How to Secure Your WordPress Website From Hackers (Step-by-Step Guide)

Introduction

Here is a stat that should get your attention: over 90,000 WordPress websites are hacked every single day.

Not just big corporate sites. Small business websites, personal blogs, local service providers all of them are targeted constantly by automated bots scanning the internet for vulnerabilities.

If you are running a WordPress site and have not taken deliberate steps to secure it, you are not safe just because nothing has gone wrong yet. You are just lucky.

The good news is that securing a WordPress website does not require a computer science degree. Most of the steps are straightforward, do not cost much, and can be done in a single afternoon. This guide walks you through exactly how to protect your WordPress website from hackers step by step.

Can WordPress Websites Get Hacked Easily?

Let us address this honestly.

WordPress itself is not inherently insecure. It is actually maintained by a dedicated security team and updated regularly. The problem is what surrounds it: outdated plugins, weak passwords, cheap hosting, no backups, and websites that have not been touched since they were built.

Hackers do not usually target WordPress specifically they write automated scripts that scan millions of sites looking for known vulnerabilities. If your site is running an outdated plugin with a known security flaw, a bot will find it.

The sites that get hacked are not usually attacked by sophisticated hackers. They are caught by automated scripts exploiting preventable weaknesses. That means most hacks are completely avoidable with the right setup.

Step 1: Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Updated

This is the single most important thing you can do for WordPress security and the most commonly neglected.

Every time WordPress, a theme, or a plugin releases an update, it often includes patches for security vulnerabilities. When you skip updates, those vulnerabilities stay open. Hackers know which versions have which flaws, and they exploit them at scale.

What to do:

• Enable automatic updates for WordPress core (minor versions at minimum)
• Update themes and plugins at least once a week
• Delete any plugins or themes you are not actively using inactive plugins are still a security risk
• Only install plugins from reputable developers with regular update histories

A good rule: if a plugin has not been updated in over 12 months, treat it as a liability and find an alternative.

Step 2: Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication

Weak passwords are responsible for a huge proportion of WordPress hacks. "admin123" or your business name as a password is not protection - it is an open door.

Password best practices:

• Use a unique, randomly generated password of at least 16 characters for your WordPress admin account
• Never use "admin" as your username change it to something non-obvious
• Use a password manager (like Bitwarden or 1Password) so you do not have to remember complex passwords
• Change default passwords for your hosting account, database, and FTP access too

Step 3: Install a WordPress Security Plugin

A good WordPress security plugin acts as your site security system monitoring for threats, blocking suspicious activity, and alerting you to problems.

Best WordPress security plugins for small business:

• Wordfence Security: One of the most popular options. Includes a firewall, malware scanner, login protection, and real-time threat intelligence. Free version is solid; premium adds real-time firewall rules
• Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security): Great for beginners. Hardens your WordPress setup with one-click fixes and monitors for vulnerabilities
• Sucuri Security: Excellent for malware scanning and post-hack cleanup. Their website application firewall (WAF) is particularly strong
• All-In-One Security (AIOS): Comprehensive free option covering login security, firewall rules, and file monitoring

You do not need all of them. Pick one, configure it properly, and keep it active.

Not sure which security setup is right for your WordPress site? Talk to the Elevix Digital team - we handle WordPress security configuration as part of our maintenance packages.

Step 4: Protect Your WordPress Login Page

Your login page (usually yourdomain.com/wp-admin) is the front door to your website and it is where most brute force attacks happen.

Bots will try thousands of username and password combinations automatically, hoping to guess their way in. Here is how to stop them:

Limit login attempts: Install a plugin like Login LockDown or use the login protection built into Wordfence. After a set number of failed attempts (e.g., 5), the IP is temporarily blocked.

Change your login URL: By default, every WordPress site uses /wp-admin. Changing this to something custom (e.g., /my-site-login) means bots scanning for the default URL will not find your login page at all. The WPS Hide Login plugin does this simply.

Add a CAPTCHA: A simple Google reCAPTCHA on the login form stops most automated bot attacks immediately.

Restrict by IP: If you always log in from the same location, you can whitelist your IP address and block all others from accessing the login page. This is especially powerful for business sites with a small team.

Step 5: Set Up a WordPress Firewall

A WordPress firewall (WAF Web Application Firewall) sits between your website and incoming traffic, filtering out malicious requests before they even reach your site.

Think of it as a bouncer at the door it checks everyone coming in and turns away anything that looks suspicious.

Two types to know:

• Plugin-level firewall - Installed directly on your WordPress site (Wordfence includes one). Good protection, though it activates after the malicious request has already hit your server
• DNS-level firewall (Sucuri or Cloudflare) - Routes traffic through an external filter before it ever reaches your site. More powerful and better for performance, but involves a DNS change

For small businesses, a plugin-level firewall combined with Cloudflare free plan gives strong protection without complexity.

Step 6: Perform Regular Backups

Backups will not prevent a hack but they are the difference between a bad day and a catastrophe.

If your site gets hacked, infected with malware, or corrupted by a bad update, a recent clean backup lets you restore everything quickly. Without one, you may lose your entire site.

WordPress backup best practices:

• Back up daily if your site changes frequently; weekly for static sites
• Store backups off-site not just on your hosting server (which could also be compromised)
• Use a dedicated backup plugin: UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or Jetpack Backup are all reliable
• Test your backups occasionally by doing a test restore a backup you have never tested is a backup you cannot trust

Most quality managed WordPress hosting providers include automatic daily backups. If yours does not, set one up manually.

Step 7: Use Secure, Managed WordPress Hosting

Your hosting environment is the foundation everything else sits on. Cheap shared hosting puts your site on a server with hundreds or thousands of other sites if one gets hacked, it can affect yours.

What to look for in secure WordPress hosting:

• Automatic WordPress updates and security patching
• Built-in malware scanning and removal
• Daily backups included
• Isolated hosting environments (your site is not affected by neighbours)
• PHP version control and server-level firewall
• SSL certificate included

Providers like Kinsta, WP Engine, SiteGround, and Cloudways offer managed WordPress hosting with strong security built in. They cost more than basic shared hosting - but the difference in protection and performance is significant.

Want a properly hosted, secured, and maintained WordPress site without doing it yourself? Elevix Digital can help - we manage the full stack so you can focus on your business.

Step 8: Scan for Malware Regularly

Even with all the right precautions in place, running regular malware scans is smart practice. Think of it as a routine health check for your website.

Most security plugins include a built-in scanner:

• Wordfence scans your files against known malware signatures and alerts you to anything suspicious
• Sucuri SiteCheck is a free online scanner that checks your publicly visible site for infections
• MalCare offers automated daily scanning with one-click malware removal

If a scan does flag something, do not panic. Most infections can be cleaned but the sooner you catch them, the easier the removal process.

WordPress Security Checklist (Quick Reference)

Use this as your starting point:

• WordPress core, themes, and plugins are all up to date
• Admin username is not "admin"
• Strong, unique password is set for all user accounts
• Two-factor authentication is enabled
• A security plugin (Wordfence, Sucuri, or AIOS) is installed and configured
• Login attempts are limited and brute force protection is active
• Login URL has been changed from the default /wp-admin
• A firewall (plugin-level or DNS-level) is active
• Daily or weekly backups are running and stored off-site
• Hosting environment is managed and includes server-level security
• Regular malware scans are scheduled
• SSL certificate is active (HTTPS is enabled)

Complete this list and your WordPress site will be significantly more secure than the vast majority of sites online.

How to Remove Malware From a WordPress Website

If you have discovered your site is already infected, here is what to do:

• Take your site offline or put it in maintenance mode stop the spread and protect your visitors
• Scan with Wordfence or Sucuri to identify infected files
• Restore from a clean backup if you have one from before the infection
• If no backup is available, use a professional malware removal service Sucuri cleanup service or a specialist WordPress developer can clean the infection manually
• Identify the entry point - how did they get in? (Usually an outdated plugin, weak password, or compromised hosting account)
• Patch the vulnerability before bringing your site back online
• Request a Google review if your site was flagged in search results once cleaned, you can request removal of the warning

This process is significantly faster and less stressful when you have recent backups and a security plugin already in place. Prevention really is far cheaper than cure.

Conclusion: Security Is Not a One-Time Task

Securing your WordPress website is not something you do once and forget. It is an ongoing practice like locking your doors every night, not just the first time you move in.

The steps in this guide are not complicated. Most can be done in a few hours. And once they are in place, they run largely in the background keeping your site safe while you focus on running your business.

Do not wait until something goes wrong to take WordPress security seriously. The cost of a hack - in lost data, lost customers, recovery time, and reputation damage is always far higher than the cost of prevention.

Want Your WordPress Site Secured and Maintained by Experts?

At Elevix Digital, we take WordPress security seriously because your website is one of your most important business assets and it deserves to be protected properly.

Our WordPress security and maintenance services include:

• Full security hardening and configuration
• Malware scanning, monitoring, and removal
• Regular updates for core, themes, and plugins
• Daily automated backups with off-site storage
• Performance optimisation and speed checks
• 24/7 uptime monitoring with instant alerts
• Website design, development, and SEO support too

Whether you need a one-time security audit or ongoing monthly maintenance we have got you covered with transparent pricing and a team that actually responds when you need them.

Get a Free WordPress Security Audit from Elevix Digital. We will check your site, identify the risks, and tell you exactly what needs fixing.