WordPress Security

WordPress is the most popular blogging software in the world, and ‘out-of-the-box’ the security is pretty good as WordPress are always actively releasing updates that include security enhancements.

However there is still further room to secure your WordPress installation, particularly if you are on your own server. If you have a shared host *generally* the hosting company will have decent security that protects everyone on the server (to a degree).

Today we are looking at various WordPress plugins that will improve your WordPress security and make your blog less venerable to hacking.

1. Block Bad Queries (BBQ)

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/block-bad-queries/

This plugin helps protect your blog against Malicious URL Requests, particularly URL requests that are longer than 255 characters.

Back in 2009 these sort of attacks became popular on WordPress blog, but since then plugins like this have been released and WordPress have secured core files.

This is a useful plugin and all you need to do is activate it, there are no tricky settings to configure.

2. WordPress Firewall 2

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-firewall-2/

This plugin encompasses some generic security techniques (as discussed above, commonly found on shared web hosts to protect all customers on a particular server). Therefore this plugin is useful for people on their own dedicated on virtual private server looking for that increased security.

This plugin is able to block many different kind of attacks and can even send you an email when an attack has been detected.

3. WP Security Scan

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan/

This plugin runs security checks on your existing security including:

1. Password Complexity
2. Weather File permissions are set correctly
3. Database security
4. Hiding your WordPress version number from the source code
5. Increased protection/security for the WordPress admin section
6. Removes WP Generator META tag from core WordPress code

WP Security scan is good for checking the basic security measures that people often forget.

If you run a WordPress blog, check out these plugins and considering using them if you feel your Blog Security could be upgraded.

If you know of any other WordPress security plugins or tips that are useful – please let us know in the comments below.