WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites. Its flexibility and ease of use make it a popular pick among website owners. There are over 50,000 themes and even more plugins available, many of which are free.
Given its widespread use, WordPress is constantly under siege by attackers. An account takeover of your WordPress dashboard may cause significant financial losses and lasting damage to your business reputation. Fortunately, you can secure your dashboard before disaster strikes.
Why You Must Secure Your WordPress Dashboard
If you own a website, it’s important to understand account security. Hackers often go after email accounts using tricks such as phishing, brute-force password guessing, and social engineering. For example, one of the things someone can do with your email address is reset your WordPress password and take over your site dashboard.
Attackers can lock you out in an instant. You’ll be cut off and powerless to recover your own site.
Consequences of a Successful WordPress Account Takeover
Some hackers might deface your website, but most prefer to quietly change your content or add links to dangerous sites. Attackers can add code that redirects visitors to a phishing page.
These attacks will quickly get your site blacklisted by Google and other search engines. And if attackers launch phishing campaigns or spam from your domain, your hosting provider could suspend your account without warning.
When attackers access your databases, they immediately steal sensitive data such as user information, email addresses, and payment details. Data breaches can permanently cripple your business, causing instant financial losses. However, there may also be legal penalties and enduring reputation damage.
Ten Effective Steps to Prevent Account Takeovers on Your WordPress Dashboard
Don’t wait until it’s too late or you have to pay for an expensive cleanup after a hack. By then, attackers might have left hidden ways to get back in. Hiring an expert to fix the problem is more expensive than prevention.
- Change the default “admin” username, since hackers often target it with brute-force attacks. Many sites also get hacked because of weak passwords like “admin123” or “password.” In your dashboard’s “Users” tab, create a new admin user with a strong, unique username and password. Move the old admin’s content to the new user, then delete the old admin account.
- Turn on live alerts for login attempts and password changes. You’ll be able to spot any suspicious activity immediately.
- Use a password manager to make strong passwords for all your accounts. For example, the health giant Ascension’s ransomware breach spilled the medical records of 5.6 million patients. Attackers appear to have used a brute-force attack to guess weak admin passwords.
- Many people find Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) inconvenient, but it’s a very effective security tool. Even if you skip 2FA elsewhere, don’t skip it for your WordPress account. You can use Google Authenticator or another trusted authenticator app.
- Phishing attacks using AI are getting more advanced. Teach your team how to recognize phishing and make security awareness a priority. Hackers often count on people making mistakes or falling for tricks.
- Besides using AI for phishing, attackers also commonly use AI to defeat security defenses. Update the WordPress core (the main files that run WordPress), themes, and plugins regularly. Enable automatic updates to get emergency fixes and version updates. Outdated or “nulled” software is a major cause of website compromises. Always use reputable themes with regular updates and good support.
- Back up your website often so you can recover from hacks or data loss. Most hosts offer backups, but they might not be complete. Use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to automate backups and store copies in different places.
- Use HTTPS to encrypt data between your website server and visitors. Most hosts offer free SSL certificates. Install it, then go to “Settings” > “General Settings” to change the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” from http:// to https://. Alternatively, use a dedicated plugin like WPForceSSL.
- Pick a reliable hosting provider. They should offer server firewalls, malware scanning, and regular backups.
- Use advanced security measures like web application firewalls (WAFs) and sandboxing (to isolate actions). These tools help stop account takeover by detecting brute-force attacks or botnets. They also limit login attempts and block suspicious IP addresses. Use a reputable WordPress security plugin, such as WP Login Lockdown, for extra protection.
Website Security is an Ongoing Process
Your website’s security is not “set and forget”. It requires ongoing attention, and it is too important to leave to chance. Review your site often, update your software, and watch for new threats.
If you need help, consult a WordPress security expert for monitoring and updates. They can also advise you on using strong authentication to prevent your website from becoming a target.