wordpress rest api

WordPress REST API Security: Best Practices and Tools

The WordPress REST API provides a powerful way to interact with your WordPress site using JSON-formatted data. It enables developers to create applications that can perform various tasks, such as retrieving posts, updating user profiles, and more. However, with great power comes great responsibility.

Securing the WordPress REST API is crucial to protect your site from potential threats. In this article, we will explore the importance of REST API security, common vulnerabilities, and best practices to enhance the security of your WordPress site.


Understanding the WordPress REST API

What is the WordPress REST API?

The WordPress REST API allows developers to interact with WordPress sites remotely by sending HTTP requests and receiving JSON responses. This API can be used to build custom themes, plugins, mobile applications, and more, providing a flexible and powerful way to extend the functionality of WordPress.

Why Secure the REST API?

While the REST API opens up new possibilities for developers, it also exposes your site to potential security risks. If not properly secured, malicious actors can exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to your site, steal sensitive data, or perform malicious actions. Therefore, it is essential to implement robust security measures to protect your site.


Common Vulnerabilities in the WordPress REST API

Unauthorized Access

One of the primary concerns with the REST API is unauthorized access. If endpoints are not properly secured, attackers can access sensitive information or perform actions without proper authentication.

Data Exposure

The REST API can expose more data than intended, especially if the default settings are used. Sensitive information, such as user details and private posts, can be unintentionally exposed through publicly accessible endpoints.

Rate Limiting

Without proper rate limiting, the REST API can be abused by attackers to perform brute force attacks or overload your server with excessive requests, leading to performance issues or downtime.


Best Practices for Securing the WordPress REST API

Implement Authentication and Authorization

Use Nonce Verification

Nonces are unique tokens that can be used to verify the authenticity of requests. Implementing nonce verification ensures that requests to the REST API are legitimate and helps prevent CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks.

Use OAuth

OAuth is an open standard for access delegation, commonly used as a way to grant websites or applications limited access to a user’s data without exposing passwords. Implementing OAuth for your REST API endpoints ensures that only authenticated users can access or modify data.


Restrict API Access

Disable REST API for Unauthorized Users

To prevent unauthorized access, you can disable the REST API for users who are not logged in. This ensures that only authenticated users can interact with your API.

add_filter('rest_authentication_errors', function($result) {

    if (!empty($result)) {
        return $result;
    }

    if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
        return new WP_Error('rest_not_logged_in', 'You are not currently logged in.', array('status' => 401));
    }

    return $result;
});

Limit Data Exposure

Ensure that only the necessary data is exposed through the REST API. Review and customize the endpoints to limit the amount of data returned, especially sensitive information.

Implement Rate Limiting

To prevent abuse of the REST API, implement rate limiting to restrict the number of requests that can be made within a specific time period. This helps protect your site from brute force attacks and reduces the load on your server.


Monitor and Log API Activity

Monitoring and logging API activity can help you detect and respond to suspicious behavior. Keep an eye on the API request logs to identify potential security threats and take appropriate action.

Use Security Plugins

Leverage security plugins designed to enhance the security of your WordPress site and the REST API. Some popular security plugins include:

  • Wordfence Security: Provides comprehensive security features, including a firewall, malware scanner, and protection for the REST API.
  • Solid Security: Offers various security measures, such as brute force protection, two-factor authentication, and REST API security settings.
  • Sucuri Security: Provides website security services, including malware scanning, security audits, and REST API protection.
  • Hide My WP Ghost: Conceals common WordPress paths and enhances the security of the REST API by hiding potential vulnerabilities and offering additional security measures.

Use HTTPS

Ensure that your WordPress site uses HTTPS to encrypt data transmitted between the client and the server. This helps protect sensitive information, such as authentication tokens and user data, from being intercepted by attackers.

Regularly Update WordPress and Plugins

Keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date with the latest security patches. Regular updates help protect your site from known vulnerabilities and ensure that you are using the most secure versions of the software.


Advanced Techniques for REST API Security

Custom Authentication Methods

For more advanced security requirements, consider implementing custom authentication methods. For example, you can use JWT (JSON Web Tokens) to secure your REST API endpoints. JWTs provide a secure way to transmit information between parties and can be used to verify the identity of users making API requests.

Endpoint Whitelisting

Limit access to specific IP addresses or domains by implementing endpoint whitelisting. This ensures that only trusted sources can interact with your REST API.

add_filter('rest_authentication_errors', function($result) {

    if (!empty($result)) {
        return $result;
    }

    $allowed_ips = array('123.456.789.000', '987.654.321.000');

    if (!in_array($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'], $allowed_ips)) {
        return new WP_Error('rest_forbidden_ip', 'Your IP address is not allowed to access this endpoint.', array('status' => 403));
    }

    return $result;
});

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Implement role-based access control to restrict access to specific endpoints based on user roles and permissions. This ensures that only authorized users can perform certain actions through the REST API.

Encrypt Sensitive Data

Encrypt sensitive data before transmitting it through the REST API. This adds an additional layer of security, ensuring that even if data is intercepted, it remains protected.


Conclusion

Securing the WordPress REST API is crucial for protecting your website from potential threats and ensuring the integrity of your data. By implementing best practices such as authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and monitoring, you can significantly enhance the security of your REST API. Additionally, leveraging security plugins and advanced techniques can provide further protection against sophisticated attacks.

Investing time and resources into securing your WordPress REST API not only protects your site but also builds trust with your users, ensuring a safe and reliable online experience. With the right tools and practices, you can stay one step ahead of cyber threats and keep your website secure.

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WordPress Firewalls & Tools for Your Website Security

One of the most effective strategies for securing a WordPress site is the implementation of proactive firewalls. Let’s look at the importance of WordPress firewalls, explore notable security plugins including Hide My WP Ghost, Wordfence, and Solid Security, and highlight the Firewall 8G solution and Geo Security.


Understanding WordPress Firewalls

What is a Firewall?

A firewall acts as a shield between your website and potential cyber threats. It monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and enforces security rules to block malicious activities. For WordPress websites, firewalls are crucial in preventing attacks such as SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and brute force attacks.


Why WordPress Firewalls are Essential

  1. Protecting Sensitive Data: Firewalls prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, such as user credentials and financial data.
  2. Mitigating DDoS Attacks: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can overwhelm your website, causing downtime. Firewalls help mitigate these attacks by filtering out malicious traffic.
  3. Preventing Malware Infections: Firewalls detect and block malware before it can infect your website, ensuring the integrity of your site’s content and functionality.

Top Security Plugins for WordPress

Wordfence Security

Wordfence Security is one of the most popular security plugins for WordPress, offering a comprehensive suite of tools to protect your site.

Key Features

  • Web Application Firewall (WAF): Wordfence includes a powerful WAF that identifies and blocks malicious traffic.
  • Malware Scanner: The plugin scans your website for known malware, backdoors, and potential security vulnerabilities.
  • Login Security: Wordfence offers features like two-factor authentication (2FA) and login attempt limits to prevent brute force attacks.
  • Real-time Threat Defense: Wordfence leverages a global database of known threats to protect your site in real-time.

Hide My WP Ghost

Hide My WP Ghost is a security plugin designed to enhance the security of WordPress websites by hiding their vulnerabilities and implementing robust protection measures.

Key Features

  • Hiding WordPress Paths: The plugin conceals common WordPress paths, making it difficult for hackers to identify your CMS.
  • Firewall Integration: It includes a built-in firewall that monitors and blocks suspicious activities.
  • Login Protection: Hide My WP Ghost offers login protection features such as reCAPTCHA and two-factor authentication (2FA).
  • Regular Updates: The plugin is regularly updated to address new vulnerabilities and threats.

iThemes Security (formerly known as Solid Security)

iThemes Security, formerly known as Solid Security, offers over 30 ways to secure and protect your WordPress site.

Key Features

  • Brute Force Protection: The plugin bans users who try to break into your site by making repeated invalid login attempts.
  • File Change Detection: Monitors your WordPress files for any changes that could indicate a security breach.
  • 404 Detection: Locks out users who trigger multiple 404 errors, potentially indicating a vulnerability scanning attempt.
  • Database Backups: Schedules regular backups of your WordPress database.

Sucuri Security

Sucuri Security is a robust security plugin offering a range of features to protect WordPress websites.

Key Features

  • Website Firewall: The Sucuri firewall blocks attacks, such as brute force and DDoS attacks, and prevents malware infections.
  • Malware Scanning and Removal: Detects and removes malware and provides security alerts for any suspicious activity.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Monitors blacklisting authorities and notifies you if your site is blacklisted.
  • Security Activity Auditing: Logs all activity on your website, allowing you to monitor changes and detect suspicious behavior.

Specialized Firewall Solutions

Firewall 8G Solution

The Firewall 8G solution is a lightweight yet powerful firewall designed to protect WordPress websites from a wide range of threats.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive Protection: The 8G Firewall protects against SQL injections, XSS attacks, and other common vulnerabilities.
  • Lightweight Design: It is designed to be lightweight, ensuring minimal impact on website performance.
  • Easy Integration: The firewall is easy to integrate with existing WordPress installations.

Geo Security

Geo Security adds an additional layer of protection by allowing website owners to restrict access based on geographical locations.

Key Features

  • Geo-Blocking: Website owners can block access from specific countries known for high levels of cyber threats.
  • Access Control: Allows granular control over who can access the website based on their geographic location.
  • Improved Performance: By blocking unwanted traffic, Geo Security can improve website performance.

Implementing and Configuring WordPress Firewalls

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Wordfence Security

  1. Installation: Install and activate the Wordfence Security plugin from the WordPress repository.
  2. Configuration: Navigate to the plugin settings and follow the setup wizard. Configure the firewall, malware scanner, and login security settings.
  3. Regular Monitoring: Regularly check the plugin’s logs and reports to stay informed about blocked threats and potential vulnerabilities.

Setting Up the Firewall 8G Solution

  1. Download the 8G Firewall: Download the 8G Firewall from a trusted source.
  2. Integration: Upload the firewall rules to your WordPress installation, typically by adding them to your .htaccess file.
  3. Testing: Test your website to ensure that the firewall rules are correctly implemented and that there are no conflicts with other plugins.

Configuring Geo Security

  1. Install Geo Security Plugin: Install and activate a Geo Security plugin compatible with WordPress.
  2. Configure Geo-Blocking Rules: Set up rules to block access from specific countries or regions.
  3. Monitor Traffic: Use the plugin’s analytics tools to monitor traffic and adjust geo-blocking rules as needed.

Best Practices for WordPress Security

Regular Updates and Maintenance

  • Update WordPress Core: Always keep your WordPress core updated to the latest version.
  • Update Plugins and Themes: Regularly update all plugins and themes to ensure they have the latest security patches.
  • Backup Regularly: Maintain regular backups of your website to quickly restore it in case of an attack.

Strong Authentication Measures

  • Use Strong Passwords: Encourage users to use strong, unique passwords.
  • Implement Two-Factor Authentication: Enhance login security by enabling two-factor authentication.
  • Limit Login Attempts: Use plugins that limit the number of login attempts to prevent brute force attacks.

Monitor and Audit Website Activity

  • Activity Logs: Use security plugins that provide detailed activity logs to monitor changes and suspicious activities.
  • Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Implementing a robust security strategy for your WordPress website is crucial in today’s digital age. Firewalls play a vital role in this strategy by blocking malicious traffic and protecting sensitive data.

By leveraging security plugins like Wordfence, Hide My WP Ghost, iThemes Security, and Sucuri Security, along with specialized solutions like Firewall 8G and Geo Security, you can significantly enhance your website’s security posture.

Remember to follow best practices such as regular updates, strong authentication measures, and continuous monitoring to maintain a secure WordPress environment.

Investing time and resources into securing your WordPress site not only protects your data but also builds trust with your users, ensuring a safe and reliable online experience. With the right tools and practices, you can stay one step ahead of cyber threats and keep your website secure.

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The Importance of WordPress Security Checks

WordPress security is a critical concern for website owners and administrators. Regular WordPress security checks are essential to protect your site from threats and vulnerabilities. One effective way to enhance your site’s security is by using the security check features available in security plugins.

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Read more: The Importance of WordPress Security Checks

Why Regular WordPress Security Checks are Essential

1. Safeguarding Sensitive Information

WordPress websites often handle sensitive information, such as user credentials, personal data, and payment details. Regular security checks help identify and address potential vulnerabilities that could expose this sensitive information to unauthorized parties.

2. Maintaining Site Performance and Integrity

A compromised site can lead to the injection of malicious code, slowing down your site or causing it to crash. Security checks ensure your website remains free of malware and other malicious code, maintaining optimal performance and site integrity.

3. Enhancing User Trust and Experience

Users expect a secure browsing experience. A security breach can significantly damage your reputation and erode user trust. By conducting regular security checks, you demonstrate a commitment to protecting user data, thereby enhancing trust and providing a secure experience.

4. Preventing Costly Downtime

Security breaches can lead to significant downtime, affecting your site’s availability and potentially leading to a loss of revenue. Regular security checks help mitigate this risk by addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, ensuring your site remains operational.

Many jurisdictions have legal requirements for data protection and security. Regular security checks help ensure your site complies with these regulations, avoiding potential fines and legal issues.

How to Perform a WordPress Security Check with Hide My WP Ghost

Hide My WP Ghost is a comprehensive security plugin designed to protect WordPress sites from common threats. The Security Check feature in Hide My WP Ghost provides a thorough assessment of your site’s security status, identifying vulnerabilities and offering actionable recommendations to enhance security.

Steps to Perform a Security Check

  1. Install and Activate Hide My WP Ghost: Begin by installing and activating the Hide My WP Ghost plugin on your WordPress site.
  2. Navigate to the Security Check Feature: Go to Hide My WP > Security Check in your WordPress dashboard.
  3. Run the Security Check: Click on the ‘Run Security Check’ button to initiate the process. The plugin will scan your site for potential vulnerabilities and provide a detailed report.
  4. Review and Implement Recommendations: Review the security check report and implement the recommended actions to enhance your site’s security.

For more detailed instructions and information, visit the Hide My WP Ghost knowledge base.


Regular WordPress security checks are vital for maintaining the security and integrity of your website. They help protect sensitive data, enhance user trust, prevent downtime, and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

Utilizing tools like Hide My WP Ghost makes it easy to conduct comprehensive security checks and safeguard your site against potential threats. Don’t wait until it’s too late—start performing regular security checks today to keep your WordPress site secure.

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How to Secure a WordPress Database: Essential Tips for Site Owners

Ensuring the security of your WordPress database is crucial to protecting your website from potential threats. Your database contains all your site’s data, including posts, user information, and other essential content. If compromised, it can lead to significant issues, including data loss, unauthorized access, and more. In this article, we will explore the most effective ways to how to secure a WordPress database, providing you with actionable tips to safeguard your site.

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Read more: How to Secure a WordPress Database: Essential Tips for Site Owners

1. Why Securing Your WordPress Database is Important

Your WordPress database is the backbone of your website. It stores all of your content, user information, and site settings. Without proper security measures, it becomes vulnerable to attacks, which can lead to:

  • Data Theft: Hackers can steal sensitive information.
  • Data Loss: Important data might be deleted or corrupted.
  • Site Downtime: Your site could become inoperable.
  • SEO Damage: Your search engine rankings can suffer.

By implementing robust security measures, you can prevent these issues and ensure your website remains safe and operational.

2. Use a Strong Database Password

A strong database password is your first line of defense. Ensure that your database password is:

  • Unique: Do not use the same password across multiple sites.
  • Complex: Include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
  • Long: Aim for at least 12 characters.

Consider using a password manager to generate and store strong passwords.

3. Change the Default Table Prefix

By default, WordPress uses the prefix wp_ for all database tables. Hackers are aware of this and often target these tables. Changing the table prefix to something unique can add an extra layer of security. For example, you could change it to wpsecure_123.

Steps to Change the Table Prefix:

  1. Backup Your Database: Always backup before making changes.
  2. Update wp-config.php: Change the $table_prefix variable.
  3. Rename Tables: Use a plugin like WP-DBManager or a tool like phpMyAdmin to rename your tables.

Or run a security check in Hide My WP Ghost plugin and change the database prefix with just one click.

4. Limit Database Access

Only allow access to your database from trusted sources. You can achieve this by:

  • Restricting Database User Privileges: Grant only the necessary privileges to each user.
  • Limiting Host Access: Only allow specific IP addresses to access your database.

5. Regularly Back Up Your Database

Regular backups are essential. In case of a security breach, a recent backup allows you to restore your database to its previous state with minimal data loss. Use plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy to automate your backups.

6. Use SSL to Encrypt Data

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts the data transferred between your website and its visitors. It also encrypts the data between your WordPress site and the database. Ensure your hosting provider supports SSL, and obtain an SSL certificate for your site.

7. Implement Database Activity Monitoring

Monitoring your database for unusual activity can help you detect and respond to potential threats quickly. Tools like Sucuri and Wordfence can help you monitor and log database activity.

8. Regularly Update WordPress and Plugins

Keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date is vital for security. Updates often include security patches for vulnerabilities. Set up automatic updates where possible to ensure you are always running the latest versions.

9. Utilize Security Plugins

Security plugins can provide an additional layer of protection. Consider using plugins like Hide My WP Ghost to enhance your site’s security. These plugins can help obfuscate vulnerabilities, monitor activity, and block malicious attempts.


Securing your WordPress database is an ongoing process that requires vigilance and regular maintenance. By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of your site being compromised. Remember, a secure database is the foundation of a secure website.

For more advanced security solutions and continuous protection, consider using comprehensive security plugins like Hide My WP Ghost. These tools provide robust protection and peace of mind, allowing you to focus on creating great content without worrying about security threats.


By taking these steps, you can enhance the security of your WordPress database and protect your valuable data from potential threats. Stay proactive and keep your site secure!

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Protect Your WordPress Website From Hackers with Hide My WP Ghost – Save Money and Avoid Costly Repairs

As a website owner, there are few things more stressful than finding out that your website has been hacked. It can be a frustrating and expensive experience, but there are steps you can take to avoid it. One such step is using a WordPress security plugin like Hide My WP Ghost.

Hide My WP Ghost is a powerful WordPress security plugin that can help protect your website from a wide range of hacker attacks. According to their website, the plugin adds filters and security layers to prevent Script and SQL Injection, Brute Force attacks, XML-RPC attacks, and more. By using this plugin proactively, you can save money by avoiding costly repairs after your website has been hacked.

WordPress websites are frequently targeted by hackers, and the numbers are staggering. According to a report by Sophos, at least 13,000 WordPress websites are hacked every day. That’s around 9 per minute, 390,000 per month, and 4.7 million per year! These attacks can be devastating for website owners, leading to lost revenue, damaged reputation, and significant cleanup costs.

With Hide My WP Ghost, you can take a proactive approach to website security and avoid these costly consequences. The plugin is easy to install and use, and it provides a wide range of security features to protect your website from attacks. For example, it can hide the fact that you are using WordPress, making it more difficult for hackers to target your site. It can also block malicious IP addresses, prevent directory browsing, and much more.

One of the best things about Hide My WP Ghost is that it is constantly updated to stay ahead of the latest hacker techniques. The plugin’s developers are constantly monitoring the latest threats and updating the plugin to provide the best possible protection for your website. This means that you can have peace of mind knowing that your website is always protected against the latest threats.

Another benefit of using Hide My WP Ghost is that it is an affordable way to protect your website. When you consider the potential cost of a hacked website, the price of the plugin is a small investment. By using Hide My WP Ghost proactively, you can avoid the much larger cost of cleaning up a hacked website and potentially losing customers and revenue.

In conclusion, if you are a WordPress website owner, you need to be aware of the constant threat of hacker attacks. By using a security plugin like Hide My WP Ghost, you can take a proactive approach to website security and avoid the costly consequences of a hacked website. With its easy installation and use, constant updates, and affordable price, Hide My WP Ghost is an excellent choice for website owners who value their online security. Don’t wait until it’s too late – protect your website today!

wp-plugins

4 Essential WordPress Plugins for Small Businesses from Squirrly

Powering around 42% of ALL websites on the internet, WordPress is the most popular
CMS
in the world.


By making it possible to easily create and manage websites, WordPress has enabled many
small business owners to take their vision, products, and services online.


One of the other perks that make WordPress an appealing solution is the fact that there are
over 58,000+ WordPress plugins that users can choose from (with new options added
daily).

This kind of variety is epic because:


Having lots of options means there’s probably a plugin that can help you with pretty much
anything you can think of.


But it’s also overwhelming.


So, it’s no surprise that we’re often asked by readers for the best, must-have WordPress
plugin suggestions for growing an online business.


Is this something that’s on your mind as well?

Then keep reading to discover four of our expert picks when it comes to essential
WordPress plugins
for small business websites.

1. Hide My WP Ghost by Squirrly

Who’s it for:


● small business owners, bloggers, freelancers, entrepreneurs wanting to enhance
their WordPress site’s security.

What it does:


Hide My WP Ghost is a highly-customizable WordPress plugin that makes it easy to
upgrade your site’s security in minutes, with just a few clicks.


Answering the pressing need for increased WP site security, the plugin offers a suite of tools
to protect your site and prevent WordPress vulnerability exploitation.

● offers an extra layer of protection against common attacks such as script and SQL
Injection, Brute Force Attacks, and more.



● hides the fact that you are using WordPress so that your site goes undetected by
hacker bots.



● enables you to monitor security level, uncover urgent vulnerabilities, and fix security
threats before it’s too late.

Why you need it:


Hackers only go after large corporate websites and Fortune 500 companies, right?
Wrong.
Security should be a priority for all online business owners.

Recent statistics speak volumes about the chances of your small business becoming the
victim of cyber-attacks:


43% of all data breaches involve small and medium-sized businesses.
61% of all SMBs have reported at least one cyber-attack during the previous year.


If your site is built on WordPress, the probability of it being targeted by hackers is very high.
Being the most popular CMS on the Internet, WordPress is also the most hacked.

Over 90,000 hacking attacks strike WordPress sites.
Every MINUTE.

Mix that in with the fact that most SMBs are NOT financially prepared to recover from a
cyber attack
– and it becomes apparent why you need Hide My WP Ghost to protect your
site.

2. Squirrly SEO

Who’s it for:


● small business owners, content creators, and agencies looking to access clear
guidelines for improving their SEO.


What it does:


Squirrly SEO is a SaaS + WordPress plugin that provides essential SEO tools and
unmatched guidance for achieving better Google rankings.


● includes over 650 features for SEO under one roof. Covers everything from:
keyword research, content optimization, SEO settings, technical SEO, to site audits,
rank tracking, and more.



● One of the things that make Squirrly SEO stand out is that it provides a fail-proof,
paint by numbers
way of managing and improving your site’s SEO.



● You’ll get data-driven SEO goals from an AI consultant + step-by-step guidance on
how to implement them.

Why you need it:


SEO can be confusing and overwhelming, especially when it’s not your area of expertise.

With Squirrly SEO, you will be able to take SEO into your own hands.
By performing key tasks to improve the SEO of your business site, you’ll rank your
pages on the top positions in Google Search.


This means, you will be able to:


● increase your online visibility,
● drive targeted traffic to your site,
● get more customers to grow your business.

3. Starbox PRO

Who’s it for:


● small business owners, business coaches, consultants, bloggers, content creators
wanting to improve their personal brand.


What it does:


Starbox PRO is a popular Author Bio Box plugin for WordPress that makes it possible to
add a unique author bio section at the end (or at the beginning) of your blog posts.

Here are some of the notable features that we think you’ll love:


● Beautiful design
● Great functionality
● Option to add it at the beginning or at the end of your blog posts
● Multiple themes to choose from
● Easy to install
● No coding skills required
● Highly customizable
● Multiple authorship (perfect for multi-author websites)

Why you need it:


People don’t want to read content that has no author or content that looks like it’s been
written by a bot’s ghost neighbor.


People need connection. Validation. And, sometimes, they just need to see a human
face.


An author bio box helps you build your personal brand and enables readers to connect to
you personally (readers will be able to reach out through your social media profiles, for
example).


Consequently, this is likely to increase subscriber numbers across social media streams.

It also allows site visitors to know more about you and other authors on your site, which
helps build Authority, Credibility, and Trust – all of which are key to the success of your
small business.


Helping to persuade great guest authors to write for your site is yet another way in which
having a professional-looking author bio can benefit your WordPress blog.

4. Website Analysis Plugin

Who’s it for:


● small business owners, bloggers, SEO consultants, developers looking for a simple
way to keep track of their SEO performance.


What it does:


Website Analysis Plugin is a WordPress plugin that helps you keep track of SEO
performance
and see a page’s potential of ranking high on SERPs.

Using this plugin from Squirrly, you can:


● learn about possible SEO errors (the plugin checks for this at a page level to give you
clear, accurate information);



● check that your articles are SEO-friendly;



● ensure that the META title and description (Snippet) of your blog posts is exactly
what you wanted;



● know if your Open Graph and Twitter Card is set up 100%;



● uncover important details about the latest 20 blog posts from your WordPress site;



● make sure you don’t have any Duplicate Titles, Duplicate Open Graph and Duplicate
Twitter Card definitions.

Why you need it:


As a small business owner and webmaster, there are many different elements you need to
keep in check in order to give your content the best chances to succeed online.

The Website Analysis Plugin provides in-depth analysis and oversight to help you:
● ensure you’re doing everything possible to deliver the best experience to your site
visitors;
● identify potential issues and make changes so that your content achieves maximum
potential;
● improve your online presence by addressing key aspects that heavily influence your
chances of ranking.

You’ve Made it to the End of this Article


Hope you enjoyed learning more about these WordPress plugins from Squirrly, a company
with over 18,000 paying customers delivering award-winning, market-proven products to
help entrepreneurs reach peak performance.


You can learn more about Squirrly here.


And if you’re looking for even more digital marketing tools suggestions, be sure to also check
out this article and discover 8 Most Tactical Plugins Of 2021 for eCommerce Websites.

hide_my_wp_security

5 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Sites From Hackers

If you’re reading this post, you might have a question: Is WordPress secure?

WordPress is infamous for its vulnerabilities. Part of the problem arises from WordPress being so popular. Many hackers in the world try their hands on it.

But the truth is outdated WordPress versions, hacked themes or plugins and poor security practices are more likely the culprits. Nulled plugins often provide a login to WordPress backend allowing hackers to exploit the system as they wish. One way to ensure you don’t run into trouble with plugins is by downloading them directly from the source — just like this form builder plugin.

WordPress powers over 35.2% of all websites and it’s easy to see why so many vulnerabilities exist owing to the huge number of plugins and themes just sitting out there.

WordPress however also has the biggest team of experts keeping it safe and releasing updates and patches now and then. The core software gets updated now and then.

So here’s what you can do to protect your site.

1. Always Upgrade to the Latest PHP Version

PHP is the language WordPress is built on. For the proper upkeep of your site upgrading to the latest version of PHP is of the essence.

Know this: every major release gets to years of bug fixes and security updates.

So, the older your PHP version is, the more prone it is to being hacked.

As such, it’s important to keep your website constantly updated and do a website redesign from time to time to integrate these changes.

2. Change your WordPress login URL

When you log in you might have noticed the login URL is youdomain.com/wp-admin. This is the default login address and the whole world knows this including bots and scripts.

If you change this default URL you can better protect against brute force attacks. Remember that this doesn’t give some super immunity but it is a little trick. Hide my Wp Ghost does this wonderfully by changing the default login option not only for wp-admin but lots of other common paths.

Use the Hide my wp ghost plugin. It’s something unique that’s different from the words a bot usually scans for and attempts to login via brute force.

3. Limit Login Attempts

In addition to this, attempting the number of allowed login attempts is another thing you can do to effectively bypass the system.

Change your login URL to stem to the number of brute force login attempts. Also setting a number on the number of trial logins can help reduce the number of attempts by setting up lockout durations in place, the actual number of login attempts, and set IP whitelists and blacklists.

Which plugin to use for this? Hide My WP Ghost or Limit Login Attempts Reloaded is a great plugin that can help. Another plugin that does this more effectively is the Login Lockdown plugin.

With each failed login attempt the plugin notes down the IP address and the timestamps the login attempts.

If multiple attempts are attempted from the same IP range the login requests from that IP are blocked for future attempts.

4. Use WordPress Security Plugins

If you use security plugins they are known to make your WordPress site much more secure and safe.

There are tons of security plugins like Wordfence, Sucuri who work together to keep your website secure.

5. Invest in Secure WordPress Hosting

When it is about your site’s security you can’t simply trust cheap hosting.

There are many WordPress hosts that provide only some basic security coverage.

If you’re in a managed hosting then they manage the entire thing at their end and keep your site extremely secure to use. A host that you can trust is the foremost thing to choose from.

Server hardening is the first step to maintaining a safe and secure environment. Multiple layers of software and physical hardware is of importance to protecting against sophisticated virus attacks.

Servers on WordPress need to be always tested for different vulnerabilities with security flaws locked in. NGINX and OpenSSL often have vulnerabilities that need to be scanned. A cheap host can barely pay their upkeep bills let alone invest in the best hardware and software infrastructure. So, your site may end up getting hacked for no fault of yours.

Firewalls and hack detection systems should be in place to protect the site that installs WordPress and keep it protected during site construction. The server should also use secure networking and use secured file transfer portions such as sFTP.

Ending Thoughts

Whether you work from home or in an office, there are a number of ways to keep your WordPress site secure and manage all things in one place. With these tips, you will be able to keep the site running properly without any big issues. Take time and implement these security best practices so that you don’t run into trouble later on.

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What is 503 Service Unavailable Error and How to Fix It

Error 503 Service Unavailable indicates that the webserver is temporarily unable to process the request. This can be a web server that you are trying to access directly, or another server, which in turn is trying to access a web server. It is called error 503 because it is the HTTP status code used by the webserver to detect such an error. The error can occur for several reasons, but the two most common reasons are: the server is overloaded with requests or maintenance is being performed.

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6 WordPress Security Tips for New Bloggers

The excitement of owning a blog often comes with a price for newest bloggers. They often forget about the security of their content or already existing websites. This leads to loss of revenue, a drop in trust levels, and eventually hacking.

WordPress powers more than 33% of websites in the world, making it the most popular CMS likely to prone to security attacks. However, WordPress, on its own, is secure. It is the use of various plugins, themes, and some hosting, which make our WordPress sites vulnerable to security attacks.

As a beginner, there are a few things you could do to secure your site. To ensure your site is well functioning and protected from any attack, below are a few security tips that will guide you into understanding more about security attacks and their rightful cure – prevention.

1. Install a Plugin

The first step in securing your site is by installing a WordPress plugin. It is a primary step, but the logic in protecting the security of your site against security attacks and hacks. While there are a lot of plugins for use, opt for WordPress plugins as they’re more suitable with the site.

When installing the plugin, however, some factors should be kept in consideration to get the most out of it. 

  • A good plugin should be from a reliable source, preferably a WordPress plugins or from a site WordPress has deemed safe. Plugins from unknown websites are prone to attacks and hacks.
  • Select a plugin of a considerable cost. Not every free plugin is safe to use. Or when in a budget, you opt for the cheapest because that’s what you can afford. Carefully analyze the price and invest in a good plugin.
  • Choose a plugin with the right documentation. Before installing a plugin on your site, ensure you’ve read all its documentation and carefully checked for its authenticity. Also, there are reviews about a plugin on the internet. Please read them and see other people’s opinions, then make a choice.

Other helpful plugins may be of great help in improving the quality of content on your blog.

  • Use a Complex Login Password

The popular way of hacking into someone’s site is by hacking their password. This gives you access to their files and site settings, making it easy for hackers to tamper with the settings and install malicious plugins or add backlinks.

Ackerman Steve, a researcher at TopEssayWriting and writer with ClassyEssay says, ‘Always use complex passwords to avoid cracking by hacker bots. To make a password powerful, add special characters other than letters to the composition of your password. Keep changing it frequently, over some time. It is advisable to use password managers to help you improve your password security.’

To boost your complex password, install plugins that will record all failed login attempts. The plugin will, after a particular number of failed logins from an IP, blacklist it thus, preventing any attack. 

3. Two-Factor Authentication

Other than setting a complex password, setting up a two-factor authentication will help prevent your login from being compromised. The two-factor authentication will ensure that only authorized persons access your site. It is an essential tip as it provides another wall of defense in preventing security attacks and hackers.

Other than two-factor authentication, there is to assigning the least principles. When you assign a new person your password, you limit the activities they could do in your site. The login is only comprehensive for a few features and not each feature, which could allow for tampering of settings, plugins, and settings.

Let’s say your WordPress blog is for sharing stories. You’ve hired a new editor whom you wish to edit your stories. With the assigning of the least principles, you can limit their access to editing of the stories in your blog, nothing more. Providing limited access to your site gives you the ultimate control.

4. Manage Your Themes and Plugins

As mentioned earlier in this article, installing plugins from unknown sources have a higher risk of being malicious. It also applies to the themes you use for your WordPress site.

Before setting up a plugin or theme, check its authenticity, and determine its credibility. Check for its documentation and ensure that it is suitable for your WordPress. Using plugins and themes that aren’t suitable makes it easy for security attacks and hackers.  

Madison Maupassant, a writer with BeGraded and essayist with Studyker opines, ‘Always ensure that your WordPress version is updated to the latest version. With every update, there are fixed bugs and new features that improve the security of your site. This also applies to themes and plugins always check to upgrade to the latest version.’

When updating configurations of plugins and themes on your site, they should be set manually by you. Sometimes settings can be less secure than when you manually set. When setting up manually, go through every instruction to see what needs to be changed.

5. Back-Up Regularly

With the internet, nobody is ever sure. To feel more secure, create a habit of regularly backing up your data as anything could happen. You can do so manually or the use of WordPress Backup Solution or any other software.

You can use a WordPress Backup Solution, or link up with a 3rd party backup system supported by WordPress. It is advisable to have at least two copies of your data at all times on different servers. This is because some backup servers can also be hacked.

6. Use Web Application Firewall (WAF)

There is a firewall that exists between your hosting server and network traffic. It prevents most common threats from reaching and destroying your WordPress site. It acts as a filter that protects your host system.

Web Application Firewall (WAF) detects and identifies the following threats: Cross-site scripting attacks, SQL injection attacks, and session hijacking. It is a highly recommended WordPress security feature, preferably for sites meant for business.

The most common firewalls you can use on WordPress are as follows:

  • At the network level – it works on the network level when you’re hosting WordPress data on a center your own. It is costly and used by enterprise-level websites that have physical space for server installation.
  • At the host level – it works on a web-application level, your WordPress. Your host does the lifting of filtering out traffic.
  • Cloud-based WAF- it filters the most common threats before they hit your WordPress server. It is the most economical and easy to use.

In conclusion, the security of your WordPress site isn’t a compromise. 

WordPress security is essential, and as a new blogger, it should be your top priority to have the best protection for your site. The above tips will go a long way in securing your site.

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WordPress Security Plugins – Best Options For 2020

Have you selected WordPress as the CMS of choice for your first website? Maybe you’re pretty excited about it.  

WordPress powers 30% of the top 10 million websites. It controls more than 60% of the CMS platform market share.

Let us show you a list with plugins that worth a try in 2020.

Some of these plugins have more advanced features than others, which aren’t always necessary for all websites. Some plugins are easier for beginners, while others are better for advanced developers.

1

Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator adds a second layer of security to your website login page. This process is known as two-factor authentication (2FA). It is used to ensure the security of online websites beyond just a username and password. Two-factor authentication is important because a lot of brute force attacks attempts to start at the login stage.

Using Google Authenticator you can choose another method of authentication. It can be a regular password followed by:

  • a secret question
  • a secret code
  • a set of characters
  • the Google Authenticator app, which sends a secret code to your phone
  • QR Code scanning
  • Soft Token
  • Any App supporting TOTP algorithm like Google, Authy, LastPass Authenticator, QR Code, Push Notification, Soft Token, and Security Questions(KBA)

Another Features:

It has a simple interface and is easy-to-use
You can choose which two-factor authentication method is the easiest for you
Device Identification option lets a user remember the device for future reference
The free version of this plugin offers 2FA authentication for a single user
Premium version can be customized for multiple users. You can select which user types need to go through the authentication process.

2

Hide My WP Ghost

It hides your WordPress site from attackers, spammers, and theme detectors.

Best Features:

Limit login attempts
Whitelist IPs
Block IPs
Use captcha protection
Hide the fact that your website is built in WordPress by hiding all WordPress related details ( from your wp-login URL, admin URL, names of themes & plugins, hide common paths & custom paths, changes in permalinks, etc)
Monitor, track and log events on your website
Log users events
Log brute force attempts
Block XMLRPC API
Check your WordPress website to Detect potential security breaches
It detects and blocks XSS, SQL Injection type of security attacks on your WordPress website
Compatible with multi-site, apache, Nginx, IIS, premium themes and other security plugins

3

SecuPress

 SecuPress scans your website for security vulnerabilities in six key areas:

  • User and login
  • Plugins and themes
  • WordPress core
  • Sensitive data
  • Malware scan
  • Firewall

Important features:

easy-to-use and provides a great UI interface
It scans and protects websites from intrusion
The Malware Scanner scans your website at regular intervals to detect any malware or threats
Include anti-spam protection
automated website backups in case a restore is needed
anti brute force logins
Firewall
IP block
security alerts
blocking country by geolocation
Helps you detect themes and plugins that have been compromised

4

Shield Security

The most important features:

Offers protection from attacks and sends alerts only when necessary
Blocks all web requests that violate the firewall security rules
Scan core files to detect malicious changes
Login limitations, two-factor authentication for login requests
Easy-To-Use
Checks for vulnerable and outdated plugins and themes and keeps them updated
Works by blocking malicious traffic and only letting through the non-harmful and trusted types

5

Security Ninja

Check your site for security vulnerabilities, issues, and holes, and take preventive measures against attack. Also, Security Ninjas scans your website looking for malicious codes and suspicious files.
perform 50+ security tests with one click
Every test is explained, with instructions provided on how to repair problems
doesn’t make any changes to your WordPress files which means you will have full control of your WordPress website
The Pro version includes a firewall, malware scanner, auto fixer, core scanner, and other tools you’d expect a comprehensive WordPress security solution to include.
The firewall protects your website from fake traffic and bad bots. It enables you to block suspicious IPs from specific countries. And even redirects them to a specific URL.