Home Digital Marketing 7 Additional Ways to Strengthen Your WordPress Site 

7 Additional Ways to Strengthen Your WordPress Site 

WordPress is not only used for blogging, but it is a completely developed CMS and a rigid platform for developers. Millions of people use it as it is simple to use, and you can find uncountable plugins, tools, and themes that make building a WordPress website easier. From theme to plugin developer, the number of people working in technical support is continuously rising. Simultaneously, the number of tools and products that support WordPress is also increasing. 

Therefore, it has become crucial to make your WordPress website stronger and more secure. Here are a few ways to achieve the same:  

  • Two-Factor Authentication 

It is one of the easy ways to keep your website safe. This method allows you to protect your website using a password and verifies you by any action of your choice like a passcode, phone call, or SMS code. It makes hacking difficult because the hacker will now need your password and access to your cell phone to enter the backend.  

  • Disable Directory Listing 

When you have a directory listing enabled, any user can browse through your folders and check your files. From the standpoint of security, the complete scenario is quite bothersome. The newer WordPress versions already have default safety measures against directory browsing. But, many plugins do not follow suit and, therefore, leave the directory activated even on the latest version of WordPress.  

The best way to disable directory browsing is to add the following line of code to a .htaccess file: 

Options – Indexes 

If you use NGINX, the directory listing is disabled by default.  

  • Use the Latest PHP Version 

You should always keep your website updated with the latest PHP version. It will improve your website’s performance, but it also fixes any vulnerabilities that the older version might have. Hacking an outdated website is comparatively uncomplicated.  

Currently, almost 80% of websites are working on unsupported and outdated PHP versions. If you are one of these, you must immediately install the latest PHP version. Also, always remember to take the website backup before updating it and check if your website is compatible with the new version.  

  • Add Latest HTTP Security Headers 

Every time any user uses a browser to visit your website, the server launches an HTTP response header. These headers instruct the website about the security level of your website and avoid getting it flagged as a suspicious website.  

  • Use Different Roles for Users 

A standard WordPress website has six defined roles that provide users to use the website’s dashboard and modify the website differently. These roles are super-admin (for multisite setup), administrator, editor, author, contributor, and subscriber. It would be hard to provide lesser permission to a person. While this person can be a random delivery guy, family member, or co-worker, you should not give the highest permission to everyone. 

You must keep this role for yourself and provide others with a less significant role as an editor or author. You can also modify the capabilities of any of these roles by using plugins or modifying the code. You can also limit the number of people who can make changes to essential WordPress functionality while adding a layer of security to it.  

  • Use a VPN 

VPN or Virtual Private Network is a tool that can help you strengthen your website in multiple ways. VPN USA not only helps with WordPress but with all the websites. When you use this tool, you add a layer of security while communicating with other devices. It redirects you through a remote server, making it difficult for the hackers to trace you. 

7 Additional Ways to Strengthen Your WordPress Site Not only this, but a VPN also helps with SEO if you want to target a remote country or location. You can simply connect to a VPN and check your competitor’s strategy and target the market according to local people’s interests.   

  • Make Backups Regularly 

It is quite commonly said that you should always take backup of your websites. But do you know how often you should take these backups? The answer is at least three backups. There are a lot of plugins and services available in the market that can help you store the backup.  

Alternatively, you can also contact your hosting provider for details. If not, it is always wise to hire a tech expert to help you. 

Conclusion 

Most WordPress security practices are easy to implement and quite intuitive. Enabling two-factor authentication, having a secure host, watching over the control panel roles, and creating complex passwords will secure your website. But, often, these steps are overlooked by the people, which puts many websites at risk. By making these small changes, you can ensure that your website is well-functioning and secure.