WordPress Website Security Methods and Plugins

WordPress security is an issue many people care about. As this open-source platform becomes common for website design, security deserves attention. Left unattended, security problems can lead to real negative consequences. That is why WordPress website security methods and plugins deserve close attention, a clear understanding and effective use.

Why WordPress website security matters

Why WordPress website security matters

Run WordPress website security is a basic but essential requirement that you should follow. Securing WordPress brings clear benefits, namely:

No loss of important content

When a website's security is taken seriously, the risk of losing data and important content is reduced and well controlled. Content, images, videos, file types or anything else can be protected with confidence. Recovering lost data is quite hard, so solid security is something you need to do.

No harm to SEM and SEO

When a website is infected with a virus, Google blocks ads such as GDN, Google Ads, Google Shopping and any other kind of advertising. This greatly affects how the website operates, and the status SEM and SEO of the website.

Not only that, if a WordPress website's protection is neglected, it can also fall in rankings on search engines such as Google. No business wants to face that.

Keep hackers from stealing customer data

Keep hackers from stealing customer data

For every business, customers are one of the biggest assets. So hackers stealing data or losing customer data must never happen. Protecting your business website once it goes live reduces that risk as much as possible.

No interruption to your business

With website security in place, you can be confident that access to the site is not disrupted or negatively affected. Online sales, product presentations and the like then run without interruption, so business goes smoothly as required.

WordPress website security methods

WordPress website security methods

Given these benefits, applying the right method accurately is highly valued. The main methods to consider are:

Install an SSL certificate

Installing SSL certificate or the https protocol for WordPress can be done in the folder Cpanel of your hosting, with these basic steps:

• Go to Security -> SSL/TLS.
• Click Install and manage SSL for your site.
• Choose autofill by domain so the certificate is installed.
• In wp-config.php, add this line at the end of the file: require_once( ABSPATH . ‘wp-settings.php’ );
• Finally, replace example.com with your own domain and the process is complete.

That said, this is only free SSL. Mona Media offers a range of professional SSL certificates that protect your data and customer information more completely. Contact us now 1900 636 648 for a free consultation

Keep WordPress and plugins up to date

For the security of web wordpress keeping to the latest versions is a basic requirement. A new WordPress version addresses issues such as:

• Patching security vulnerabilities that older versions of the open-source WordPress code have not fixed.
• Adding new features for more effective use, while also improving security.
• Improving page load speed once the website is running.

Update WordPress regularly and use up-to-date plugins to meet your needs and protect the website as much as possible.

Protect the wp-admin folder

Protect the wp-admin folder

The wp-admin folder needs full protection. A few simple steps, done correctly, will protect it well:

• In the iThemes plugin, choose Advanced(6) -> Hide Backend.
• Select Enable the hide Backend in feature.
• In Login slug, enter any path you like.
• Enter the path you want people to be redirected to when they try to access wp-admin.

Set up 2-factor login with Google Authenticator

Two-factor authentication improves account security on the open-source WordPress platform. It is worth considering because it asks for extra information in addition to the username and password.

In To set up 2-factor login with Google Authenticator, we can do it simply as follows:

• Authentication Methods Available to Users sets the 2-factor methods, including Email and an authenticator app.
• User Type Protection lets you choose which accounts to protect; start with accounts that have full administrator rights.
• Disable Forced Two-Factor Authentication for Certain Users lets you turn off two-factor authentication for specific groups of users.
• Allow Remembering Device remembers information on a device; we recommend not turning this on, to avoid information theft.

Once set up, it is essential to verify logins in the right way. There are two specific cases:

• Use Gmail: after logging in to the system, get the security code from your email.
• Use the Google Authenticator app to verify login if you are on a mobile app.

Disable XML-RPC

Pay attention to disabling XML-RPC as well, to secure WordPress properly. XML-RPC lets data be transferred using HTTP as the transport and XML as the encoding.

When internet speeds were not ideal, transferring data on a website took many steps and a lot of time. Today that is handled much better. The biggest problem with XML-RPC is security. The problem does not come from XML-RPC itself but from the xmlrpc.php file, which has been used for brute force attacks. Using very strong passwords, and adding a WordPress security plugin, is the best way to get strong security.

Set up security at the hosting level

Set up security at the hosting level

Pay attention to hosting security to limit attacks as much as possible. For hosting-level security, hosting there are 2 basic options:

• ModSecurity is a product of OWASP that lets users tune the configuration and detect attacks on the web server. ModSecurity now fully supports Apache, Nginx and IIS, which makes it effective and helps secure the system better.
• Imunify 360 is an effective security solution powered by AI, from the CloudLinux development team. Installed on thousands of servers, it helps protect hosting providers as well.

Check for and delete spam comments carrying malicious code

When you moderate comments, or handle Pingbacks and Trackbacks in WordPress, check for malicious code or suspicious links attached. If you find anything suspicious, delete the comment completely and do it quickly, to remove the risk of the virus spreading.

Back up your database regularly

This does not reduce the risk of being attacked, but it limits the damage after each attack as much as possible. By being able to back up all your data regularly you remove the risk of losing data with no way to recover it. It keeps your website, and your business, running.

The best WordPress website security plugins

To secure WordPress you can consider several plugins. Highly rated and widely used ones include:

iThemes Security

WordPress security tool iThemes Security

Plugin iThemes Security is one of the big, widely used names today. It fixes vulnerabilities on the website and limits attacks. Using iThemes Security also lets you change the login link when needed, use strong passwords, and block users after repeated failed logins.

It has all the functions you need to secure a WordPress site with iThemes Security smoothly. It keeps the website running steadily and is highly practical. It can also send timely notifications when something unexpected happens, so you stay in control.

Jetpack

Well known and widely trusted by the WordPress community, Jetpack has become popular. Its combination of many functions strengthens website security considerably. Brute force attacks are blocked well, which makes protecting your WordPress site simpler.

Jetpack comes in two versions, free and paid. For stronger security features, the paid version is the best choice. Daily malware scans, website backups and automatic restore are all supported.

VaultPress

VaultPress WordPress security plugin

VaultPress is regarded as a reliable and easy-to-use security plugin. It fully supports backups on a schedule or in real time. Backups can also be restored within seconds, to limit any data loss.

VaultPress also scans your site for viruses and malware, and removes them quickly in just a few steps.

BulletProof Security

When you need to secure a WordPress website, the plugin BulletProof Security is always well rated. It covers firewall, login security, database security and many other features. Simple installation and easy use make keeping your website highly secure much easier.

All in One WP Security and Firewall

Safer with All in One WP Security and Firewall helps an open-source WordPress website run effectively. It has the features you need, designed by leading experts. Its main features are:

• Login security
• Account security
• Registration security
• Database security
• File system security
• Firewall function
• Blacklist function
• ….

WordPress website security methods and plugins is used effectively and gives good security. That makes it easier to keep each website running steadily, so every organization and business can operate well, grow strongly and hold a good position in its field.

96% of WordPress vulnerabilities come from pirated plugins, not from a missing layer of protection

The admin interface suddenly goes blank, and customers who click a post get redirected to an unfamiliar ad page. You were sure you had paid for a full perimeter firewall, and you rushed to change every employee's password, yet the problem remains. According to Patchstack's State of WordPress Security in 2025, the ecosystem sees 22 new vulnerabilities every day. In fact, 96% of infection sources lie in add-ons, not in the original core. More than 500,000 websites were infected with malware simply because people prefer cracked software, downloaded illegally to save website running cost. That is like letting a thief into the living room and only then locking the door. As many as 43% of vulnerabilities are exploited directly without the attacker needing login access, which makes changing passwords completely useless.

In June 2026, our own internal server was infected with a coin-mining program after attackers got in through a test application that exposed a public port with the highest admin privileges. That incident led us to write 10 safe operating rules, applied to every system Cloud VPS to close off junk ports before they are opened to customers. For a WordPress website, when handling an incident we always clean out pirated software first, replace it with genuine products, and only then add a protective layer around it. Don't rush to buy more locks. Do not install any protection app until you have removed every piece of software of unknown origin that is draining your server.

MONA Shield and hands-on security review: closing the core gaps in your system

Many business owners hand us an admin area full of pirated plugins and ask for one piece of software to install that will stop hackers for good. No such software exists. Patchstack's 2024 report shows that 96% of vulnerabilities are in plugins, and 43% are exploited without login. Using pirated plugins is self-destructive. When we take over a system, the first thing we do is clean it up and replace the plugins with genuine ones. Only then do we install MONA Shield to close off automated scanning entry points such as the XML-RPC port or an unneeded REST API. This software hides the source code version and is licensed for life per domain, so you pay only once.

The real weapon for protecting your business is daily backup, because restoring the latest working version is always faster than cleaning malware by hand. We have built this standard into website maintenance serviceswith a written commitment covering everything from source code updates to incident review. For complex projects, we suggest the basic plan of Gấu Webmaster at 2,000,000 VND per month. This assistant automatically reads warning logs and restores the system with one tap, very quickly, when the site crashes with a 500 error. Don't leave your revenue to mindless code. If your website is an app written by AI, don't open it to paying customers without a skilled engineer on call.

A manifesto for growing together

MONA is a software, digital transformation and AI transformation company, but above all, MONA is a B2B service company that benefits directly from this: THE MORE SUCCESSFUL VIETNAMESE BUSINESSES BECOME, THE MORE MONA BENEFITS, while a declining, slow market with weak technology is exactly what kills MONA's future business opportunities. So, more than anyone, MONA wants you to succeed, and MONA actually steps in to help you succeed.

And AI transformation is the key to that success for all of us.

MONA

Lock the doors to your system before attackers get to it

Every minute you delay cleaning up your system is a minute you're inviting thieves to steal your data. MONA Shield is licensed for life per domain, with no yearly fee. Try it first at https://mona.media/ban-quyen/mona-shield/; it takes about 5 minutes. Click and you're done.

See MONA Shield (lifetime license) Call 1900 636 648

FAQ

Which WordPress security plugin is best right now?

Popular, well-rated WordPress security plugins include iThemes Security (blocks attacks, changes the login URL, enforces strong passwords), Jetpack (blocks brute force, daily malware scans, free and paid versions), VaultPress (scheduled backups, fast restore), BulletProof Security (firewall, login security, database) and All in One WP Security and Firewall (login, account and file system security, firewall).

How do you secure the WordPress wp-admin folder?

Use the iThemes Security plugin: go to Advanced > Hide Backend, turn on Enable the hide Backend, enter a custom login path to replace /wp-admin, and set a redirect URL for anyone who tries to open the default wp-admin address.