With all the time you spend building your online presence and business you would be devastated if it all came crumbling down due to a security breach. Here are some of the best free WordPress security plugins to help you keep your business safe.
Many website owners take a backseat approach to site security, but the truth is you never know when disaster can strike. Scrambling to recover as much of your site as you can after the breach is only half the battle. Loss of rank in search engine results will give you lower traffic.
Not only will your customers be disappointed as you rebuild your site, but you are deterring new ones from discovering you. There is no way to account for lost business of perspective customers.
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Take Action – Choose The Best WordPress Security Plugin
This is one area of business where it does not pay to be reactive but rather proactive. You need to stop hackers and invaders from disrupting your business and wasting your time. One simple way is to keep all your plugins updated. An old plugin could leave you susceptible not only on your website but hackers could enter from the old plugin too.
WordPress claims on their new advertisements to power twenty-seven percent of the internet. An old out of date plugin could leave the door open to hackers to get into hundreds of thousands of websites. Don’t let one of them be yours. Most plugins when up to date would never allow this type of intrusion. This is why it is so important to keep updating.
Choose Wisely
WordPress has a lot of security options to choose from and depending on the packages that you buy, it can get a little pricey. But what if you don’t have the money to spend right now on security? Can your site still be secure?
The answer is a resounding yes. Here are the best of the best and most updated for download today.
1. iThemes Security
One of the best parts of this particular plugin is its usefulness for both beginners and experts. If you have one site to protect or multiple sites this is the right plugin to use. Currently, there are over 700,000 sites using iThemes Security making it one of the most popular on all of WordPress.
It offers a nice complete package of malware identification and eradication, two-factor identification, inspection of core file changes, and much more. With this plugin, you can literally sit back and rest assured letting iThemes Security do the work. It has frequent updates and is very user-friendly, always quick to respond to details of malware, changes in software, or any breaches that may occur.
2. Wordfence
Wordfence is another of WordPress’ most popular free security plugins with over one million active users. It has a few unique features that are a bit more advanced like a real time auto updated defense feed that allows you to watch if anyone is attempting to break into your site.
Along with a powerful web app firewall, Wordfence quickly deters any Bots from continuing to attempt break-ins or filling out forms automatically. It will also notify you if there are any attempts at not only logging in but also malware, code injections, or file changes.
There are options to help secure multiple sites with this plugin and it is updated constantly for the latest in hacking and scam technology. You can also engage country blocking along with scheduled scans that keep you extra safe. Wordfence reports that they search and scan for over 44,000 different malware signatures with every scan.
3. Sucuri
Sucuri may be best suited for a more seasoned developer as the free version works best if you know a little about code. Sucuri for WordPress engages the latest in technology for security hardening, malware detection, and file auditing. Their reputation in the industry is one of esteem and dignity and they are highly regarded.
Sucuri has an active monitoring log that helps you immediately identify any breaches that may have occurred. Stored safely in their cloud are the original files so that if a breach does occur you are able to eradicate it and return your files back to their original state with very little interruption on your site. It may not be for the beginner but Securi is not difficult to use and has support if you need it.
4. All In One WP Security and Firewall
There really is no disguising what this plugin can do for you and it truly is all in one. It is extremely user-friendly and is designed for the basic beginner. There are three categories of use starting with beginner and ending with advanced so as you learn more you can adjust your settings and personalize it appropriately.
One of its best and easy to understand features is the security score your site is given on the dashboard. This is an easy way to monitor your site as well as learn where you may need to bulk up on security. Besides adding a firewall, All In One boasts taking guard against brute force attacks which are the most common form of security breach.
5. BBQ: Block Bad Queries
This might be the easiest security plugin ever. There are absolutely no settings to configure at all. You just download, and it starts working. That’s it.
BBQ has been thoroughly tested and it works. It scans all traffic that comes to your site and blocks the “nasty stuff”. It works all behind the scenes and offers no frills that many other security plugins feature. It only contains essential security enhancing functionality that protects your site. This is the perfect plugin for a beginner or a pro with little time on their hands to worry about the security of their WordPress site.
Conclusion
Be proactive. Do some research as to which of these best suit you and know the limitations. It could be possible that you need more than one to do everything that you are looking for, although the ones highlighted here are some of the best all-around security plugins for free download.
With such a complex issue as website security research into which plugin is best is first, then try one on and see if it fits. Remember, these are free to use! There is no reason not to secure your website just like you secure your house or your car. With the help of these plugins you should always have peace of mind and you can’t put a price on that.
Hi,
Nice article, thanks for sharing.
One thing though it`s called Sucuri not Securi.
Thanks, post has been updated.
Wonderful suggestion! Thanks for your great research. I also want to suggest you one more security related WP plugin called User Activity Log. It has strong monitoring power that can track all users activity in your website. Also you can get notified if any selected users logged in at the admin area.