Many of you may not know this but WordPress plugins can actually be used by hackers to penetrate your system. While plugins are incredibly useful for your site, hackers can actually use them and cause considerable harm to your site. Indeed, they can manipulate and delete your data whoever they wish. This is why it’s in your best interest to protect yourself as much as you can.
While this may sound intimidating, you’ll be glad to know that protecting your website isn’t actually that difficult as long as you know where to begin. If this is something that you want to know more about, read on as we discuss how to best protect your website through the use of WordPress plugins.
Install New Releases
Whenever a new release, security or otherwise, becomes available it would be wise to install it as soon as possible. The thing you have to understand is that bugs are constantly being patched out. These bugs make your website vulnerable to a slew of different threats, which is why it’s best that you minimize the risk as much as you possibly can.
Update Your Themes
While you may think that themes are trivial and are there for purely aesthetic reasons, they are actually quite relevant when it comes to your overall security. Having old themes also makes you an easy target. This is why you’ll want to update your themes whenever possible.
Remove Inactive Plugins and Themes
It’s normal to swap and change plugins and themes throughout the lifespan of your site. The thing about this is that people often forget to remove inactive plugins and themes. While they may seem harmless, these plugins and themes also leave you vulnerable to hackers despite being inactive. This is why you’ll want to regularly audit the plugins and themes on your site and remove the ones you are no longer using.
Update Your Plugins
Aside from removing inactive plugins, you’ll also want to be diligent about updating your plugins. Plugins need to be updated as hackers are constantly on the lookout for vulnerabilities that they can exploit. With every update, these vulnerabilities are being worked out so that your website can remain secure. For the best results, we recommend regularly checking for updates so that you can install them once they come out. This will help minimize the window that you are left vulnerable to hackers.
Choose a Credible Host
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that you make use of the most credible and reliable web hosting services. By getting a credible web host, you ensure that your servers are updated whenever new major software is released. This not only keeps your site running at its best but is also the most effective way to bolster your site’s security.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you improve your website’s security. While this may seem like a considerable amount of work, it’s important that you understand that you have to do all your can to defend yourself from potential threats. Remember, the last thing you want is to take on unnecessary risk as it could be detrimental to your business’s long-term success.
If you’re looking for a credible host, then you’ve come to the right place. Get reliable WP hosting in Australia today. Here at Hosted WP, we use best-in-class hosting solutions optimised for hosted WordPress environments. Contact us today!