WordPress Security Checklist: Essential Steps to Secure Your Website

WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS, powering over 40% of all websites. Unfortunately, that popularity also makes it a prime target for attacks. Every day, tens of thousands of websites get hacked – many due to common weaknesses that are preventable. The good news is that by following a security checklist and using reputable tools, you can dramatically reduce your risk. Below we outline the essential steps to harden your WordPress site, with recommended plugins and services linked for easy reference.

1. Keep WordPress Updated (Core, Plugins & Themes) and Remove Unused Components

One of the most effective security measures is simply keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date. Updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities. Running outdated software leaves known holes open for attackers. In fact, a large portion of hacked WordPress sites are found to be running an outdated version at the time of infection. Always update to the latest WordPress release when prompted, and enable automatic updates for minor releases (which WordPress does by default).

Similarly, update plugins and themes as soon as updates are available – and delete any plugins or themes you’re not using. Inactive, unmaintained code can still contain vulnerabilities or be compromised. It’s wise to stick to plugins from reputable sources (check reviews and update history), and remove abandoned plugins from your site. By keeping your site lean and updated, you close off many avenues attackers commonly exploit.

2. Use Strong Passwords and Proper User Accounts

Weak login credentials are one of the easiest ways for hackers to break in. Always use strong, unique passwords for all WordPress user accounts (especially administrators). A strong password should be long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid obvious usernames like “admin” – create a unique administrator username so attackers can’t easily guess it. You can use a password manager to generate and store complex passwords securely.

Additionally, follow the principle of least privilege for user accounts. Grant each user the lowest role capable of doing their job (for example, don’t give Editor or Administrator access to someone who just needs Author permissions). Fewer administrator accounts mean fewer opportunities for compromise. You can even enforce strong password policies and periodic password changes using security plugins like Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security) which has a feature to require strong passwords and prevent the use of compromised passwords. By locking down your login credentials and user roles, you eliminate one of the most common weaknesses in WordPress security.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Even the strongest password can be compromised, so adding a second authentication step is highly recommended. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) requires users to provide an additional one-time code (for example, from a mobile app or SMS) when logging in, drastically reducing the chance of unauthorized access. Many WordPress security plugins include built-in 2FA functionality – for instance, both Wordfence Security and Solid Security (iThemes) support two-factor logins. There are also dedicated 2FA plugins like the Two-Factor plugin which let you add Google Authenticator or similar methods to WordPress.

Once 2FA is enabled, even if an attacker steals a user’s password, they still cannot log in without the secondary code. Be sure to enable 2FA for all admin users (and any other user roles where feasible). This simple addition to your login process greatly strengthens your site’s defense against brute force and credential-stuffing attacks.

4. Limit Login Attempts and Brute Force Protection

Brute force attacks – where malicious bots try thousands of username/password combinations – are extremely common against WordPress sites. To thwart this, limit the number of login attempts allowed and temporarily block IPs that fail too many times. By default, WordPress allows unlimited login tries, but you can change that with a plugin or security service.

Most security plugins will handle this automatically. For example, Wordfence and Solid Security will lock out an IP after a few failed logins, and even the free Limit Login Attempts Reloaded plugin can do this if you’re not using a full security suite. Brute force protection stops bots from endlessly guessing your credentials. Combined with strong passwords and 2FA, this ensures that automated attacks have virtually no chance of success.

5. Install a Trusted Security Plugin (Firewall & Malware Scanner)

Consider adding a dedicated WordPress security plugin to act as an all-in-one shield for your site. These plugins can monitor your site for malicious activity, scan for malware, enforce login security, and even include firewall features to block threats. Some of the most reputable and popular options include:

• Wordfence Security – A comprehensive security plugin that provides an endpoint firewall, malware scanner, login security (2FA, reCAPTCHA, brute force protection), and live traffic monitoring. Wordfence’s threat intelligence feed is constantly updated to block new threats, and its free version is very robust (the Premium version adds real-time updates and country blocking).

• Sucuri Security – A security auditing and malware scanning plugin from Sucuri. It offers file integrity monitoring, remote malware scanning, blacklist monitoring, and basic hardening options. (Note: The plugin is free for scanning and hardening; Sucuri’s paid plans offer additional protection like a cloud WAF, discussed below.)

• Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security) – A popular plugin that hardens WordPress by fixing common vulnerabilities and enforcing good security practices. It offers features like file change detection, 2FA, password policy enforcement, database prefix change, brute force protection, and more. The Pro version can even auto-apply virtual patches for plugin/theme vulnerabilities via Patchstack integration.

Using one of these security plugins helps harden your site on multiple fronts. They will scan for known malware and indicators of compromise, and often notify you if they detect an issue (for example, if a file on your site has been altered unexpectedly). Many also provide a firewall that can block malicious requests. Pick one good security plugin and configure it thoroughly – it can act as your site’s alarm system and defensive wall.

6. Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Security Service

For even stronger protection, consider deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of your WordPress site. A WAF filters incoming traffic and blocks malicious requests before they even reach your website. There are two primary types of WAF for WordPress:

• Cloud-based WAF/CDN services – Providers like Cloudflare and Sucuri operate cloud firewalls that sit between your site and the internet. You point your domain’s DNS to them, and they intercept malicious traffic (such as SQL injection attempts, cross-site scripting, malicious bots, DDoS attacks, etc.) at their network edge. Cloudflare offers a free plan with basic firewall rules and DDoS protection, which is an easy way to get started. Sucuri’s Website Security platform (a paid service) includes a robust cloud WAF and CDN, plus malware cleanup guarantees. The advantage of cloud WAFs is that bad traffic is blocked before it hits your hosting server, reducing load and risk.

• Plugin-based (endpoint) firewalls – These are the firewalls included in security plugins like Wordfence. They run on your own server at the WordPress level. While not cloud-based, a well-designed endpoint firewall can still effectively block many attacks by filtering requests in PHP. The downside is attacks reach your server (consuming some resources) and extremely large DDoS attacks might overwhelm it. However, endpoint WAFs have the benefit of deep integration with WordPress (they know what requests should or shouldn’t do in the context of your site).

For most sites, using Cloudflare’s free WAF in conjunction with a security plugin provides layered security. Cloudflare can handle volume-based attacks and generic exploits, while your WordPress plugin firewall can add another layer for WordPress-specific threats. If you need advanced protection (for an e-commerce or business site), investing in a paid WAF service like Sucuri or Cloudflare Pro can offer greater peace of mind (with features like custom WAF rules, bot management, and 24/7 security operations support). Whichever solution you choose, a WAF greatly reduces the risk of hacking by filtering out malicious traffic before it can do harm.

7. Always Use SSL/HTTPS Encryption

Encrypting the traffic to and from your website is now considered a baseline security practice. SSL/TLS certificates secure the connection so that data (like login credentials or customer info) isn’t transmitted in plain text. All WordPress sites should be using HTTPS by default. Not only does this protect user data, but modern browsers will flag sites as “Not Secure” if they are still on HTTP, and search engines may rank HTTPS sites higher.

The good news is obtaining an SSL certificate is easy and often free. Many web hosts provide free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt or their own provisioning. If your hosting doesn’t offer one-click SSL, you can manually get a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt and install it, or use Cloudflare’s free SSL proxy. Once the certificate is installed, update your WordPress settings to use the HTTPS URL for your site and set up redirects from HTTP to HTTPS (plugins like “Really Simple SSL” can help if needed). With SSL in place, your visitors will see the padlock icon and you ensure that sensitive information (like login passwords, contact form submissions, e-commerce checkouts, etc.) is encrypted in transit.

8. Schedule Regular Backups (and Test Restorations)

No security measure is foolproof, so it’s critical to have a reliable backup strategy. Regular backups ensure that even if the worst happens – whether a hack, data loss, or even a server crash – you can restore your site quickly. Aim to schedule automated backups of your WordPress database and files. The frequency can depend on how often your site content changes (for a busy blog or WooCommerce store, daily backups might be ideal; for a static site, weekly could suffice).

There are excellent WordPress plugins to manage backups for you. A highly trusted solution is UpdraftPlus, which allows you to schedule backups and send them to off-site storage (like Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc.). UpdraftPlus can also encrypt your database backup for extra security and offers one-click restoration of backups. Other popular backup tools include VaultPress (Jetpack Backup) and BackupBuddy (Solid Backups), but UpdraftPlus’s free version is very feature-rich and widely used. Whichever tool you pick, store your backups off the web server (so a hacker can’t simply delete them) and test your backups periodically to ensure you can actually restore your site from them. Backups are your safety net – don’t wait until an emergency to set them up.

9. Implement Key Hardening Configurations

After covering the big items above, there are a number of additional hardening steps that can further secure your WordPress installation. These typically involve simple configuration tweaks or file settings that eliminate potential exploits. Some important hardening measures include:

• Disable file editing in WP-Admin – By adding define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); to your wp-config.php, you prevent users (even admins) from editing plugin and theme files via the dashboard. This way, if an admin account is compromised, the attacker can’t inject malware through the plugin/theme editors.

• Protect critical files – Ensure your wp-config.php file and .htaccess (if using Apache) are not publicly accessible. By default, they shouldn’t be, but you can add extra rules in .htaccess or your Nginx config to deny access to sensitive files and directories (like /wp-config.php, /wp-content/uploads/, etc. to block PHP execution where it’s not needed). Many security plugins can add these rules for you automatically under a “hardening” or “advanced” section.

• Proper file permissions – On your server, WordPress files and folders should have secure permissions. Typically, files should be 644 and folders 755 (owners writable, others read-only). Never set everything to 777 (world writable), as that can allow rogue scripts to modify your files. If you’re not sure, ask your host or consult the official Hardening WordPress guide for recommended permissions and settings.

• Change default settings – Attackers know the default entry points for WordPress. You can change your database table prefix from the default wp_ to something random (this can be done during installation or via a plugin later) to thwart some SQL injection scripts. Also, consider hiding your login page by using a plugin to change the /wp-login.php URL to a custom address – this isn’t a cure-all, but it can reduce the volume of bot login attempts hitting your site. Solid Security (iThemes) and other security plugins offer a “hide backend” feature for this, or you can use a lightweight plugin specifically for the purpose.

These hardening steps add layers of security that make it tougher for attackers to succeed even if they get past the earlier defenses. Many of them can be implemented easily with the click of a button in security plugins (for example, Sucuri’s plugin has a one-click hardening section, and Solid Security provides a checklist of tweaks to apply). It’s worth taking the time to go through an advanced hardening guide or your security plugin’s recommendations and apply as many as are practical for your site.

10. Monitor and Stay Informed

Finally, make sure you have monitoring and alerts in place. Security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri will email you if they find malware or if critical files change. Set those alert emails to an address you check regularly. It’s also a good idea to monitor your site’s uptime and look out for any unusual behavior (like sudden slowdowns or unfamiliar admin users appearing in your dashboard). Google Search Console can sometimes alert you if it detects your site is hacked or blacklisted for malware, so ensure your site is added there as well.

Staying informed about WordPress security news and updates is helpful too. Follow reputable WordPress security blogs (the Wordfence blog and Sucuri blog are great resources) for news on emerging vulnerabilities or major attacks in the ecosystem. Often, when a widespread plugin vulnerability is disclosed, these sources will provide guidance – and if you’re subscribed to their newsletters or alerts, you’ll know to update or patch immediately.

In summary, a proactive approach is key: secure your site’s configuration, use quality plugins and services as protection, keep everything updated, and have backups ready. By following this WordPress security checklist, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of a compromise. Your website is an important asset – taking the time to harden it now will save you from potential nightmares down the road. Happy (and safe) WordPressing!

Sources referenced in the checklist

•  Updating WordPress documentation
•  Hardening WordPress guide
  • Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security)
  • Wordfence Security
  • Sucuri Security Scanner
  • UpdraftPlus Backup
  • Limit Login Attempts Reloaded
  • Two‑Factor Authentication
• Cloudflare — Web Application Firewall & CDN
• Sucuri — Website Security Platform
• Let’s Encrypt — Free SSL/TLS Certificates
• Wordfence — Official Security Blog