Credit card information, contacts, accounts, personal information, and many other things are incorporated across multiple platforms that we regularly use and want to protect by any means. And of course, the same goes for WordPress. If you are not careful enough, you can easily become a target of a cyber-attack which can result in horrifying events, such as:
- Stealing your credit card information
- Malware, which includes ads with viruses, harmful messages, spam, etc.
- Botnets, which includes stealing your mailing lists and sending mass spam messages
- Losing your content and/or getting your website severely damaged
A recent stat showed that there is a cyber-attack conducted every 14 seconds, and the majority of them are targeted towards small businesses. And even if you think that the big fish of the online ocean is safe, you would be very wrong because there are hundreds of millions of accounts hacked every year, with companies like Yahoo, eBay, Facebook, LinkedIn and many more. But let’s not start panicking because we have quite a few things packing up in our arsenal to fight off the villains. Of course, there are a few precautionary measures that everyone needs to conduct, like a solid admin username, a strong password (if you are using 12345, qwerty, or something similar…change it immediately and return to reading!), have backups, etc.
All In One WP Security & Firewall
Having a catchy name is one thing, but having a name that gives you a full perspective of the software’s capabilities and still be catchy…that’s a recipe for success, which is why you’ll be hitting the jackpot by using this plugin. When you download and install All In One WP Security & Firewall, you gain access to features like:
- Protection against brute force login attacks with an IP lock
- Inspect user’s activity with all of their info displayed (IP, username, login time, etc.)
- Inspect failed login attempts with all of the above-mentioned info
- Add reCaptcha to your login page
- Blacklist functionality
Those are only a few features this amazing plugin offers; it’s straightforward to use and understand, it won’t slow your website down by any means, and it’s completely free, so you should definitely check it out.
Wordfence Security – Firewall & Malware Scan
High ranking with delighted users, frequent updates, and over 3 million active installations tell a good chunk of the story you should become a part of. Wordfence offers a strong firewall, with which it identifies and blocks all malicious traffic, protects your site at the endpoint, and provides safety from brute force attacks. Its security scanner does a detailed check on the core files for malware, spam, redirects, and all other potential threats to your website. The most important part, login security is heavily sealed with two-factor authentication, login page CAPTCHA, and a blocking mechanism for administrators using known compromised passwords. By pointing out those features, I’m only scratching the surface of many ones to find and benefit from with a free account, and the amount of sugar contained in the premium package…check them out and see for yourself!
Cerber Security, Antispam & Malware Scan
Your own personal guard dog for a WordPress website that will never let trespassers come near you is ready for your command! This great plugin is swarmed with great features, including:
- Limited login attempts
- Security scanner for WordPress files, plugins, and themes
- Blocks access to WordPress REST API completely
- reCaptcha feature
- Special mode for blocking massive brute force attacks
- Protection against DoS attacks
I could go on and on and on about the features and possibilities of this plugin, but I’m sure you can already visualize how amazing it must be. This „good boy“ has over 100.000 active installations with an impressive stat of over 90% 5-star ratings. And to add one more cool feature that you will most definitely love – it’s free!
Shield Security: Protection with Smarter Automation
We complete the list with the highest average 5-star rating for a WordPress security plugin. The most beautiful thing about Shield Security is that it does all of the work for you and gives you alerts only when you need to interact, so you pretty much won’t even know it’s there. You start things off by completing the Wizards to get the exact configuration you need, and after that point, you are good to go. Scans, malware protection, firewalls, reCaptcha, blocks, blacklists, authentications…this plugin is the full package without a feature you will miss out on. And it’s all done simply, easily, reliably and free of charge!
Conclusion
Cyber attacks are a huge threat to every person that connects on the internet, and they can result in some horrifying events that none of us want to experience. You may think that you as an individual won’t become a victim of these vicious events, but you’ve read the stats, and now you know that it is a possibility, and with not so slim chances. But luckily, there is always a solution, and the answer to the complete security of your info, users, and website lies in these plugins. Check them out, find the one that fits you the best and fulfills all of your needs, and never worry about your online protection again!