3 WordPress Security Plugins All Webmasters Should Have

Much like you want your precious home to be secured and free of unwanted visitors, it is also a good idea to make sure your website (or your “online piece of real estate”) is safe and protected from possible security breaches as well. Since WordPress is by far the most popular blogging platform across the globe and since millions of pages, including some of the most viral and popular blogs out there, are using WordPress as their main content publishing network, this platform is often THE target of many thieves and intruders who are constantly coming up with new ways to hack the WordPress system. This is why you definitely need a proper security plugin for your awesome WordPress website(s).

Although WordPress platform itself already comes with a solid and secure framework and it pushes updates to try and keep up with all the new threats that keep popping up, WP is never completely immune to hackers all by itself. This is where WordPress security plugins come in to save the day by offering a wide range of features that will put your WordPress page out of danger and your already busy mind at ease.

These 3 WordPress plugins are built to keep their services updated, which means your page will be secure 24/7 and safe from any new possible threats.

WordFence Security

WordFence Security is among the most popular WordPress security plugins, and its highly positive reputation didn’t come over night. This plugin is one of the most consistent WP security add-ons when it comes to checking your website for malware infection and updating its virus database, and it has been the number 1 choice for thousands of users worldwide.

WordFence does what it does best by scanning all the files of your WordPress core, your theme, and other installed plugins, and if it finds any kind of security threat, it makes sure you are immediately notified, without slowing down your page. In fact, the developers behind WordFence claim their plugin will actually make your WordPress website up to 50 times faster, as opposed to using any other WP security plugin, which is done by using the Falcom caching engine.

Aside from blocking standard brute force attacks, you can also use it to add two-factor authentication via SMS, block traffic from a specific country, use firewall to block fake traffic, botnet and scanners, while it can also scan your hosting for known backdoors (including C99, R57 and others). WordFence also supports multi-site protection, scans all your posts and comments for malicious code, and should it find any suspicious culprits, it instantly sends you a notification via email.

The basic version of this plugin is free, but the advanced features are available only with premium packages, and they are worth every penny.

Sucuri Security

Our second choice is Sucuri, a plugin with just as high reputation as WordFence. This well-known and established plugin has built its name within the realm of WP security by being one of the most consistent, easy to use and effective plugins for years now. The developers over at Sucuri make sure the plugin is built to reflect the latest developments in web security, so it will be able to keep your WordPress page safe and secure. This plugin also works perfectly with Joomla!, Drupal, Magento, osCommerce, Microsoft.NET, Bulletin and phpBB.

Sucuri plugin helps you monitor the activity of your logs and keeps track of any potential security risks 24/7. The plugin comes equipped with a versatile malware scanner that checks your page for malware threats on a regular basis, while it also integrates a number of cutting edge security shields and practices that will make your site 100% breach- free.

Sucuri, however, is not free. There are 3 pricing levels – Basic at $16.66 per month; Pro at $24.99 per month; and Business at $41.66 per month.

BulletProof Security

Our third choice a plugin of strong name and with a reputation to match – BulletProof. This useful, versatile and user-friendly WordPress security plugin adds Firewall Security, Database Security, Login Security and Monitoring, Idle Session Logout, Auth Cookie Expiration, Database Backup, Security Logging, HTTP Error Logging, FrontEnd and BackEnd Maintenance Mode, etc.

BooletProof keeps on checking the code of WordPress core files, themes, and plugins at all times, and in case of any known infection, the plugin notifies the admin immediately. It optimizes your page’s performance by adding caching, while it also comes with a built-in file manager for htaccess, and protects your WP website against vulnerabilities including XSS, RFI, CRLF, CSRF, Base64, Code Injection, SQL Injection and many other known threats.

Like WordFence and Sucuri, this plugin keeps its virus database updated so you know your website is secure at all times. It is free, but it also has a pro version which offers some advanced features that are not available within the basic package.

References:

• http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/7-best-wordpress-security-plugins/
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/
• http://www.hostgator.com/blog/2015/11/04/3-security-plugins-for-wordpress-to-keep-your-blog-safe/
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/bulletproof-security/
• https://sucuri.net/website-antivirus/signup