Never underestimate the importance of website security. Your WordPress site doesn’t have to house government secrets, bank account numbers, or even personal information to be targeted. Not all hacks are Hollywood-level attacks where systems are crippled and grand heists are pulled off. While it’s still pretty sneaky, it’s much less flashy and takes much longer than 90 minutes to resolve.

With spammy and hacked content reportedly on the rise, it’s best to be proactive. Here are five easy steps you can take to shore up your site’s defenses:

Up The Difficulty of Your Password(s)

This may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less important to your site’s security. Stop using passwords like “password123” or “qwerty” and get creative with your character, letter, and number combos. If you really want to up the ante on your password’s difficulty, try using a password generator.

Update Plugins, Themes & WordPress

If you’ve been ignoring all those “a new version of…” messages on the backend of WordPress, now would be a good time to go ahead and hit “update”. When updates aren’t made, the site is more vulnerable because it’s easier for hackers to take advantage of loopholes and weaknesses that exist in earlier versions of whatever you’re running. Updated versions of plugins, themes, and even WordPress itself typically include security patches and other improvements.

Install a Security Plugin

After you’ve updated your WordPress plugins, you might be interested in installing some new ones. Security plugins can help you better monitor your site as they are capable of detecting and alerting you if something seems amiss. At PCG we like Wordfence and Sucuri. Both are free and both can scan your site for known vulnerabilities, identifying any changes you can make in your WordPress settings to improve overall security.

Check Search Console

Another way to monitor your site’s health is with Google’s Search Console. Make a habit of checking it on a regular basis as Google will typically alert you if the site appears to be hacked. Look for new messages and check the Manual Actions section for any alerts.

Backup Your Files & Databases Regularly

If you site is hacked, wouldn’t it be awesome to restore it to its former glory? Yes, yes it would. Hence the reason you should routinely backup your files and databases.

Taking these few steps toward securing your WordPress website from being hacked is much easier than cleaning up a hacked site later on. Trust me. So do yourself, and your site, a favor by making website security a priority and part of your processes.

About the Author

Jamie Paton is a Project Manager at PCG Digital Marketing by day and a TV connoisseur by night. As an SEO strategist she spends a lot of quality time on social media sites and with Google Analytics and Search Console.