Category: WordPress

The question “how to secure a website” might seem daunting at first. With terms like HTTPS, SSL, and firewalls flying around, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the truth is that securing your website doesn’t have to be complicated if you know the right steps to take. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the 15 most critical tactics to protect your site, your visitors, and your peace of mind.

Why Is Securing Your Website More Important Than Ever in 2025?

Securing a website isn’t just a technical best practice—it’s a necessity. As a website owner, staying ahead of evolving cyber threats is crucial.

Hacking attempts have become more advanced, and attackers now use AI-driven tools to target websites of all sizes. 

Whether you run a personal blog or manage an online store, failing to secure your site can lead to data breaches, downtime, search engine penalties, and a loss of customer trust.

Here’s why web security matters more than ever:

• AI-powered attacks are on the rise – Hackers can now automate complex cyber attacks at scale, probing for weak spots 24/7.
  
• Regulations are tightening – Laws like the GDPR, CCPA, and new regional frameworks demand stronger protections for user data.
  
• Trust is everything – Visitors quickly leave insecure sites. HTTPS, a clean UX, and visible security features all boost credibility.
  
• Business continuity depends on it – Downtime due to hacks or malware can cost you leads, customers, and revenue.

Securing your website today means safeguarding your brand’s reputation, your users, and your future.

Essential Tactics to Secure Your Website

Let’s dive into the most effective, up-to-date strategies for protecting your website in 2025. These tactics are actionable, proven, and scalable—no matter your website size or platform.

1. Use HTTPS with a Valid SSL/TLS Certificate

Let’s start here because the “Connection Is Not Private” error is still common in 2025—but thankfully, it’s also easy to fix.

This warning shows up when a site doesn’t use encryption to protect data. Modern browsers flag these sites to alert users that their information could be at risk. If you’re running a website—especially one that handles logins, forms, or payments—encrypting that data is essential.

The most reliable way to do this is by using an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, which enables HTTPS. It encrypts the communication between your site and its visitors, preventing data like passwords and credit card details from being intercepted by attackers.

Good news: installing an SSL certificate is simple.

• SiteGround includes free standard and wildcard SSL certificates in all hosting plans. To install one, go to Websites > Site Tools > Security > SSL Manager.

• If your host doesn’t provide one, services like Let’s Encrypt offer free SSL certificates that are widely trusted.
  
• After installation, make sure your site redirects all traffic to HTTPS to enforce secure connections through all URLs.

A valid SSL certificate not only keeps your users safe—it also helps your SEO and builds trust with your audience.

2. Set Up Regular, Automated Website Backups (With a Clear Schedule)

Even with top-tier security, no site is completely immune to threats. That’s why automated backups are your best safety net—they let you restore your site quickly after hacks, server failures, or human error.

Backups should be:

• Automatic – Manual backups are easy to forget. Automating the process means your data is protected 24/7.
  
• Frequent – How often your site is updated should guide your backup frequency. Daily backups are a must, but hourly backups are ideal for high-traffic or ecommerce sites.
  
• Securely stored – Your backups should be kept off-site or in a secure cloud environment, separate from your live site.
  

📅 Scheduling matters. Choose a backup schedule based on how often your content or data changes. For example:

• Blogs or portfolio sites: Daily
  
• Online stores or client portals: Hourly + on-demand
  

Many hosting providers include automated backup tools. At SiteGround, we back up sites daily and store them securely for 30 days. For advanced needs, our Premium Backup adds:

• Hourly automatic backups
  
• Up to five on-demand backups
  
• Extra daily copies for added redundancy
  

Having a reliable, up-to-date backup means you’re always just a few clicks away from recovery—no panic, no downtime.

3. Create Strong Passwords and Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Weak or reused passwords are one of the easiest ways for hackers to gain access to your website. Brute-force attacks can crack simple passwords in seconds—so using a strong, unique username and a secure password is a must.

Here’s how to tighten your login security:

• Use complex passwords that mix uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Avoid using the same password across multiple accounts.
• Change passwords regularly, especially for administrative access users.

Even better? Add two-factor authentication (2FA).

2FA requires both your password and a secondary code (usually from your phone) to log in. That way, even if your password is stolen, your account stays protected.

If you’re using WordPress, you can enable 2FA in seconds with the SiteGround Security Optimizer plugin. If you have a different CMS (content management system) or a custom-built site, services like Google Authenticator or Authy can help you enable it easily.

This one-two combo of strong passwords plus 2FA can block most unauthorized login attempts.

4. Keep All Software, Plugins, and Themes Up-to-Date

Outdated software is a hacker’s playground. When security patches or bug fixes are released, it’s crucial to update as soon as possible. Each unpatched vulnerability is a potential entry point for attackers, which can compromise your entire site.

Here’s how to stay protected:

• Update your core software regularly. For WordPress sites, make sure that both the core application and plugins are up to date. Ignoring updates can leave your site vulnerable to known exploits.
• Remove unused plugins and themes. These can create unnecessary security risks, even if they aren’t active on your site.
• Enable automatic updates wherever possible, especially for security patches.

By keeping software up to date, you close off known security vulnerabilities and maintain the integrity of your website. 

5. Choose a Secure, Reputable Hosting Provider

Your hosting provider plays a crucial role in your website’s security. A reliable, secure hosting environment is the foundation of a safe website, and choosing the wrong host can leave you exposed to threats.

When selecting a hosting provider, consider these factors:

• Security measures in place: Look for features like firewalls, DDoS protection, and malware scanning. A strong server security stack can prevent a range of attacks from even reaching your site.
• Regular backups: Does your hosting provider back up your site regularly? Automated backups are essential to recover quickly in case of a hack.
• SSL certificates: Check if they offer free SSL certificates (like SiteGround does). HTTPS is crucial for security and SEO.
• Support availability: A good host offers 24/7 support with knowledgeable security experts who can assist if something goes wrong.
• Reputation: Research reviews and testimonials to check if the provider has a history of secure service and good customer support.

Your hosting provider’s security should be your first line of defense—so choose wisely!

6. Use a Secure DNS

Your Domain Name System (DNS) is responsible for translating human-friendly domain names (like yourwebsite.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network. 

If your DNS is compromised, attackers can redirect visitors to malicious sites, steal sensitive data, or perform phishing attacks.

To protect your site and visitors, consider the following:

• Opt for a secure DNS provider: Good DNS providers offer advanced security features, such as DDoS protection and DNS filtering, to block malicious traffic before it reaches your site.
• Use an anycast DNS network: A global DNS network, like SiteGround’s, increases redundancy and reduces the chances of DNS attacks or downtime.

By securing your DNS, you can protect your site from a variety of DNS-related attacks and improve its overall availability.

7. Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) acts as a shield between your website and potential threats from the internet. It filters and monitors incoming traffic, blocking malicious requests that could exploit vulnerabilities in your site’s software or code.

Here’s why you need one:

• Protection from common attacks: WAFs block attacks like database SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF)—all of which are commonly used by hackers to exploit site weaknesses.
• Real-time traffic analysis: A WAF can detect and respond to suspicious activity in real-time, preventing damage before it occurs.
• Customizable rules: Many WAFs allow you to set up custom rules tailored to your website’s needs, giving you more control over the security strategy.
• Layered defense: A WAF complements other security measures, like SSL/TLS encryption and firewalls, adding an extra layer of defense.

At SiteGround, we offer a managed WAF as part of our hosting service, designed to protect your site against the latest threats with minimal configuration.

8. Firewall Layering

A strong website security setup doesn’t rely on a single firewall. Instead, it uses multiple layers that work together to stop threats at different points—before they can do harm.

Here are the three main layers you should look into:

• Hosting-Level Firewall – This server-side firewall blocks common web attacks like SQL injections, XSS, and known malicious IPs before requests reach your website.
  
• Application-Level Firewall – Running inside your site (e.g., via the SiteGround Security Optimizer plugin), this firewall protects against things like brute-force login attempts, suspicious behavior, or region-based access.
  
• CDN-Level Firewall – Located at the network edge, this layer filters traffic even earlier — helping block bots, reduce DDoS impact, and enforce rules before requests hit your server.

When used together, these layers provide broad, overlapping protection. 

9. Do Regular Malware Scanning

Malware can silently infect your website, compromise sensitive data, damage your reputation, and ultimately—lead to downtime. That’s why regular malware scanning is essential for detecting and removing harmful files before they cause damage.

There are two primary types of scanning you should implement:

Server-Side Scanning

Server-side scans analyze the website files stored on your server to detect malicious code, hidden backdoors, or suspicious scripts. These scans can identify threats that could potentially take over your site or steal sensitive data.

• Automate the scanning process to ensure it’s done regularly without relying on manual checks.
• Use a reputable security tool to scan your entire website server for malware. 

Client-Side Scanning

Client-side scanning targets vulnerabilities in the code and scripts running in your visitors’ browsers. For example, some malware attempts to exploit weaknesses in third-party JavaScript or plugins loaded on your site. Scanning for client-side issues can help detect harmful activity on the visitor’s end and block it before it spreads.

• Monitor for suspicious requests or abnormal traffic patterns that may indicate an attack.
• Use a WAF and security tools to keep client-side scripts safe from exploits.

Regular scanning is a critical step in identifying threats, and keeping your website clean and operational.

10. Implement CAPTCHA and Bot Mitigation

Bots are one of the biggest threats to websites, often used for activities like brute-force attacks, data scraping, and spamming. 

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) and bot mitigation strategies are effective tools to keep these malicious bots at bay.

Why Use CAPTCHA?

CAPTCHA challenges users to prove they are human by completing tasks that are easy for people but difficult for automated bots, such as identifying images or solving puzzles. This helps prevent bots from:

• Brute-forcing login credentials (especially if you’ve enabled rate-limiting).
• Submitting fake comments or spam through forms.
• Stealing data by scraping your content or product listings.

Bot Mitigation Techniques

While CAPTCHA is a powerful tool, it’s just one part of a broader bot defense strategy. Here are additional ways to mitigate bot traffic:

• Rate Limiting: Limit the number of requests a user or bot can make in a set time frame, preventing abuse.
• IP Blocking: Identify and block suspicious IP addresses or those with a history of malicious behavior.
• Behavioral Analytics: Use advanced analytics to identify unusual patterns of behavior, such as rapid form submissions or login attempts, that suggest bot activity.
• Browser Fingerprinting: This technique tracks characteristics of browsers to differentiate between real users and bots, blocking the latter.

By combining CAPTCHA with additional bot mitigation measures, you can greatly reduce the impact of automated attacks on your website.

11. Enforce Content Security Policies (CSP)

A Content Security Policy (CSP) is becoming an essential security measure that helps prevent a variety of attacks, such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and data injection attacks. 

It acts as a whitelist for your site’s resources, so that only trusted content is executed.

How to Set Up a CSP

Setting up a CSP is relatively straightforward. Here’s how you can implement it:

1. Define your trusted content sources. Specify domains that can load content on your site (e.g., https://trusted-cdn.com for external JavaScript files).
2. Configure your policy header. You’ll need to modify your .htaccess file (or use a plugin if you’re on a platform like WordPress) to add a Content-Security-Policy header to your HTTP responses.
3. Test your policy. Before enforcing the policy, test it in staging mode to make sure legitimate content isn’t blocked.
4. Monitor and update your policy. As your website evolves, update your CSP to reflect new trusted resources and adjust for any changes.

Here’s an example of a basic CSP header:

Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' https://trusted-cdn.com; object-src 'none';

This policy allows only resources from the same domain (‘self’) and from https://trusted-cdn.com, while blocking the use of plugins or embedded objects.

Key Benefits of CSP

• Prevents XSS attacks by blocking unauthorized script execution.
  
• Minimizes data injection risks by controlling where resources can be loaded from.
  
• Increases user trust by enhancing the overall security of your site.

Enforcing a CSP is a step that strengthens your site’s defenses against a range of web-based attacks.

12. Adopt Zero Trust Principles: Limit Access Intelligently

The Zero Trust model assumes that no user or system should be trusted by default—even if they’re inside your network. It’s a proactive approach to security that limits the potential damage from compromised accounts or insider threats.

The key idea is “least privilege access.” A practical way to apply this is with role-based access control (RBAC). This means not everyone has full control—you assign specific roles like Editor, Contributor, or Developer, each with the appropriate permissions.

For example, a content writer doesn’t need access to your site’s plugin settings, and a developer doesn’t need to edit blog posts. Keeping access tightly scoped reduces your risk surface and limits what an attacker can do if an account is compromised.

Many platforms, including WordPress, support RBAC out of the box. Hosting dashboards and FTP tools often let you create separate users with limited access as well. If you implement multi-factor authentication on top of that, you will prevent most security issues. 

13. Apply Rate Limiting and Throttling to Prevent Abuse

Rate limiting and throttling are essential techniques to control the amount of traffic or requests made to your website. These methods help protect your site from various types of attacks, including brute-force attacks, DDoS attacks, and scraping.

How Rate Limiting Works

Rate limiting involves setting a limit on the number of requests a user or IP address can make to your site within a certain time period. Once the limit is exceeded, the system will either block further requests or return an error message.

For example:

• A user can only attempt to log in 5 times within 10 minutes.
  
• An API can only be called 100 times per hour from a single IP address.
  

How Throttling Works

Throttling is a more flexible approach that slows down the rate of requests after a user exceeds a certain threshold. Rather than blocking further requests entirely, throttling will delay or slow down subsequent requests to prevent overload.

For example:

• A user might be allowed to continue making requests, but their actions are slowed down to prevent abuse.
• Slowing down the rate of requests can mitigate attacks like DDoS while allowing genuine users to continue interacting with the site.

Rate limiting and throttling are effective ways to prevent bots and attackers from overwhelming your website, ensuring that resources are available for genuine users.

14. Use a CDN for High Availability and DDoS Protection

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of geographically distributed servers that work together to deliver content to users more efficiently. By caching copies of your website’s static content (like images, videos, and stylesheets) at various locations around the world, a CDN can improve both the speed and security of your site.

Why Use a CDN for High Availability?

A CDN improves your website’s availability by distributing traffic across multiple servers.

If one server becomes unavailable or experiences high traffic, the CDN can automatically redirect visitors to another nearby server. This way your site remains accessible without downtime.

DDoS Protection with a CDN

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involve overwhelming your website with an excessive amount of traffic, and may cause downtime. 

A CDN can help protect your site from DDoS attacks by absorbing and distributing the malicious traffic, so it does not reach your origin web server.

• Traffic filtering: A CDN can offer built-in DDoS protection features that analyze incoming traffic in real-time, and filter out suspicious requests before they reach your site.
• Traffic load balancing: CDNs can evenly distribute the load from both legitimate and malicious traffic, reducing the impact of a DDoS attack.

By using a CDN, you’ll not only speed up your website’s load times but also enhance its resilience against traffic spikes and malicious attacks.

15. Secure Your Email Against Phishing and Spoofing Attacks

Email is one of the most common ways that cybercriminals target individuals and organizations. Phishing and spoofing attacks are designed to deceive users into revealing sensitive information such as login credentials, financial data, or personal details. 

Securing your email system against these common threats is critical for both protecting your website and maintaining your users’ trust.

What Are Phishing and Spoofing?

• Phishing involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate sources (such as banks, online stores, or even your own company) in an attempt to trick website users into clicking malicious links or downloading harmful attachments.
  
• Spoofing occurs when an attacker impersonates a trusted sender by forging the sender’s email address, often making it appear like the email is coming from someone within your organization or from a well-known service.
  

How to Protect Your Email

1. Enable SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – SPF is an email authentication technique that helps to verify whether an email message comes from an authorized mail server.
   
2. Implement DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – DKIM adds a digital signature to your email headers, allowing recipients to verify that the email was sent by the owner of the domain.
   
3. Use DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) – DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, providing a mechanism for email senders to specify how email providers should handle messages that fail authentication checks.
   
4. Educate Users on Phishing and Security Best Practices – The best technical protections are still not enough if your users aren’t aware of the risks. Regularly educate your team or users about phishing tactics, how to recognize suspicious emails, and the importance of verifying unfamiliar requests for sensitive information.
   
5. Use Email Filtering and Spam Protection – Reputable email providers offer advanced email filtering services that help to identify and block spam and potential phishing attempts.

Securing your email system is a vital step in your overall strategy, safeguarding not only your communications but also your customers’ sensitive data.

Summary – Make Your Website Secure in 2025 and Beyond

This easy-to-follow recap summarizes all the critical tactics we’ve discussed in this article. It will give you a clear roadmap for improving your site’s security.

• SSL/TLS Certificate: Make sure your website uses HTTPS and has a valid SSL certificate.
  
• Automated Backups: Set up regular automated backups with a clear schedule.
  
• Strong Passwords & 2FA: Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all users.
  
• Software, Plugins, & Themes Updates: Keep your website’s software and extensions up-to-date.
  
• Reputable Hosting Provider: Choose a hosting provider that prioritizes security.
  
• Secure DNS: Implement a secure DNS service to prevent DNS hijacking.
  
• WAF: Use a web application firewall (WAF).
  
• Malware Scanning: Set up regular malware scanning.
  
• CAPTCHA & Bot Mitigation: Implement CAPTCHA and bot protection to block malicious bots.
  
• CSP: Enforce a content security policy (CSP) to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
  
• Zero Trust & Role-Based Access Control: Apply Zero Trust principles and limit access by user roles.
  
• Rate Limiting & Throttling: Implement rate limiting and throttling to prevent abuse.
  
• CDN & DDoS Protection: Use a CDN for high availability and DDoS protection.
  
• Email Security: Protect your email system with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prevent phishing and spoofing.
  

We’ll keep this list updated as security technologies evolve!

By following these best practices and staying vigilant, you can have the peace of mind that your website remains secure in 2025 and beyond.

When it comes to your website, security should be one of your biggest priorities. Cyberattacks are on the rise, and hackers are constantly finding new ways to infiltrate vulnerable websites.

Protecting your online presence is critical for safeguarding your data, your customers’ information, and your business’s reputation, and in this article, we will show you how to make your site bulletproof.

What Is Website Security?

Website security involves the practices and tools used to protect a site from cyber threats and unauthorized access. This includes measures like encryption, firewalls, backups, and adding secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates, aimed at keeping your data safe. It’s important for maintaining a trustworthy online presence and ensuring that users’ information remains secure.

Note that website security is not a one-time task, it’s an ongoing process that requires regular updates and monitoring. As cyber threats constantly evolve, website owners must continually improve their security practices and address potential vulnerabilities to keep their site safe.

Why Website Security Matters for Your Business

Website security is not just a technical concern. While websites can be targeted for various reasons, one of the most alarming facts is that 43% of all hacked websites are owned by small businesses. Hackers exploit their vulnerabilities to steal data, inject malware, or use the website as a launching point for other attacks.

Unfortunately, the consequences of a breach can be severe for your business or project:

• Revenue loss: Downtime and compromised functionality can affect your sales and services.
• Reputation damage: Customers can lose trust in a business that fails to protect their information.
• Cleanup costs: Hiring cybersecurity experts, implementing damage control measures, and paying for security tools to restore functionality can be expensive.
• Legal issues: In some cases, breaches may also result in legal penalties for failing to comply with data protection regulations like GDPR, for example. 

Given these risks, investing in proactive website security measures is not just about avoiding loss; it’s about ensuring your business can operate with confidence and integrity, and so that you can enjoy peace of mind.

How to Protect Your Website from Hackers: Understanding Their Tactics and Attacks

Web applications are constantly being improved, and security is something all developers pay special attention to. But hackers are not slacking off either. When a known security vulnerability is fixed, they either find another way to exploit it or discover a new one very quickly (or in the worst case, both).

And yet, despite the precautions and improvements, a lot of websites are still getting hacked. Why? 

The main reason is that many, if not most, users seriously underestimate security as a whole – not only the security of their websites but the security of their hosting accounts and even the security of their computers.

And this is an ideal opportunity for hackers to “show off their skills.” That’s because hackers keep their “software” up to date – indeed, new viruses are developed all the time. And while they keep their applications current, many users don’t. Once users install an application and start using it, they often forget about upgrades and security fixes.

Another misconception is that hackers only target large, well-known websites or those with sensitive data. In reality, smaller, less visible sites are often the primary targets. These smaller sites are typically seen as easier to breach and, as we’ve said, once compromised, they can serve as a starting point for broader attacks.

Hackers might use these sites to launch attacks on other more valuable targets or to hijack server resources for things like launching Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks or sending spam. Plus, many smaller websites host outdated applications, which often contain vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.

The most common security threats for websites are:

• Malware: This is malicious code injected into websites or web applications. The goal could be to steal sensitive data, display unwanted content, redirect users to malicious sites, or take control of the site for illicit purposes.
• Brute Force Attacks: Hackers use them to gain unauthorized access to accounts by systematically trying many different password combinations. Once successful, they can take control of the account and compromise the entire site.
• DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service): This type of attack floods a website or server with massive amounts of traffic, overwhelming it and causing it to go offline. Attackers often use botnets, which are networks of infected computers, to carry out these large-scale attacks.

12 Crucial Website Security Tips

Let’s see what you can do to make your website safer. Below, we’ll explain the most important, effective, and must-know safety measures you can take. 

1. Start with Secure Hosting

Start by considering where your site lives – your hosting platform. It’s the backbone of your site’s security. Choose a renowned web host that prioritizes protection with features like secure server infrastructure, advanced firewalls, daily malware scans, DDoS protection, and automated backups. 

A reputable hosting provider does more than just keep your site online. It can actively shield it from threats with various tools and solutions, creating a solid barrier right from the start. 

Take the time to research providers, checking their websites, security measures and features, and customer reviews. This will guarantee your website has a strong base to build upon, protecting it from the get-go.

2. Install an SSL Certificate

Having an SSL certificate is a must-have for any website, regardless of its purpose or size. This industry-standard encryption technology secures the data exchanged between your site and your visitors’ browsers, safeguarding sensitive information like logins and payment details from being accessed by hackers. 

Without it, your website is exposed to risks like data theft, which can also lead to hurting user trust in your brand. Moreover, browsers mark websites that don’t have an SSL with a red warning sign and Google even penalizes such sites, making it a crucial SEO factor.

Though it might sound complex, installing an SSL certificate on your website is pretty straightforward. Usually, hosting providers that take security seriously offer it as part of your hosting plan and provide an easy way to get it configured without tech knowledge. 

At SiteGround, for example, we provide free Standard and Wildcard SSL certificates with all our hosting plans, and to make it even more convenient for clients, the Standard SSL certificate comes preinstalled. 

If your hosting provider doesn’t offer an SSL certificate for some reason, you can get one for free from Let’s Encrypt.

3. Use Strong Passwords & Change them Often

Weak or reused passwords are a gateway for cybercriminals, making brute-force attacks and unauthorized access far easier. Basically, if a hacker can break your password and get access to your website, they can do whatever they want with it. 

Although it seems like a no-brainer, many website owners still use weak, easy-to-guess passwords like “123456” or follow predictable patterns, leaving their sites vulnerable. An easy, free, and effective way to secure your website is by simply changing your passwords often and using complex ones that are hard to guess.

A good approach is to create one that is a whole sentence, and including special characters or numbers will make it even stronger. Also, avoid using the same password across multiple platforms, and encourage users of your website to update their passwords regularly too.

4. Backup Your Site Regularly

Cybersecurity disasters can happen anytime, whether due to human error, security breach, or server failure. In such situations, having a backup of your website is your safety net. 

With it, you can easily restore your website to its previous state, minimize the downtime for your clients and visitors, and protect your overall business operations. There are three main ways to back up your website: manually using FTP (if you’re experienced), with a third-party solution, or by using a tool integrated into your web hosting service. The last two options are more convenient as they automate the process and save you time.

5. Monitor Traffic and User Activity

Unusual activity patterns can be early warning signs of potential security threats, such as brute-force attacks or vulnerability exploits. Pay attention to red flags like unexpected traffic spikes, unusual geographic origins, or suspicious user behaviors. 

These anomalies could indicate potential cyber risks that require immediate action, like blocking suspicious IP addresses or regions. For instance, a sudden surge of traffic from a country you don’t typically serve or target might signal a coordinated attack attempt.

You can monitor your website traffic easily using a network security tool. Many hosting providers also offer built-in security monitoring services that can help you track your traffic.

6. Regular Scans and Malware Detection

Proactively scanning your website for vulnerabilities and malware is another security measure that will help you identify and respond quickly to vulnerabilities before they’re exploited, ensuring your site remains safe. Automated tools can simplify this process, conducting thorough checks for malware and suspicious activity across your site’s files.

7. Block Brute-Force Attempts

Brute-force attacks represent one of the most common and persistent threats to website security and website owners. As we mentioned earlier, these automated attacks use tools to systematically guess login credentials, targeting your website’s vulnerabilities with rapid login attempts. 

These attacks can be relentless and, if successful, lead to severe security breaches and consequences – stolen personal information, financial loss, and more. To protect your site from such threats, it’s crucial to implement diverse measures. 

Start with strong, unique passwords, and restrict the number of login attempts allowed on your admin panel. Regularly monitor IP addresses for unusual activity and use CAPTCHA challenges to block automated bots. These proactive steps can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

8. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) filters and blocks malicious traffic to your site. A WAF basically acts as a protective layer between your website and the internet, filtering incoming traffic and blocking potential threats like SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. 

This additional layer of security can be a game-changer so make sure your website takes advantage of such solutions. There are different third-party services and WordPress plugins you can use for this purpose. An even better option is to rely on a server-level WAF via your host, as it usually provides advanced protection using big data and real-time analysis.

Now that you know some of the fundamental website security tips, let’s see some specific measures you should take if you’re a WordPress website owner. Although WordPress is a secure platform, its popularity makes it a prime target for hackers. 

Powering over 40% of all websites globally, WordPress naturally attracts attention from cybercriminals, so it’s important to keep your WordPress site in top shape.

9. Update WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins Regularly

It’s highly recommended to update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins whenever there’s a new version. Along with new features and functionality, software updates often include security patches that address vulnerabilities, helping to protect your website from exploitation. 

To check for available updates, simply go to your WordPress dashboard > Settings (or Plugins). You can either manually manage updates for your WordPress site or opt for a managed WordPress hosting provider that handles the updates for you.

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10. Strengthen Login Security

You can further improve your WordPress website security by strengthening its login. This can be done in several layers – enforcing strong password policies, limiting login attempts, and considering two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of protection.

Making your WordPress login URL custom and unpredictable is an important security step, as WordPress uses standard login URLs like /wp-admin or /wp-login.php, which hackers and bots can easily target. For instance, instead of the default, you could use a unique URL that only you would know and remember, like /my-unique-login. Tools like the Security Optimizer plugin make it simple to configure this directly from your WordPress Admin Panel. Additionally, it’s wise to create a unique login name, as ‘admin’ is the default username, making it a common target for attackers too.

Another step you can take to secure your login is to prevent brute-force attacks by limiting the number of failed login attempts. As we mentioned, these automated hacking attempts work by systematically trying multiple password combinations until they succeed. With the Optimizer plugin, you can address this as well, as it allows you to cap the number of times users can try to log in with incorrect credentials and thus stop these automated attacks before they gain access.

Lastly, consider adding two-factor authentication (2FA) as it adds one more layer of protection, and the more layers you have, the harder it will be for hackers to break your login. Even if a hacker somehow gains access to your password, 2FA requires a secondary form of verification, such as a temporary code sent to your phone or email.

11. Monitor and Manage User Access

If multiple collaborators have access to your website, make sure they have only the necessary permissions to interact with your site. Review their roles and permissions in your WordPress backend. 

Assign roles carefully based on each collaborator’s responsibilities. For instance, blog writers or editors should only be granted editor or contributor access, restricting their ability to make critical changes to the site’s structure or security settings.

Also, remove inactive users, as they can enable potential vulnerabilities if their accounts are compromised. These “inactive” accounts are often overlooked but they can be entry points for hackers.

12. Add a Reputable Security Plugin

The WordPress ecosystem is rich with plugins that can enhance your site’s functionality and security. A good security plugin can automate many of the measures we’ve discussed, saving you time. 

A reputable provider should offer active support, regular updates, and clear documentation.

We recommend SiteGround’s Security Optimizer plugin, as it brings together all the core features you need to secure your WordPress site without requiring multiple plugins. It covers advanced login protection, firewall configuration, and activity monitoring in one user-friendly package. It strengthens your site by protecting critical system folders, blocking unauthorized access, and keeping track of all activity for any signs of suspicious behavior. If someone does manage to break in, the detailed activity logs help you quickly understand what happened and take action to fix it!

How to Stay Safe Online – Be Proactive and Regularly Review Your Security

Maintaining a safe and fully functional website is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Don’t wait for a security incident to react. Regularly review and perform your security measures, stay informed about the latest threats and best practices, and be prepared to adapt your strategy.

According to Kissmetric research, 40% of website users will abandon your site if it takes over three seconds to load. With just 3 seconds delay, and you can lose almost half of your website visitors, increasing your bounce rate, lowering website conversions, and profit. Here are our tips on how to speed up your website to keep your bounce rates low, and user engagement high.

Why is it important for your website

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your web page without taking any action – clicking a link on it, or making any purchase. What’s even worse is that this experience sticks, and they are unlikely to ever return to this web page. So keeping your bounce rates low is crucial for all of the following reasons:

• Increase conversion rates – when you lower your bounce rate, you’ll have more returning customers, which can increase your conversion rates. 
• Improve brand awareness – if your bounce rates are lower, this means that your visitors are engaged with your content, which leads to better brand recognition.
• Achieve better SEO rankings – having lower bounce rates can improve your SEO rankings in Google and other search engines.

What factors influence your website bounce rate

A high bounce rate usually means that your website’s content and/or design is not relevant or appealing to your users, which will ultimately hurt your online business goals. Here are some of the main things that can lead to higher bounce rates on your website:

• Slow page loading times;
• Not a mobile-friendly page;
• Poor web page UX;
• Messy navigation structure;
• Low quality and/or irrelevant content;
• Bad internal linking and/or lack of clear CTAs.

What is a good bounce rate and how to figure out yours

The average bounce rate depends on the industry and type of website that you have. According to Custom Media Labs, here are the benchmarks for high-low bounce rates:

• 20-45% for ecommerce websites;
• 25-55% for B2B websites;
• 30-55% lead generation websites;
• 35-60% non-ecommerce content websites;
• 60-90% for landing pages;
• 65-90% for blogs, dictionaries, portals.

You can monitor and analyze your bounce rates and other important statistics by using tools like Google Analytics. You can even migrate to Google Analytics 4 in order to be in line with the latest version.

Bounce rate vs. Exit rate

There’s an important distinction between bounce rate and exit rate. Exit rate is the percentage of people who leave your website from a certain web page, after they have visited a number of pages on your website. For instance, a visitor may land on a blog post article on your site, in which case they click an internal link in that blog post that leads them to another blog post. Then, they exit that second blog post, which will increase this blog page’s exit rate. On the contrary, bounce rate will mean that a visitor closed that same page they’ve initially landed on.

A high exit rate isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are two main factors to consider when making conclusions about your exit rate – the type of web page and the average time on the web page. For instance, if you have an online store and your “Thank you” page (the one appearing to your visitors, after they’ve made a purchase) has a high exit rate – that’s good, because it means that many people have completed a purchase. If it’s another type of page, e.g. a landing page with your products and visitors still spend lots of time on it, but the exit rate is high – this could mean that you have some UX design issues on this particular page. If a blog post page exit rate is high, but average time on page is high too – this means visitors are engaged with your content and it’s still a good sign.

How to reduce your website bounce rate

A high bounce rate, however, is something you need to worry about, and take action to keep as low as possible. Let’s explore what you, as a website owner, can do to reduce your bounce rates:

1. Improve your web page load speed

If your website takes more than 3 seconds to start loading, chances are that your visitors won’t wait for it – they’ll leave and move on to another website. To avoid that, you should make sure your website loads as fast as possible. Here are some basic, plus advanced tips on how you can optimize your website performance:

Use a CDN

Enabling a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is an important factor that can speed up your website. A CDN keeps copies of your website on servers in different locations around the world. Then, when a user requests to view your website, the CDN makes sure that the content is served to your visitors from a server that’s close to them. This makes it possible for your website to load faster upon user’s request, especially for your international visitors.
SiteGround has its own, in-house developed SiteGround CDN which comes with free and premium plans, it’s easy-to-use and navigate, and ensures blazingly-fast page loading times.

Enable Website Caching

Caching is a powerful technology that can speed up your website. It stores copies of your data in the server memory which then serves this content to your users faster. In this way, your users can access your website and files much faster, as it won’t be necessary to fetch them anew, but rather take them from this cached memory. 

SiteGround clients leverage our powerful caching technology, built in-house on three levels – NGINX Direct Delivery for caching static content, Dynamic Cache for caching dynamic content and Memcached for object caching (caching database queries). All three in power can speed up websites up to 5 times!

Optimize your website code and media

To further speed up your website, you can consider a few other techniques as well. First, compress large images and videos (without compromising their quality). This will make your web pages load faster and improve your overall website performance. Next, make sure to combine (combine multiple files into one to reduce number of requests) and minify (remove all unnecessary characters) CSS and JavaScript files. Thirdly, remove all unnecessary plugins on your website, as they slow it down. Even if they’re just deactivated, they can still cause slow loading times, so make sure to delete them completely.

Use fast MySQL setup

If you have a growing database on your website, your website will need to handle a number of requests to fetch data from this database upon users’ requests. This could cause heavy MySQL queries which significantly slow down your TTFB (Time to First Byte) and affect your overall website performance. 

All SiteGround clients benefit from our custom MySQL setup, enabled by default, which allows for the simultaneous processing of a large number of requests which in turn brings down the number of slow queries between 10 and 20 times.

Make sure your PHP is fast

It’s crucial that your website runs on the latest and fastest PHP version. Not only that, but you also need to make sure that your web server is handling that PHP version in the most efficient way in order to improve your overall website performance.  

SiteGround clients have the advantage of our custom ultrafast PHP setup (available on GrowBig and GoGeek plans) that uses less server memory, which in turn allows the server to process a bigger number of queries faster. In this way, our ultrafast PHP setup cuts TTFB and makes web pages load 30% faster on average, compared to a standard PHP setup. 

Keep tabs on your website speed 

Last but not least, it’s important to keep an eye on your website speed on a regular basis. Run regular speed tests on your websites with online tools at least once a month. When you see some worrying results, take immediate action to improve the relevant areas. However, given the fact that this is yet another thing you need to take care of, keep in mind that it might take you much time, effort and money.

SiteGround clients have the unique opportunity to receive free monthly performance reports, straight into their inboxes. Our monthly performance reports provide our clients with useful information about their website speed status in different categories (e.g. cache ratio, CDN usage, WordPress optimization, etc.) in an easy-to-read format, including actionable tips for areas that might need improvement.

Speed up your WordPress website

In case your website is WordPress-based, there are some extra steps that you can take to ensure your WordPress application runs as fast as possible. We’ve summarized the best WordPress Website Speed Optimization Tips and Tricks, and added some more expert tips on optimizing your WordPress website on our blog. 

You can check off most of the tips and tricks outlined in both of these articles with a single plugin – the SiteGround Speed Optimizer plugin, free and available for all WordPress users, regardless of your hosting platform. The plugin provides you with multiple features, divided into the most important categories for your website – powerful caching (to reduce your site TTFB), frontend optimizations (to keep your website HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files and fonts optimized), media optimizations (to optimize your site media without compromising on quality), and environment optimizations (to manage your site resource usage and save bandwidth).

2. Optimize your website for mobile

Another important step you need to take is making your website mobile-friendly. A lot of the traffic to your site will come from mobile devices, so you need to make sure that your site is responsive. Check whether fonts, large images and videos, and other important elements work well on mobile. Your website’s mobile version should be easy to navigate from your users, giving them the content or information they need quickly and concisely.

3. Design appealing landing pages

Landing pages are the first thing users see when they land on your website. Make them catchy, appealing and engaging. Keep your landing pages straight to the point, with focused content, and clear CTAs. They should be navigable and readable. Include appealing and appropriate visuals, such as images and short videos. Make your landing pages correspond with the needs of your audience. If your audience is diverse, make sure to create multiple landing pages for different groups of users.

4. Have a clear website navigation structure

When your audience visits your website, they need to have a pleasant user experience in order not to leave your website and even come back to it. To achieve this, make sure that you remove things that might annoy your visitors, but are not absolutely necessary for your website’s success, such as bots, too many popups and ads, and other distracting elements. 

Another crucial step is to analyze your users’ intent in order to design the page in a way that will answer their needs. Keep in mind how your content and visual elements are organized on the website and whether it’s easy for users to navigate through the different parts of your site.

To do all that, you can use GA4 to analyze which of your pages have high bounce rates, then optimize their navigation structure and rearrange content order.

5. Improve your content

The quality of your website’s content might be another factor that makes your visitors bounce. Focus on improving your content by making it more relevant to your audience, in the first place. The three main things you should focus on are the following:

• Quality – provide valuable and quality content that brings something extra to your readers;
• Relevance – write content with relevant keywords that not only make users land on your site, but also help them find the content they’ve been looking for;
• Readability – keep your content clear, concise and in an easy-to-read format with subheadings, short paragraphs and proper fonts.

6. Have clear CTAs

To reduce your bounce rates, you can also include clear calls to action on your website. These will not only lower bounce rates, but help in converting your visitors. Encourage your audience to take the action you want them to take, such as clicking a link, making a purchase, downloading a resource, by including clear CTAs on the relevant places in your site. Here are some quick tips for your CTAs:

• Make your CTAs be visible on the web page – use appropriate colors and designs, e.g. buttons.
• Write short, concise and actionable texts on your CTAs that encourage your visitors to take action, e.g. READ NOW.
• Place your CTAs on key locations on the web page, such as towards the top of the page, or another highly-visible place.

7. Use internal linking

Another proven strategy for keeping your visitors engaged and thus reducing bounce rates is to place internal links on your web pages. These links should lead to other relevant content on your own website. For example, while your visitors are reading a blog post, you provide them with a link to another blog post they might find useful. You could also provide them with links to relevant blog posts, pages at the end of the article they’re reading. This way, you will keep your visitors longer on your website.

8. Implement exit surveys

Last but not least, you can implement exit surveys or exit-intent popups. They are windows that popup to your visitors when they move the cursor of their mouse on closing the window, i.e. when they are about to leave your website.

These “Before you go” popups could ask your visitors to either give feedback on what you could improve on your website (e.g. add shipping options, offer more products, etc.), or give them an incentive to stay on the website (e.g. discount, free shipping, newsletter subscriptions, eBooks, and others in exchange for their email address).

Now, before you “bounce” to another one of our blog posts, leave us a comment below to share some other strategies that have proven successful for you.

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It is every website owner’s nightmare. You wake up from a blissful night of sleep, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and sit down at your computer expecting to check your overnight order sales and the latest sports scores. Then you find out that your site has been hacked. Needless to say you don’t have any overnight orders and all of a sudden your favorite team is now the last thing on your mind.

How to tell if your site has actually been hacked

There are a couple of ways to figure this out:

• You open your site and see something else instead. If the hack is that obvious, your site will be defaced with other content – e.g. a message, saying for example “Your site has been hacked by [XYZ]”.
• You open your site and it redirects you to another website that has nothing to do with your business (a scam/phishing site about something different).
• You get a report from your web host. If you host your site at SiteGround, you’ll be able to see this report in your Client Area. In that report’s interface, there’ll be a tool that allows you to freely scan your website for malicious code and leftover backdoors. Even better, if you have SiteGround Site Scanner enabled, you will get an instant notification when it detects malicious content or activity on your site. 
• You find out Google has dropped your website from search results. If you haven’t noticed anything obviously wrong with your site, but it has indeed been hacked, then eventually Google Safebrowsing will display a warning or the site will be removed from Google search results. That’s usually the last resort and it’s way better to detect hacks earlier, which is why we recommend always using Site Scanner or other site checker tools for early detection. 
• If you have a Google Webmaster account, you get an official report from Google that your site has been hacked. In this case, you can check the Webmasters sections for more info. If you still haven’t added your website to Google Webmaster tools, it’s a good idea to do so.

Next Steps: How to repair your hacked website yourself

Ok, so you have confirmed that your site has been hacked. Pour yourself a cup of calming tea and let’s get to work.

Make a backup

The first thing you need to do is create a backup of your site. Yes, I realize your site has been compromised and we are going to try and fix that. But right now you need to preserve the evidence. So use your normal backup tool to create a backup of your site and store it somewhere safe and out of the way. Make sure you label it properly so that you don’t accidentally restore it at some point in the future.

If your site is hosted with SiteGround, you can use the website Backup tool to easily create backups and restore your site. For detailed information on how to do all that, follow the link.

Restore from the last working backup

At this point you do not know what caused your site to be compromised. You don’t know if someone bruteforced your password, or used a vulnerability in one of your plugins. So go back to the last known working and malware free backup and restore from it. 

Your last working backup may not be your last backup. If you aren’t absolutely positive about when your site was hacked, go back as far as you can. Hopefully you have a minimum of 30 days backup available to you. This will give you the best chance of getting to a clean backup.

Scan your website

Your next step would be to scan your website for malware or other malicious code. There are many site scanning tools to choose from that can help you diagnose your site for malicious code, files, or other hacks. Pick one to do a quick scan of your website and to also check if your site comes up in one of the main blacklists online.

If you’re a SiteGround customer, you can go for the Site Scanner service. Follow the link to learn how Site Scanner protects websites.

Put your site into maintenance mode

Once you have your backup restored, put your site in maintenance mode. This will let you get to the admin side of your site but you won’t be endangering any of your site visitors with potential malware.

The easiest way to do this is by using the WP Maintenance Mode plugin. It allows you to activate maintenance mode from the admin interface.

First, download and install the WP Maintenance Mode plugin. Once activated, select Settings -> WP Maintenance Mode from the WordPress dashboard.

Install SiteGround Security and clean things up

Even at this stage the SiteGround Security plugin has one cool trick up its sleeve. Once you have it installed, click on its menu and go to “Post-Hack Actions”. All of these are important, but let’s take them in a little different order than they are shown.

1. Log out all users
2. Reinstall All Free Plugins
3. Force Password Reset

That second one is the magic. If your site was compromised and the attacker uploaded their own copy of one of your plugins, this will clear that out.

Reset WordPress itself

You can log in to your WordPress admin and use example.com/wp-admin/update-core.php to re-install WordPress itself. Even if it says you are on the most recent version of WordPress, go ahead and re-install WordPress. This will overwrite any core files that may have been compromised in the attack.

It should be noted that even though we have now cleaned all of the code that runs your site, the attack may have altered your database. Even though we restored from an old backup, you need to check each post and comment to make sure that nothing has been inserted. This is a daunting task for some sites and the reason we hire professionals who have the proper tools to get the job done.

Next, go to your plugins menu and update everything that might be out of date. If you have paid plugins (and who doesn’t these days?) go pay the fee on each one of them and upgrade to the latest version or disable and delete them. Do not just disable them and do not leave unpatched plugins or themes on your site.

Review your passwords and policies

Earlier we logged out all users and forced a password reset for all users. This will help if the attacker compromised a user’s account. To make it harder next time, make sure that all of your admin and editor accounts have Two-Factor Authentication turned on. There are several good plugins out there both free and paid that will give you 2FA. If you’ve been following my instructions so far, you already have one of the best of them installed, SiteGround Security. 

Go to the SG Security menu and select “Login Security”. From there, click the slider next to “Two-factor Authentication for Admin & Editors Users”. This will force all Admin and Editor accounts to turn on 2FA the next time they log in…including you. Yes, it adds one more step to logging into your site each morning and yes, some days you’ll play “Where’s my phone?!?” before you can get logged in, but the peace of mind is worth it.

Also, it’s a must to make all users use strong passwords. WordPress itself does not give you the option to enforce strong passwords but there are plugins you can get that will. I strongly encourage you to install one and make strong passwords a site policy.

Review Access

A lot of attackers will install their own user accounts hoping that you won’t notice. Now is the time to notice. Review the list of users at every level and see if you see anything out of place. On most sites, you should only have one or at the most two admin accounts. Look at those to make sure you recognize all of them. The same goes for any role that has elevated permissions like editing content.

Rescan your site

We’ve done what we can to clean things up. Now let’s see how things look. Go back to the scanning tool you originally used and rescan your site. You will probably still be in blacklists, but the malware should be gone.

If your site scanner gives you a clean bill of health, then the first part of your journey is done. 

If on the other hand, the scanner is still detecting malware then at this point you are going to have to contact SiteGround support or a professional. You’ve done all of the things that most non-technical or semi-technical people can do. Honestly, at this point I would be contacting a professional site cleaner to deal with it. My site is too important to me to risk it.

Scan your devices

Scanning your website is important as mentioned above, but it’s equally important to scan your devices as well. Scan your PC or other devices you use to make sure that if the respective device is infected with malware, you clean that up to prevent your site from being hacked again due to this same malware.

How to secure your WordPress website? (video tutorial)

Post-Cleanup Steps

First and foremost, take a break. You’ve probably been at this for hours now. It only takes a few minutes to read about the steps I’ve described above. In reality, it takes hours to accomplish all of them properly. You’ve probably read about 100 other pages just like this one that gives you similar advice but may have other steps as well. 

Stop. Breath. Relax.

Ok, now let’s take steps to try and make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Lock things down

There are a couple of things you need to lock or disable to prevent this from happening again:

• Lock and protect your system folders to prevent unauthorized or malicious scripts to be executed in your system folders.
• Hide your WordPress version from hackers that exploit vulnerabilities in WordPress versions.
• Disable themes and plugins edit option from the WordPress admin to prevent unauthorized access via the WordPress editor.
• Delete the default Readme.html file that is often used by hackers to compile lists of potentially vulnerable sites to be hacked or attacked.

You can do all of the above for WordPress websites with a few clicks in the SiteGround Security plugin, in the ‘Site Security’ section. If you go to the ‘Login Security’ section, it will also allow you to easily enable 2FA for admin and editor users, disable common usernames, limit login attempts, etc.

If you’re a SiteGround customer and have Site Scanner enabled for your website, you can also take advantage of its ‘Site Protect’ feature. It allows you to manage four different on/off options from its interface:

• Disable FTP file transfers to your website
• Disable SSH file transfers
• Disable file upload to your website via PHP
• Prevent the execution of malicious scripts on the server

All these give you time to review the website’s status and react accordingly, if needed.

Set up regular scanning

Another useful tip is to scan your site regularly to prevent malicious attacks at an early stage. This could save you time, money, and reputation the next time you have to deal with hackers.  SiteGround customers have the option to purchase the Site Scanner service that detects and prevents upload of malware, warns you about potential threats at an early stage and in a timely manner, and gives you tools for reaction in case your site is under attack.

To get this service, go to Site Tools in your SiteGround dashboard. Click on “Security” and then on “Site Scanner”. Sign up to have your site scanned daily. Yes, it costs extra but you’ve just spent hours cleaning and repairing your site exactly because you didn’t have someone monitoring it for you.

Install a software firewall

If you want to take it a step further, there are some great “Software Firewall” plugins for WordPress that will lock things down even more. You may want to consider installing one of these and subscribing to their service.

One more step you can take to clean and further protect your site: Hire a professional

If your site is responsible for a non-trivial amount of your income stream, hire a professional security expert who knows how to clean WordPress sites.

A professional will cost you but, if you are uncertain about doing it yourself, they stand a much better chance of actually fixing the problem than you by yourself.

Wrap Up

Getting hacked sucks. The best strategy is to build layers of security on top of your site. 

Layer 1: Have sets of backups

If you don’t have backups, you can’t even begin to fix your site. Make sure you have 30 days of backups stored somewhere other than your web hosts backup system. SiteGround backs up my site every day and stores it in a place that is easy to get to and restore. That having been said, I also have a backup plugin that makes a separate backup and stores it on a server disconnected from everything else. These are my “secure” backups. Storing them on your own computer is fine. Storing them on a USB drive plugged into your computer is a good option. Storing them on something like Amazon S3 is an even better solution.

However you do it, make sure you have 2 sets of backups. Those that your hosting company makes for you daily, and those that you make yourself…daily. 

Layer 2:  Download SiteGround Security plugin:

This does the basics for you: 

• 2FA
• Turning off unneeded headers and features
• Making it harder to guess passwords by limiting login attempts

All of these things make for a good base layer of security. If your site is your personal blog and you won’t lose any money if it gets hacked, this is probably good enough. However, if you derive income from your site, add a few more layers.

Layer 3: Activate SiteGround Site Scanner: 

Scanning your site daily for bad content is an important layer. Make sure you have a trusted service like SiteGround scanning your site to make sure it is clean.

Layer 4: Maintain Good policies:

Review your policies like strong passwords and make sure you have good solid security policies. Additionally, limit the number of Admin accounts to the absolute bare minimum. If you have to grant someone admin access to get something fixed, make sure you disable and delete the account as soon as you can.

Layer 5: Get a Software Firewall Plugin

Finally, if you’ve done all the rest and still want another layer, invest in a Software Firewall Plugin. There are several of them out there, do your homework and find the right one for you.

No website is secure. However, you can make it so difficult to access your site that it’s not worth the effort and the attacker moves on to the next site on their list.

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