How Secure Is WordPress? Plus Tips to Keep Your Site Secure

Today, we’ll answer the question: How secure is WordPress? How can you keep your WordPress site safe?

If you want a new website, choosing which Content Management System (CMS) you’ll use to build and run it is the biggest decision you have to make. Security should always be a deciding factor.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear picture of WordPress security. We hope this helps you decide whether WordPress is the right CMS for you.

Before we get started: This article is about WordPress.org, not WordPress.com.

Understanding WordPress security

Since WordPress is the most popular CMS platform worldwide, it’s also the most popular target for hackers. According to a 2023 study from Astra Security, the WordPress CMS faces about 90,000 attacks per minute.

Don’t let this put you off – WordPress takes security measures seriously, and it’s easy to protect yourself from many of these threats by following best practices.

WordPress does have some security vulnerabilities. Knowing about these potential security risks makes it easy to protect yourself against them.

What WordPress security vulnerabilities are there?

A vulnerability is any weak point in your website that someone could exploit to gain access. These weak points can exist in three areas of your WordPress website:

• The core WordPress software (the basic program that runs your website)
• Themes (what controls how your website looks)
• Plugins (extra features you add to your website)

While the core WordPress software is secure, poorly made themes and plugins can create gaps in your website’s security.

How WordPress handles security measures

WordPress takes security seriously, and it has a dedicated security team that constantly monitors for threats to the core software. When they find a vulnerability, they release security updates quickly to patch any weak points.

These updates happen automatically for minor security fixes, but major updates need manual approval. It’s on you to keep an eye out for updates that need manual approval if you want to keep your site secure.

Most WordPress vulnerabilities come from third-party plugins

The 60,000 plugins available for WordPress are what make it our favourite CMS. WordPress plugins allow you to easily customise your website, and they’re often free.

However, about 90% of WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins (Source: AIOSEO). Another 6% comes from themes, while only 4% of vulnerabilities come from the WordPress core software.

It goes to show that WordPress is highly secure, and it’s third-party installations that introduce potential security risks you have to worry about.

Only install reputable plugins and keep them up to date

This isn’t to say you should be worried about all plugins – in fact, some plugins (like WordFence) can be your best friend when it comes to keeping your WordPress site secure.

The key is to only install plugins or themes from the official WordPress Plugin Directory and regularly update them so you’re caught up with any security patches. By doing this, you’ve protected yourself from 96% of all WordPress security vulnerabilities.

Web hosting and server-level WordPress security

Your web hosting provider plays an essential role in your WordPress site’s security. While you can implement all the right security measures within WordPress itself, the server your website lives on forms your first line of defence against attacks.

How web hosting affects WordPress security

Your web host is responsible for:

• Server maintenance and updates: A good host regularly updates web server software to patch security vulnerabilities
• Network security: Protecting the server infrastructure from outside attacks
• Backup systems: Creating and storing reliable backups in case something goes wrong
• Malware scanning: Detecting malicious code before it can spread
• Firewall protection: Blocking suspicious traffic before it reaches your website

Which type of hosting is best for WordPress security?

Not all WordPress hosting is created equal when it comes to security:

Shared hosting puts your website on the same server as many other sites. While affordable, this means security problems with one site can potentially affect yours. It’s like living in an apartment building where one neighbour’s poor security habits could impact everyone.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives you dedicated resources in an isolated environment, improving security. You get more control but also more responsibility for server maintenance.

Managed WordPress hosting is specifically optimised for WordPress websites and includes maintenance and advanced security features. These hosts typically include:

• Automatic WordPress updates
• Regular security scans
• WordPress-specific firewalls
• Expert support staff familiar with WordPress security issues

This type of hosting allows you to take a more hands-off approach to security.

Investing in quality hosting might cost more upfront, but it’s far less expensive than dealing with a hacked website later. Remember that even the most secure WordPress configuration can be compromised if your hosting environment isn’t equally secure.

WordPress is highly secure as long as you follow best practices

WordPress accounting for 90% of all hacking attempts sounds scary. However, that’s to be expected when you consider just how popular WordPress is.

As long as you implement a few security measures, choose a good hosting provider and familiarise yourself with how to keep WordPress secure, the answer is yes, WordPress can be incredibly secure! It’s used for 810 million websites for a reason (Source: Hostinger, 2025).

Ultimately, human error is the biggest risk

Despite all the security measures available for WordPress, most security breaches happen because of simple human mistakes.

Common mistakes that put WordPress sites at risk include:

• Using weak passwords like ‘admin123’ or ‘password’
• Forgetting to update WordPress core, themes, or plugins
• Installing plugins from untrusted sources
• Sharing admin login details with too many people
• Clicking suspicious links while logged into your WordPress dashboard
• Not backing up your website regularly

The good news is that these risks are easy to avoid once you’re aware of them. Simple practices like using a password manager, setting up automatic updates, and limiting admin access can help you avoid these mistakes.

Security isn’t a one-time setup but an ongoing process. Taking the time to train yourself and anyone else who has access to your WordPress dashboard about basic security practices is one of the most effective ways to keep your website safe.

Top WordPress security concerns

Here are the main security concerns that could affect your WordPress website:

• Stolen credentials and brute-force login attempts
• Malware installation
• Spam and phishing attempts

Stolen credentials and brute-force login attempts

The most common way hackers try to break in is through the WordPress login page. They do this in two ways: using stolen passwords or trying to guess them.

When hackers get hold of login details through data breaches or phishing scams, they can access your WordPress dashboard. Once they’re in, they can change your website’s content, steal customer data, or even lock you out of your own website.

Hackers also use automated tools to try thousands of username and password combinations until they find one that works. These ‘brute-force’ attacks are like someone trying every possible key until they find one that opens your front door.

Malware installation

Malware is malicious software that hackers can install on your website. Malware is malicious software that hackers can install on your website.

Attackers usually install malware through outdated plugins, themes with security vulnerabilities, or by gaining access to your WordPress dashboard through stolen login details.

Once installed, it can cause serious damage to your business by:

• Stealing customer information
• Damaging your reputation with Google
• Showing unwanted ads to your visitors
• Adding links to scam websites

If Google detects malware on your website, it’ll show warning messages to anyone trying to visit. This stops most people from accessing your website until you fix the security breach.

Spam and phishing attempts

Comment sections are a common target for people trying to cause trouble on WordPress websites. Some spam comments contain harmful links that can compromise your website’s security. While obvious spam is easy to spot, weeding through comments manually can be time-consuming.

Phishing is another major concern. Hackers can create fake login pages that look legitimate to trick people into entering their usernames and passwords. Once they have these details, they can access your website and cause damage.

Basic WordPress security measures you can take to keep your site secure

There are three main ways to protect your WordPress website’s core security:

• Keeping everything updated
• Using strong passwords
• Adding extra layers of protection

Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins

WordPress updates aren’t just for getting new features. They’re essential for keeping your website secure. Every update includes fixes for security vulnerabilities that hackers might try to exploit.

WordPress automatically installs minor security updates, but you need to approve major updates manually. You should also regularly check for theme and plugin updates. Just logging into your WordPress dashboard once a week to check for updates can prevent most security issues.

Always use strong passwords

Strong passwords make it hard for attackers to break into your site using brute-force attempts. Make sure everyone with access to your website follows these password best practices:

• Use long passwords with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols
• Never reuse passwords across different websites
• Change passwords immediately if there’s any sign of a security breach

A password manager can help generate and store all your passwords. This takes the hassle out of using strong passwords while keeping your website secure.

Enable two-factor authentication (2fa)

Two-factor authentication (2fa) adds an extra security step when logging in. After entering their password, users need to provide a second form of verification – usually a code sent to their phone or email.

This extra step might seem inconvenient, but it’s worth it. Even if someone steals a password, they still can’t access your website without the second verification code.

You can set up 2fa using a WordPress security plugin. Many of these plugins also let you:

• Limit login attempts (i.e if a user tries to log in too many times, their IP is blocked)
• Block suspicious IP addresses
• Set up time-outs after failed login attempts

Extra things you can do to keep your site secure

The security methods we mentioned above will protect you from most threats, but there are a few extra things you can do to protect yourself from common WordPress security issues.

Installing the WordFence security plugin

WordFence is a widely used security plugin that we use ourselves and recommend to all our clients. It’s the most comprehensive security plugin available for WordPress and has a wide range of features, including:

• Regular security scans to check for malware
• 2fa to prevent unauthorised logins
• Captchas to stop automated login attempts
• A powerful firewall to block malicious traffic
• Automatic WordPress updates

Best of all, WordFence is easy to use and the free version is all most sites need.

Make sure your website has an SSL Certificate and uses HTTPS

An SSL certificate encrypts data that travels between your website and your visitors’ browsers. This encryption is essential if you collect any sensitive user data and you want to keep that data secure from bad actors.

Most web hosts offer free SSL certificates as part of their plans (including our web hosting service!). Once you’ve installed your SSL certificate, you need to update your WordPress settings to use HTTPS.

Change the WordPress login page URL

By default, anyone can find your login page by adding ‘/wp-admin’ or ‘/wp-login.php’ to your website address. This makes it easy for attackers to try breaking in. Changing this URL to something you and your team know adds an extra layer of security by making your login page harder to find.

Change the default WordPress admin username

Similarly, the default ‘admin’ username can be a target for brute force attacks by hackers. Here’s an example from our own website:

You’re better off changing it to something unique and harder to guess.

Advanced techniques to improve WordPress security

Once you’ve covered the basics, these advanced security techniques will help make your WordPress website even more secure.

Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall acts as a shield between your website and potential attackers. It analyses all incoming traffic and blocks anything suspicious before it can reach your website.

Most WordPress security plugins, like Wordfence, include WAF protection. These firewalls are designed to stop common WordPress attacks such as:

• SQL injection attempts
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)
• File inclusion exploits
• Malicious bots

The best part about using a plugin-based WAF is that it updates automatically to protect against new threats as they emerge. This keeps your site protected without requiring you to be a security expert.

Whitelist IP addresses that can access the dashboard

For WordPress sites with limited administrators, you can restrict dashboard access to specific IP addresses only. This means even if someone has valid login credentials, they can’t log in unless they’re connecting from an approved location.

Here’s how IP whitelisting works:

• You make a list of trusted IP addresses (like your office or home network)
• Only users connecting from these addresses can access the WordPress admin area
• Everyone else gets blocked, even if they have the right username and password

This is particularly useful for company websites where all administrators work from the same location or set of locations. Security plugins like Wordfence make setting this up straightforward with no technical knowledge needed.

Back up your website’s database and files

Regular backups are your safety net if something goes wrong. A good backup strategy includes:

• Automated backups of your entire website
• Storing backups in a location separate from your main hosting
• Testing your backups regularly to make sure they work

A good hosting provider will include regular backups as part of their service.

Futuretheory – Reliable and secure WordPress hosting and maintenance

Alongside our web design and development services, we offer premium web hosting and maintenance services to give our clients complete peace of mind.

WordPress security experts

When you choose Futuretheory for your WordPress website, you’re partnering with a team that understands security requires ongoing vigilance, regular updates, and expert oversight.

Our WordPress maintenance service includes regular core updates, theme and plugin updates (all tested before deployment), security monitoring, and secure backups stored in multiple locations.

Comprehensive hosting plans

Our Australian-based servers are specifically configured for WordPress with free SSL certificates, daily automated backups, malware scanning, and firewall protection as standard.

With our 99.9% uptime guarantee and unlimited bandwidth, you can be confident your website will be available when your customers need it.

Many of our clients have been with us for years because they know we take the time to understand their business needs. We actively prevent problems before they affect your website.

Want to learn more about how we can help keep your WordPress website secure? Get in touch or book a call.