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This post is being written because your website has been hacked. Download Sucuri right away to get complete assistance from the company. Wordfence, my top recommendation for protecting WordPress, is also available.
Don't become a sitting duck. Hacks can drain your company's budget and ruin your reputation. If visitors' data is compromised, there are good reasons not to return.
You can prevent attacks by using the best WordPress security plugins.
Bad actors will quickly see that your site is not worth the effort, considering how many WordPress sites remain unprotected.
My WordPress websites are my lifeblood. With significant revenue from multiple sites, I know that I am a prime target.
I have a lot of experience in WordPress security plugins. I'd like to share what I know so you can protect your visitors and reputation.
These are the best WordPress security plugins. We have compiled a guide to help you choose the right one for you.
#1 – Sucuri Security Review — The Best For WordPress Developers
Sucuri Security is a company security tool that helps protect all types of websites. The WordPress security plugin by Sucuri Security is a great way to protect your website from malicious attacks.
The Sucuri plugin is not recommended as a standalone solution. It doesn't include access to a website firewall which I consider essential for WordPress security.
Sucuri is a great option for web developers and agencies that manage WordPress sites. The cost of Sucuri is negligible compared to the benefits.
Sites that were hit by crippling DDoS attacks experienced Sucuri installation and have been back online within minutes. WordPress administrators reached out to Sucuri after being hacked. They were able to get their site back up and running in no time.
These are just a few of the many stories Sucuri users share.
Sucuri is the best choice if you're responsible for protecting WordPress sites of your clients. Sucuri will give you a detailed view of each site, and send you automated alerts when something goes wrong.
Sucuri scans your websites for malware constantly. Sucuri scans your sites remotely (from their servers) and is therefore not dependent on your resources to scan or load your database.
Remote malware scanning also has the added benefit that all data is securely stored with Sucuri. This means attackers cannot delete logs to hide their tracks. You'll always know what happened and how it happened.
Sucuri is the best ally you can have in case a site is hacked. There are zero hidden costs forComplete malware removal.
It is extremely difficult to ensure that a hack is completely cleaned up if you are not a skilled software engineer. Sucuri makes it easy to protect your computer.It's guaranteed.
To access the firewall, you must have a Sucuri paid license. It's the best-in-breed product. Sucuri cannot just give it away.
It blocks all unencrypted traffic and DDoS attacks. It also allows you to fine-tune IP whitelisting so that only authorized users have access to admin panels.
You can also block visitors coming from certain countries. If you suspect that there are a lot of attacks from one location, this can be very helpful.
Wordfence's endpoint firewall is able to protect against some of the vulnerabilities associated with cloud-based firewalls. Sucuri addresses this issue by including server-side scanning.
This will protect you against phishing pages and backdoors as well as spam attacks.
Although the Sucuri Security plugin can be downloaded for free, it is not possible to access many of the features that I have just mentioned. You will need the full platform to enjoy the benefits of many of these features.
There are three levels of tiers:
- BasicSite Fee: $199.99/year
- ProSite Fee: $299.99/year
- BusinessSite Fee: $499.99/year
The priority of your service requests is what makes the difference between tiers. With more expensive plans, you also receive more malware and hack scans.
The malware removal SLA for business-tier licenses is six hours. Your client's website will be restored to its original state by the time everyone returns to work, even if it was hacked at night.
You can still receive the full malware removal with the other plans. However, it will take longer depending on how severe and complex the attack was.
All plans include a secure 24/7 customer support system and a 30-day guarantee of your money back
I recommend this list if you're looking for a WordPress security plugin that is free.
However, if you have clients who depend on your ability to manage their WordPress websites, the $20-40 price tag for Sucuri is worth it.
#2 – JetpackReview This is the Best Way to Improve Your Site's Overall Performance
Jetpack is a great way to make your WordPress site more efficient and secure. Jetpack is like a dozen plugins all in one. It allows you to do more with fewer resources.
This is not only convenient and efficient, but it's also safer. WordPress hackers are most likely to attack plugins. Your attack surface will be reduced if you use fewer plugins.
Jetpack may not have as many security-specific features as Wordfence and Sucuri, but it might be enough to do the job for WordPress sites.
It includes the basics like automatic plugin updates, brute force attack prevention, spam prevention and malware scanning.
The intuitive interface is easy to use for anyone, so no technical skills are required. Jetpack is a great way for novice techies to manage WordPress security.
Automated backups of your website are also available. This feature is available as an add-on with Wordfence or Sucuri. Oh, and it's free!Unlimited storage available for backupsThis is a huge advantage for those who use ecommerce websites.
The Jetpack plugin gives you the tools to create beautiful sites and increase your traffic.
While I will be focusing on Jetpack's security features in this post, you should know that Jetpack is loaded with design, growth and performance features that aren't available with other options.
Each one of these features will reduce the number of plugins you have to install. This increases your WordPress security.
Jetpack was designed for the general user, as I mentioned. It's very powerful, but extremely easy to use.
Jetpack's mobile app can be used to set things up even if you aren't at your desk when an alert is sent.
Jetpack is hosted by WordPress. This means that all these amazing tools don't put strain on your servers. It can slow down your site as with any plugin. But it is nothing compared to the 20-30 other plugins that you would need to replace it.
Jetpack can slow down a site because it is in conflict with another plugin or they have enabled Jetpack modules that they don't use.
This is easy to fix. You can enable the most popular modules by default. However, you can manage all of your Jetpack features from one page.
You can simply enable the ones that you like, and disable the ones that you don't. The website performance problems will disappear.
Jetpack Free includes a number of useful security features such as brute force attack protection and two-factor authentication. There are also daily backups, daily scans and automatic plugin updates.
Add in performance, design, and growth features and you have one of the best WordPress plugins.
Jetpack's paid plans offer more security features, such as spam prevention and a more detailed activity log that can be used to audit your site.
There are three levels of pricing:
- Jetpack Backup: $7.95/month
- Jetpack Security Daily: $19.95/month
- Jetpack Security Real TimeMonthly: $59.95
- Jetpack Complete$79.95/month
Jetpack Security Daily plans and Real-time plans differ in the frequency of backups, scans, and other features. Jetpack Security Real time scans your site daily, instead of once per day.
A one-year activity log with Real time is also included with Jetpack Security Daily.
Jetpack Security Real time is a valuable addition to ecommerce sites and membership websites that have a lot of visitors. The Daily plan is recommended if your site has a lot static content.
Jetpack Complete is perfect for security-oriented people. Jetpack Security doesn't include any of the relevant features. The CRM software features are what make the difference. They are great for managing customer relations, but I won’t go into detail.
Jetpack Free includes all the tools you need to manage WordPress sites. You will need to purchase licenses for each site in order to use the paid features.
Jetpack provides support for all kinds of problems and confusion. They call it a “global team… of Happiness Engineers” but what does that actually mean?
Jetpack was created by Automattic, the same people who run WordPress. So you can be sure that you'll get quality support from experts who are familiar with WordPress.
Jetpack can be cancelled within 14 days to receive a full refund.
Jetpack is a great tool for new WordPress users. It makes it easy to manage a website. Jetpack is also great for those who want to improve security and reduce the number of plugins that they depend on.
#3 – Wordfence SecurityReviewThe Best WordPress Sites for Multiple Users
Wordfence is a top-rated WordPress security plugin with a free version that's loaded full of security features.
Install the WordPress.org plugin for free and then share your email address with Wordfence to receive notifications. You will be notified instantly if a malicious file, outdated plugin or virus is detected.
Wordfence is a great option for those who have many WordPress sites to protect. Wordfence Central allows you to manage security across all your sites from one interface.
Wordfence Central is free and there are no restrictions. The intuitive dashboard allows you to quickly track security events, and set up alerts via email, SMS or Slack.
It's difficult to think of a better way to protect your sites than the ones you have at your disposal.
Wordfence's security scanner scans all WordPress files, themes and plugins. It detects a wide variety of possible issues such as:
- Bad URLs
- Backdoors
- Code injection
- Malicious redirects
- SEO spam
This is the free version. The paid version has one difference: the scanner checks your site and IP to ensure they aren't blacklisted. It also updates in real time with the Wordfence Threat Defense Feed.
Wordfence protects over 4 million WordPress sites. This gives the company incredible insight into malware signatures and the most recent threats.
Premium Wordfence users receive the most recent security updates from Threat Defense Feed in real time. The updates will take 30 days to start with the free version.
Web application firewall (WAF), is also very well-developed. Stop spammers, bots and brute force attacks from getting in your way.
Wordfence is different from other WordPress security plugins. It uses an endpoint firewall and not a cloud-based one. This means that it actually runs on the server it protects.
This image shows how a cloud-based firewall can cause problems, which is not possible with a WordPress-specific endpoint firewall.
Wordfence login security further enhances the combination of a strong firewall with a malware scanner.
Two-factor authentication (2FA), which uses temporary one-time passwords as well as login page CAPTCHA forms, prevents bots from breaking into sites.
Wordfence Live Traffic is included in the free version. It provides a live view of your site and generates logs at the server-level. This provides a lot more information that data visualization software such as Google Analytics.
However, enabling Live Traffic can cause serious strain to your server resources.
Wordfence is known for slowing down websites. This is especially true for those who use shared hosting plans.
Live Traffic should be set to “Security Only” so that it tracks successful logins, failed logins, as well as other security-related incidents. This will reduce the server's load.
Wordfence's free version is more than sufficient for most WordPress owners, regardless of how many sites they own.
Wordfence Premium licenses are available for $99/year. Licenses include discounts for bulk purchases and longer contracts.
Wordfence will refund your money if you are unhappy with the service.
#4 – All In One WordPress Security & FirewallReview The best free forever WordPress security plugin
All In One WP Security & Firewall can be a simple option that is loved by those who are not WordPress security gurus. I am thinking about those who are proficient in using WordPress to run their businesses but not as confident in the technical side.
All In One makes it easy to protect your website, regardless of how much WordPress knowledge you have.
It is also available in English.Free foreverYou can find it here. There is no paid version. Each feature and function listed is free to install, with no upsells.
You will have to do more work on your own than with a Sucuri plugin. All In One makes it easy to keep your WordPress security up, as I mentioned.
Let's dig in.
After installing the plugin, you will see a simple dashboard that includes a Security Strength Meter as well as a Security Points Breakdown.
These are easy to grasp without requiring a degree. The number of security features enabled by you determines your score. This breakdown will explain how points are calculated.
It's easy to quickly get a temperature reading and to determine how to improve your score if you move into the danger zone.
You can also access the Critical Feature Status box, which will tell you if the most critical security features have been enabled.
This will ensure that you don't forget to activate them again if you have to disable the features for any reason.
It's not difficult so far.
What about other features that can impact your security score?
All In One assigns features the following ratings: Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced based on how likely they will cause problems for your site.
Security will be improved by using basic features without too much impact. Depending on which plugins you use, intermediate and advanced features could have an impact on other areas of your site.
All In One allows you to enable features one at a time. You can see how cautious you need to be by rating your features.
This solves a common problem that people have with WordPress security plugins. One firewall setting is broken and then another plugin breaks.
You can confidently control some of the most important security features with All In One:
- Password strength tool
- Auto detect duplicate login names
- Prevention of brute force attacks
- Block login attempts and track them
- Add Google reCAPTCHA
- Security tools for file and database security
- Unwanted IPs are blacklisted
- Flexible firewall
- Check WordPress for updates
- Spam Prevention
It doesn't include everything. You will notice that there are certain features you must pay extra for. They aren't as extensive.
For example, the scanner will alert you to any WordPress system changes, but it won't detect or remove malware as accurately as Sucuri.
In other words, All In One can let you know that something is wrong but you must fix it.
The community forum is the only place you can ask questions. This is not concierge service, but that's to be expected with a completely free plugin.
Your questions might be answered in a few days, but this is far from the 24/7 customer service offered by paid plugins.
All In One is constantly updated and evolving. It was designed by experts for non-experts. It has been a blessing for hundreds of thousands WordPress owners, who have never paid a penny. It might be for you too.
#5 – Hide My WP Review Protect Yourself with Theme Detectors and Bots.
WordPress security is multi-headed. You must protect your core from brute force and direct attacks. Also, keep your plugins, themes, and core up-to-date.
Hide My WP protects your site's security and hides key parts from prying eyes.
This plugin does a great job at protecting WordPress. Its firewall blocks SQL injections and brute force attacks. It can also be used to block visitors and IP addresses from certain locations.
It also has a trust network built in that provides extra protection against hackers and bots.
Hide My WP's most intriguing feature is its ability to conceal the fact you are using WordPress.
WordPress is a great platform. I love it, as do millions of other people. You're constantly fighting against the people who would use your information against you, with all of the well-known access points and tons third-party themes and plugins.
Hide My WP makes it possible to block others from plugin and theme detectors. This not only prevents bad actors from discovering potential weaknesses, but also hides your website configuration from other competitors. This is a great bonus.
Hide My WordPress also hides WP-Admins and WPLogin. This plugin allows you to hide the first and hide or rename second entry points so that nobody can walk in your front door.
You also get a powerful dashboard that reports on attacks, blocks, IP addresses and other information.
It's only $24 per license. You'll only pay $31 for developer support, which lasts for a year. This plugin covers all security bases and features to hide your WordPress login portals, themes, and plugins.
Hide My WP will help you protect yourself against both emergent and traditional attacks.
Here's what I looked at to find the best WordPress security plugin
It is crucial to keep your WordPress safe from hackers. This task will be made easier by finding the right security plugin.
The wrong one could cause your site to crash, make it vulnerable or slow it down.
You want more security, but without the headaches. Which one should you choose?
These criteria will help you evaluate your options. These criteria will help you choose a WordPress security plugin that is reliable and meets your needs.
Credibility of Plugin
Experimenting in new plugins can be a lot of fun, but not for security reasons.
Use only those who are trusted and well-respected. It is easy to do. The WordPress plugins page will cover everything you need.
You can quickly see how many people have installed this plugin and how high it is rated by users as you scroll through your options.
This is really great news. Wordfence is used by more than 4 million people and has received 4.5 stars. This is the highest level of plugin credibility.
Ratings and installations are not governed by any hard and fast rules. You shouldn't use something that has been used only by a few thousand people. Let others work out the kinks.
By clicking on Wordfence you will find a description and some other key information.
I would avoid plugins that haven’t been updated for over a year. This is too slow for cybersecurity to evolve at such a rapid pace. It is possible that there are many new vulnerabilities since the last patch was applied.
You can also look at the ratings and review. This can be used to establish credibility and also show how security functions in real life.
A highly rated plugin will help you determine if it meets your expectations.
Let's just stick with what works for WordPress users and those who are in similar situations.
Security Capabilities
What is the purpose of your WordPress security plugin? Many people know that they want their site to be secure, but aren't sure what it means.
These are the most important security features and how they protect you.
- Automated backupsIf your site is damaged or lost, you can restore it.
- Automated updatesWordPress core and plugins
- Security alertsThese notify you instantly if something goes wrong
- Malware scanningMake sure your website is clean
- Spam protectionFor your comments and forms
- Monitoring of uptimeTo notify you if the website goes down
- Protection from brute forceTo stop bots and attackers from cracking passwords
- Monitoring of Blacklist/BlocklistYou can be sure that your site isn't flagged by regulators
- IP monitoringTo block known attackers
- Activity LogTrack and audit site changes
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)Secure logins
- Web Application Firewall (WAF).Block malicious traffic from reaching your site
- CAPTCHAIt stands for Completely Automated public Turing test to distinguish between computers and humans. It will prevent bots filling out forms and logging into your site.
It's amazing how much of this coverage is provided by the free plans. You get greater control and protection over these capabilities with premium plans.
Wordfence's free plan covers core files, themes and plugins that can be used to detect potential cyberthreats. Premium Wordfence allows you to update your scanner in real time as new malware signatures become available. Only the free version updates after 30 days.
There are tradeoffs when considering all of your options. Sucuri users can get blacklist monitoring free of charge, but this is only available to premium Wordfence subscribers.
Sucuri is only available to premium users, but Wordfence comes with a website firewall.
Consider the trade-offs. The free version of Sucuri will be more appealing if you already have firewalls.
Utilization of Resources
This is something you should consider when using any plugin. They all use processing and server power to perform their tasks.
WordPress security plugins can be a drain on your system. It's a fact that WordPress security plugins can eat up your resources. Malware scans and traffic logs from security incidents will put strain on your system.
This is how you should think about your hosting provider and current situation. How many resources are available and how much is it worth?
It is also important to know how much control you have over the WordPress security plugin. It is possible to resolve many resource-related problems by properly configuring it.
You can ask Wordfence to log only security incidents or disable its live feed. Many users have reported that Wordfence is slowing down their site by doing this.
WordPress hosts Jetpack. This means that there is no draw on your servers. However, memory and CPU usage may be an issue. Jetpack allows you to control which modules are enabled and can help you manage your resources effectively.
Plugin compatibility
WordPress may be one component of your larger online platform. Make sure you do some research about how the plugin will work in your ecosystem.
WordPress security plugins protect your site from bad things, but they can sometimes get in the way or break other plugins.
Jetpack will work well with WooCommerce as both plugins were made by the same company. Jetpack will likely speed up site speed for Woo.
Jetpack, on the other hand, can cause problems if you use the BuddyPress plugin which transforms your site into a social networking venue.
To get a better idea of the compatibility of each WordPress security plugin, I recommend reading through the reviews.
One-star reviews are my favourite to read. These are the places where you will find situations in which your plugin does not work well. However, I tend to ignore the all-caps reviews.
You are responsible for ensuring that plugins work together.
This is why I love All In One WP Security. They help you see which plugins are most likely to be affected by their plugin.
Although it can be difficult to predict plugin compatibility, it is something you should not put off. Find out what you can do ahead of time.
Reliable Support
You will only get so much support if you choose a free WordPress security plug-in. For example, All In One is a free plugin that allows you to connect with other members of the WordPress.org community.
WordFence, Sucuri and Jetpack plugins provide you with a contact person, but a quick response is not guaranteed for their paid options. Wordfence Premium gives you direct access to expert support, but it may take them a few days to respond.
When something goes wrong, you'll notice the greatest difference in customer care.
Sucuri will clean up and restore your website after a hack. This level of support is unmatched in any other product I have reviewed.
Wordfence is an example of a website cleaning service. It costs $490 per WordPress site.
Sucuri's top-of-the-line customer service will give you more peace of mind than security if you have ever been attacked or have had WordPress do a lot of business. You and your clients may save a lot of money over the long-term.
Conclusion
WordPress plugins are just one part of the larger fight for security. These are my top picks for getting you started.
- Sucuri Security – Best for WordPress Developers
- Jetpack – The best for improving your entire site
- Wordfence Security – Best for Multiple WordPress Sites
- All In One WP Firewall & Security – The best free WordPress security plugin
- Hide My WordPress – The best protection against theme detectors or bots
You should still practice good security hygiene: strong passwords, no administrator accounts named “administrator”, updating plugins and themes constantly, etc.
Even the most powerful plugins can cause problems.
All In One WP Security & Firewall will help you keep track of all this. It will ensure that people use strong passwords, and alert you when plugins require updating. It is a simple way to secure your site while also enforcing best practices.
Jetpack will allow you to stop using between 10-20 plugins. This will make your site easier and more secure. You can also protect your WordPress against many common attacks.
Wordfence is the leader in security capabilities, followed by Sucuri. Wordfence's free version is better than Sucuri's free version. It all comes down to what you need.
Wordfence will be easy to use if you have multiple websites. Wordfence's central dashboard allows you to track and respond in real time to all events on your sites.
Sucuri can provide security and peace of mind for everyone involved in the development of multiple sites for clients. Sucuri's security auditing tools and reputation for post-hacking response are unmatched.
Hide My WP is the best option if you want to hide your WordPress themes and plugins. Hide My WP offers all the security features that you would expect. It also allows you to hide your login portals and theme choices as well as plugins being used.
Plugins don't have to be used for security. This post was enjoyed by many people. Check out my top plugins for SEO, contact forms and increasing traffic.
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By: Neil Patel
Title: Best WordPress Security Plugin
Sourced From: neilpatel.com/blog/best-wordpress-security-plugin/
Published Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2021 17:00:00 +0000