The popularity of WordPress as a CMS (Content Management System) is undisputed. With WordPress, you can easily design and run a website with ease. In addition, thanks to Managed WordPress Hosting by Webential, hosting a website has never been easier. This is the reason an estimated 34% of the websites on the internet run on WordPress. As good as this CMS looks, it has several challenges. In this article, Webential will discuss some security issues WordPress websites face and how to fix it.

Weak Passwords

A common security threat most WordPress websites face is bad login and weak passwords. As basic as this may seem, most websites fail to take this seriously. In reality, this is one threat that shouldn’t be treated with levity.
The login page of a WordPress site is a universal page and every user makes use of it including the website’s admin. As a result, if your site credentials are weak, a malicious hacker can access the website with ease. So how do you know if your login credentials are weak? These criteria should give you an idea:

• If you’re using a username and password that is easy to guess, here are a few examples – admin123, pass123, abc123, password1234, or the generic helloworld.
• If your display name and login name are the same.
• If you do not change your password frequently.

Your website is susceptible to hackers if you fall in any of the above categories.

Attacks and Injections

As a CMS, WordPress does not limit the number of times you attempt to login by any user on your website. This makes it extremely vulnerable to Brute Force Attack. This attack is one of the popular ways hackers use in gaining access to most website.
Here’s how it works, the bot or hacker tries to enter several passwords against certain usernames. This is done repeatedly until a match is found. As simple as the attack is, it is also very exhaustive.

In a situation where the hacker does not gain access to your site, there’s still a possibility that your website could get suspended by your service provider. For instance, if you are using a Shared Hosting plan, an attack like this could cause a system overload and your host would be compelled to suspend your website.

That’s not all, WordPress is also susceptible to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and SQL Injection attacks. SQL injection’s primary target is the MySQL database. It tries to access the website and WordPress makes use of MySQL database.

Accessing Sensitive Files

When a hacker is able to beat your website security, they would have access to sensitive WP file content. With this, nothing stops them from exploiting your site. The PHP code of your WP site what they target to access these files.
Generally, hackers try to access your files through plugins and themes. PHP enables plugins and themes to run WordPress. The moment the hacker succeeds, the first thing they do is to modify your wp-config.php files. This file is used when you’re installing your WordPress site.

The above-listed attacks are just a few that WordPress users battle constantly. It can get overwhelming for one person, especially when you’re a novice, or you have other things to do. There’s no need to worry as we’ve taken the burden off you.
All you have to do is take advantage of the monthly maintenance packages by Webential, as we have top of the line security systems that repels attacks like this. By doing this, not only are you satisfied that your website is no longer susceptible to attacks, you’re sure that whatever these hackers bring forward, there’s a fully equipped team ready to combat the threat.