Anybody who has accounts, business or websites has to have online security as one of their top priorities. There is no software that is 100% safe and WordPress is no exception. With 5 simple steps, posted by the team at Elegant Themes in their blog, many security breaches can be avoided.
1. Username and password: A weak user name and password are errors which are often made repeatedly, but are easy to prevent. Change your default admin username and use unique passwords that are random combinations of numbers, letters and characters.
2. Secure your login screen: Even if the username and password is secure, attackers can still gain access to your dashboard. Reduce the number of login attempts and configure notifications about failed attempts.
3. File and folder permissions: Normally you should not need to change these settings in the WordPress default. Still, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the settings files and ensure they are correct and secure.
4. Backup, Backup, Backup: A backup is a simple, but very important step for online security and peace of mind, and should be done once a week, or at least every fortnight.
5. Keep WordPress up to date: Update ads can be annoying, but they are there for a good reason. WordPress security updates are particularly important and should always be installed.