Why are WordPress websites prone to be attacked? Why hackers target the WordPress websites above any other websites? The answer to these questions is the popularity of WordPress and it’s well known among individuals. It powers over 31% of all websites meaning hundreds of millions of websites across the globe. Not only this but also it is easy to use and is open-source software and of course it is free of cost.
Go through the article thoroughly to know the reasons why WordPress websites get hacked and how you can prevent them.
WordPress is quite popular and has lots of advantages but as we all know that if there are advantages of something then there are also its consequences. Since WordPress is open-source software, it is highly vulnerable to hackers who are constantly trying to exploit your websites.
Hacking can be defined as the process of finding flaws in a system, exploiting them by avoiding basic security controls. Ethical hackers make use of this procedure to know the system better whereas malicious hackers, also known as black hat hackers use it to break into your websites. Reasons, why the hackers attack your website, may vary as some are newbies who are just learning to exploit less secure websites while some hackers have malicious intents like distributing malware, using a site to attack other websites, or spamming the internet.
It is very essential to follow major security controls without neglecting basic protective measures to make your site secure and less vulnerable to attackers as it may cause adverse effects on your reputation. It may take a long time before you can regain the trust of your customers again. Not only that, but your search ranking on Google can also take a severe hit.
First, we will discuss the reasons why WordPress websites get hacked easily and How you can prevent them from being attacked.
Why WordPress websites get hacked?
Just because there is no any valuable and sensitive business information on the websites, people think they are safe from attacks. Nonetheless, there are enough other reasons why websites get hacked. Some reasons are to spread malware, adding bandwidth to bot networks, which are often used for Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, black-hat Search Engine Optimization (SEO), activism/hacktivism, just for practice and fun.
Once it is online, there are high chances of being hacked.
The following are the main reasons for WordPress websites being targeted by hackers.
1. Using Insecure Web Hosting
As all the websites need to be hosted on the web, WordPress sites are also hosted on a web server. You need to pay to get your website hosted on the web and there is a very close relationship between the price you pay to get your site hosted and the quality you receive. Those hosts that can afford to hire more professionals are bound to charge more as compared to others.
Not all hosting companies are concerned about securing their hosting platforms properly. As a result, the websites that are being hosted by those companies on the web are at high risk of being exploited by hackers. Critical issues such as security cannot be delayed or ignored. You can avoid this situation by selecting the best and secure WordPress hosting providers for your website. You need to make sure that your website is hosted on a safe platform. Secured servers can block many of the most common attacks on WordPress sites.
2. Weak Passwords
If you belong to the category of people who make use of a simple and same password for numerous websites then it is highly recommended to stop doing that. You need to make use of strong and unique passwords in order to be safe and less likely to be targeted by hackers.
When discussing security on WordPress websites, the first thing you need to think about is your WordPress password as it is mainline of defense. One can gain full admin liberty on your site if he/she cracks your admin credentials. A password is a secret word or phrase that is used to gain access to your website so, you need to make sure that you are using a strong password which is hard to guess by others. Also, do not forget to use unique passwords for different websites.
If your website is cracked then the hacker will have complete access to your WordPress admin account, Web hosting control panel account, FTP accounts, MySQL database used for your WordPress site, and Email accounts used for WordPress admin or hosting account. Lengthy passwords are much harder to guess and crack so, practice using lengthy and strong passwords. Make use of the widely available WordPress plugins to enforce strong passwords across your website for all users.
3. Using Older Version of WordPress
Another leading reason for WordPress websites being prone to attackers is still using older versions of WordPress even though there are newer updates. Many stick to older versions because they fear that updating would break their website. The main objective of launching newer versions are fixing bugs and improving securities in the previous version. If you’re not updating WordPress, then you are intentionally leaving your site vulnerable.
And yes, you can create a complete WordPress backup prior to updating a new version if you are afraid that an update will break your website. This way, if something doesn’t work, then you can easily revert back to the previous version. Outdated software is highly susceptible to attacks. So, WordPress administrators expose security holes for hackers to exploit if they are using outdated versions of WordPress.
In almost all cases, security updates for WordPress are configured to happen automatically. However, some WordPress users disable this functionality. This is one of the reasons why WordPress websites get hacked.
4. Not Updating Plugins or Themes
It is essentially important to update the themes and plugins just like updating the core WordPress software. If you are still sticking with an older version then your website is at high risk of being exploited by attackers.
As you can encounter many bugs and problems in WordPress themes and plugins, it is very necessary to get updated with newer versions because new versions are released after fixing such bugs and problems. Usually, theme and plugin developers are quick to fix those bugs. Nonetheless, if you, as a WordPress user do not update those themes and plugins then nothing can be done.
The job of WordPress themes and plugins authors is just to launch newer versions. It’s you who is responsible to keep your website safe and secure by being updated. So make sure that you are up to date with WordPress theme and plugins.
5. Not Using SFTP/SSH
File Transfer Protocol(FTP) account is basically used to upload files into the webserver from your device using an FTP client. FTP connections are supported by most of the hosting service providers using divergent protocols. You are allowed to connect using FTP, Secure File Transfer Protocol(SFTP), or Secure Shell(SSH).
The password of your website is sent to the server without encryption when you connect to your site using ordinary FTP. It is extremely insecure as it can be easily stolen by the attackers who have been constantly watching for less secure sites to attack. You should always keep the security of your website at the top of the priority list. For this, you should always use SFTP or SSH instead of using just FTP.
You don’t have to bother changing your FTP client as most FTP clients can get connected to your website using SFTP as well as SSH. All you have to do is change the protocol to ‘SFTP or SSH’ when connecting to your website.
6. Using Nulled Themes or Plugins
Premium themes are costly while free themes are not dazzling and impressive enough to attract users. This is the reason why a lot of users go for a nulled theme. Basically, third-party organizations or individuals pirate premium themes and distribute at low costs, or even for free on the internet. It is ethical. These pirated themes are known as nulled themes. Similarly, nulled WordPress plugins can be defines as pirated copies of premium plugins that are sold at low prices.
You will come across several websites on the internet that releases paid WordPress themes and plugins for free. It is quite easy to be convinced to use nulled themes and plugins on your website. The reasons are nulled themes sometimes appear to be really attractive and appealing than premium themes and of course, the cost factor plays a key role here. But you don’t realize the risks that you are taking while using nulled versions of themes and plugins. You may be getting yourself an unreliable theme which means these themes may be poorly coded, lack regular updates, and provide poor support.
It is extremely important to download WordPress themes and plugins from reliable sources only. If you download from unreliable sources, they can even steal your data along with compromising the security of your website. Just because you can’t afford to buy premium themes do not ever go for nulled themes because you still have the option of downloading free themes. This way you are on the safer side.
7. Unprotected Access to wp-admin Directory
In the installation of WordPress, the wp-admin directory is the most important directory. So, you need to provide extra protection for access to this directory. You can secure this directory by assigning a password. You can require the user to provide two passwords before they can access this directory. The first password for logging in and the second one for accessing the WordPress admin zone.
The WordPress admin area is the one that gives accessibility to the users to carry out different activities on your WordPress website. And, is the most commonly attacked area of a WordPress site. Not to be the victim of WordPress hacks, you can make it difficult for them by adding layers of authentication to your WordPress admin directory. This will prevent attackers from cracking your websites.
Just setting up a strong password will not do. You need to consider adding a two-factor authentication process in order to login to your website. This prevents hackers from entering into your WordPress admin area.
8. WordPress is the most popular CMS
WordPress is one of the most popular and powerful Content Management System(CMS). It powers over 31% of all websites meaning hundreds of millions of websites across the globe. Not only this but also it is easy to use and is open-source software and of course it is free of cost. So, it is favored by most of the enterprises.
This is in fact a piece of superb news in many aspects. The WordPress industry is getting advanced and powerful day by day and is being adopted by many businesses. What we can conclude from this is WordPress development isn’t likely to halt soon and you’ll always have a great community to help you out. This is great for all of us. But where the problem lies is, this same popularity also means WordPress is equally likely to be exploited by hackers.
Well, it is illogical to avoid using WordPress for your website but what you can do is enforce strong securities on your website to be safe from exploitation.
9. Not Changing WordPress Table Prefix
By default, WordPress uses wp_ as a prefix for tables that it constructs in the database. However, it is highly recommended by professionals that you need to change the default table prefix in WordPress. You can change this table prefix at the time of WordPress installation. You can use any prefix according to your choice but it is better to use such prefix which is hard to guess by others.
If you use a little more complicated prefix for the WordPress table then you are on the safe side as it is difficult to crack such table names. You need to take this thing really seriously if you are concerned with the security of your website.
How to prevent WordPress websites from being hacked?
There is a popular saying, “Prevention is better than cure”, and this is what I actually want to say to all of the WordPress users. Rather than dealing with problems and trying to solve them, it is better not to let problems arise. There are several preventive measures that you can take into account and not let your website be the next to be hacked.
Some of the ways to prevent WordPress websites from being hacked are mentioned below:
Make use of WordPress website firewall/security plugin: You can install and configure a WordPress security plugin within a few minutes. MalCare and Sucuri are such plugins that include all sorts of functionality, from the firewall to malware scanning.
Install a two-factor authentication(2FA) plugin: You can install a two-factor authentication plugin in WordPress to keep your website safe and away from vulnerabilities. You can install and activate this plugin in a few minutes. Also, it drastically reduces the chances of attackers gaining access to your website, even if they’ve stolen user credentials.
Backup your WordPress website: You can always backup your WordPress website before updating a new version of WordPress. By doing so, you can restore to the previous version even if you go through any problems in the updating process.
Update your WordPress website to a newer version of it.
Be up to date with the theme and plugins that you are using in your WordPress website.
Run a WordPress file integrity monitor.
Keep records of everything that happens on your WordPress: You can maintain the security of your WordPress website by keeping a WordPress activity log. This lets you track practically everything that happens on your website, from unsuccessful login attempts to changes in your site’s files.
Install a plugin to enforce strong password policies.
Make use of SSL Certificate: You are exposing yourself to a Man in the Middle Attack if you are not making use of an SSL Certificate. All you need to do is switch to secure HTTPs from the insecure HTTP by installing an SSL certificate which will create a safe, encrypted link between the web server and browser. It also helps to improve search engine rankings.
Conclusion
WordPress is a very popular open-source software that is extremely versatile and easy to use. You can create outstanding and visually appealing websites using WordPress. Along with its positive aspects, WordPress also has become an easy target for malicious intent.
There are tons of simple things that you can do to protect your website from getting hacked. Some of the basic procedures include making use of SSL certificates, strong passwords, and two-step authentication. You can also consider using an appropriate security plugin that ensures your site’s security and safety.
All you need to do is focus on making your WordPress website secure and less prone to attacks.
We hope this article gave you insights on why WordPress websites get hacked and what precaution you need to take to prevent them.
You may also want to see our WordPress security plugins to secure your website.