Wordpress provides blog writers and content producers a wonderful way to distribute information through a ready-made system. Unfortunately, widely used, standardized platforms tend to get probed by far too many people, exposing all sorts of weaknesses. As a result, anyone using the platforms then ends up being subject to loopholes and hacks allowing an outside party control. Some of the weaknesses are due to WordPress itself, while others are due to users not updating quickly enough. Just like other IT security, working with the best information available is often key to protection.
- Using an old version of WordPress will often expose a blog owner to being hacked. Older versions simply have weaknesses that have been openly identified, ergo the upgraded version that now exists.
- Along with upgrading the WordPress version, a user should also upgrade any themes or plugins. Old items sit around like backdoor entrances to a blog account, or an open back window in a house otherwise secured with an alarm system.
- Rename the admin account. In WordPress, the admin account allows overall control. Once the password is guessed, a hacker can perform all sorts of problems. Instead, a different account name should be given admin rights. This eliminates the target and replaces it with a mundane one that is not easy to guess, much less test for the password.
- Don’t use simple word passwords. There are plenty of programs available to guess mixtures of words from a dictionary. Instead, use nonwords for passwords. Ideally, a password should be mix of non-words, numbers and symbols to make it really hard to guess.
- If a WordPress account is using other applications those too can be used to find an entrance. Make sure non-Wordpress programs are up-to-date and secure as well.
- The underlying foundation of a WordPress account can give away the farm even if all the above issues are taken care of. The operating system of a server the WordPress account is on can be compromised if the OS is an old version missing security updates.
- If technological entry won’t work for a hack, a party may try to find any kind of personal information on a blog owner to guess passwords. This can be done through basic Google searches, hacking other accounts of the owner, posing as a company for contact information, and much more. Anticipate the attempts and block them by cutting off public information in any form where possible.
- Squash spiders crawling over your admin account data. These meta crawlers will index the admin information in a WordPress account if left unguarded. Hackers can then use that information to find a way in. With a basic robots.txt code file, your system can shut down meta crawlers before they do their damage.
- Shut off directory browsing. When people can get into a directory, they can bypass the original home page security and just access information by going around. Directory browsing is one of the oldest ways to hack information on a “secured” website.
- Script injection is an inherent weakness in a WordPress blog because the comment field and other functions make great ways to put in data. A simple bit of coding in the htaccess files can shut this weakness down.
There are far more diverse ways to hack a WordPress account, but the above are some of the very simple, common methods used which can be stopped by a blog owner paying attention to their system and account.