How to Secure Your WordPress Website from Hackers (Complete Guide)

Why WordPress Security Isn’t Optional

A few months ago, one of my client’s WordPress sites was hacked. The homepage was replaced with spammy links, SEO rankings plummeted overnight, and their email list was compromised. It was a nightmare.

The worst part? It could have been prevented with a few simple security measures.

If you’re running a WordPress site — whether it’s a blog, business page, or online store — you’re a target. WordPress powers over 40% of all websites, making it a prime target for cybercriminals.

In this complete guide, I’ll walk you through practical, proven steps to secure your WordPress website — with free and paid options — even if you’re not tech-savvy.

Let’s lock your site down.

1. Keep WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins Updated

This is security 101.

Outdated plugins and themes are one of the top reasons WordPress sites get hacked. Hackers exploit known vulnerabilities in old software.

✅ What to do:

• Enable automatic updates for minor releases
• Manually check for updates weekly
• Delete plugins or themes you’re not using

🔒 Personal Tip: I set a recurring calendar reminder every Friday to check plugin/theme updates. It takes 5 minutes and saves massive headaches.

2. Use Strong Usernames and Passwords

Still using “admin” as your username or “password123”? That’s basically an open door.

✅ Best practices:

• Avoid common usernames (e.g., “admin”, “user”, “test”)
• Use strong passwords (12+ characters with symbols)
• Use a password manager like LastPass or Bitwarden

🔒 Bonus: Change the login URL from /wp-admin to something unique with a plugin like WPS Hide Login. This stops brute force bots in their tracks.

3. Install a Reliable Security Plugin

Think of security plugins as your site’s digital bodyguards. They monitor for suspicious activity, block brute-force attacks, and scan for malware.

🔧 Recommended Plugins:

• Wordfence (Free & Paid) – Firewall, malware scanner, login protection
• Sucuri Security (Free & Paid) – Hardening, file monitoring, malware scanning
• iThemes Security (Free & Pro) – Login lockdown, 404 detection, brute force protection

🔒 Personal Pick: I use Sucuri on all my client sites — lightweight, reliable, and backed by a trusted team.

4. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Even if someone steals your password, 2FA can stop them cold. It adds an extra layer by requiring a second login code (usually from your phone).

🔧 Tools to enable 2FA:

• Wordfence Login Security
• WP 2FA
• Google Authenticator

🔒 Pro Tip: Encourage all site users (editors, admins, authors) to enable 2FA — not just yourself.

5. Limit Login Attempts

Hackers often use bots to “guess” passwords by trying thousands of combinations. This is called a brute force attack.

✅ Prevent it with:

• Limit Login Attempts Reloaded (Free)
• Login LockDown (Free)
• Built-in settings in Wordfence or iThemes Security

Set a limit (e.g., 3–5 attempts) and temporarily block IPs after too many failures.

🔒 Note: Make sure you whitelist your own IP to avoid getting locked out.

6. Use SSL (HTTPS) on Your Site

SSL encrypts the data between your site and the user — crucial for protecting login info and customer data.

Plus, Google gives a ranking boost to HTTPS sites.

✅ What to do:

• Get a free SSL certificate via your hosting provider (many use Let’s Encrypt)
• Install a plugin like Really Simple SSL to force HTTPS sitewide
• Update internal links and fix mixed content issues

🔒 Hosting with companies like SiteGround or Kinsta usually includes SSL by default.

7. Back Up Your Site Regularly

No security setup is complete without backups. If your site does get hacked, a backup is often your fastest path to recovery.

🔧 Best backup plugins:

• UpdraftPlus (Free & Paid)
• BlogVault (Paid)
• Jetpack Backup (Paid)

✅ Backup checklist:

• Automate daily or weekly backups
• Store backups off-site (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
• Test restoring backups periodically

🔒 Personal Lesson: I once had a site break after a plugin update — restored from UpdraftPlus in under 10 minutes.

8. Change Your WordPress Database Prefix

By default, WordPress uses wp_ as the table prefix. Hackers know this and use it to launch SQL injection attacks.

✅ Solution:

• Change it during installation
• Or use a plugin like WP-DBManager or Brozzme DB Prefix Changer

⚠️ Warning: Changing the prefix on a live site can break things if not done carefully. Always back up first.

9. Disable File Editing from the Dashboard

By default, WordPress allows editing theme and plugin files directly in the admin panel. If a hacker gets access, they could inject malicious code in seconds.

✅ Disable it by adding this line to your wp-config.php file:

define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );

🔒 Bonus: You can also use iThemes Security to disable file editing with one click.

10. Use a Secure Hosting Provider

Your host is your first line of defense. Even the best WordPress security measures can fail if your hosting environment is vulnerable.

✅ Look for hosts that offer:

• Free SSL
• Daily backups
• Built-in firewalls
• Malware scanning and removal
• Server-level caching

🔧 Recommended secure hosts:

• Kinsta (Premium managed WordPress hosting)
• SiteGround (Affordable and secure)
• WP Engine (Enterprise-grade WordPress hosting)

🔒 Personal Experience: After a few cheap hosting horror stories, I now build all serious client sites on SiteGround or Kinsta. Zero issues so far.

Bonus Tips for Advanced Users

• Disable XML-RPC unless you use it (can be exploited for DDoS attacks)
• Set file permissions correctly (avoid 777)
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for extra protection
• Enable activity logs to monitor user behavior

Final Thoughts: Security Is Ongoing, Not One-and-Done

There’s no such thing as a 100% hacker-proof website — but you can make your WordPress site extremely difficult to compromise.

The key is to:

• Stay proactive
• Install smart tools
• Make security a routine, not a reaction

You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with a few essential steps — like updating plugins, installing a security plugin, and enabling backups — and build from there.

Quick Security Checklist

Security Measure	Tools / Plugins
Keep everything updated	WordPress core, themes, plugins
Use strong credentials	Password manager, avoid “admin”
Install a security plugin	Wordfence, Sucuri, iThemes Security
Enable two-factor login	WP 2FA, Wordfence Login Security
Limit login attempts	Limit Login Attempts Reloaded
Use SSL	Really Simple SSL, Hosting SSL
Regular backups	UpdraftPlus, BlogVault
Change DB prefix	Brozzme DB Prefix Changer
Disable file editing	wp-config.php setting
Choose secure hosting	Kinsta, SiteGround, WP Engine

What’s Next?

✅ Already using some of these tips? Awesome — you’re ahead of the curve.
🛠️ Need help implementing them? Let me know — I can guide you through setup.
🔁 Found this helpful? Share this guide with another WordPress user who needs it.

Learn more about WordPress security at Tech Support Solutions