Top 6 WordPress Vulnerabilities That WordPress Agencies Deal With

WordPress began as a blogging platform but has now evolved into a full-fledged online solution for eCommerce stores, blogs, news, and enterprise-level applications. WordPress’s growth introduced significant modifications to its core, making it more reliable and secure than earlier versions there are some WordPress development agencies practicing these modifications. 

 

Because WordPress is an open-source platform, anybody may contribute to its fundamental features. This adaptability benefitted both the developers who created themes and plugins and the end-users who use them to enhance the functioning of their WordPress sites.

 

This transparency, however, raises some major concerns about the platform’s security, which cannot be disregarded. This is not a fault in the system itself, but rather the structure on which it is constructed, and given how critical this is, the WordPress security team works around the clock to make the platform secure for its end users.

 

However, as end-users, we cannot just depend on its basic security system since we make several changes to our WordPress site by installing various plugins and themes, which might create gaps that hackers can exploit. In this article, we will explore various WordPress security vulnerabilities and the best WordPress development agencies in Toronto, Ontario. 

1. Brute Force Attack

Brute Force Attack, in layman’s terms, entails numerous try-and-error techniques employing hundreds of possibilities to guess the correct username or password. This is accomplished through the use of sophisticated algorithms and dictionaries that guess the password based on some type of context.

 

This type of assault is tough to carry out, yet it is still one of the most common attacks carried out against WordPress sites. WordPress does not prevent users from attempting numerous failed tries by default, allowing a person or machine to try thousands of combinations each second.

How WordPress Development Agencies, Fix Brute Force Attacks

It is pretty simple to avoid the Brute Force. All you have to do is construct a strong password that contains upper and lower case letters, digits, and special characters because each character has a separate ASCII value and a long and complicated password would be tough to guess. Avoid using a password like johnny123 or whatsmypassword.

 

Integrate Two Factor Authentication as well to authenticate users that log in twice to your site. Two Factor Authentication is a fantastic plugin.

2. SQL Injection

Injecting SQL queries to affect or totally destroy the database using an online form or input field is one of the oldest hacks in the book of web hacking. A successful breach allows a hacker to alter the MySQL database, perhaps gaining access to your WordPress admin or just changing its credentials for additional damage. This assault is typically carried out by inexperienced to average hackers who are mostly testing their hacking talents.

How WordPress Development Agencies Fix SQL Injection

You may use a plugin to determine whether or not your site has been hacked. You may check this using WPScan or Sucuri SiteCheck. Also, update WordPress as well as any themes or plugins that you suspect are creating problems. Check their documentation and visit their help forums to report any concerns so that a patch can be developed.

3. Malware

Malicious code is introduced into WordPress via an infected theme, an out-of-date plugin, or a script. Because of its stealthy nature, this code may gather data from your site as well as introduce harmful material that may go undiscovered.

 

Malware can cause minor to severe harm if not dealt with promptly. Because the core has been damaged, the entire WordPress site may need to be reinstalled. This can also increase the cost of your hosting because a significant volume of data is transmitted or housed through your site.

How WordPress Development Agencies Fix Malware

Typically, malware spreads through corrupted plugins and null themes. It is advised that themes be downloaded only from reputable sites that are devoid of harmful material. To perform a complete scan and remove malware, security plugins such as Succuri or WordFence can be utilized. In the worst-case situation, seek the advice of a WordPress specialist.

4. Cross-Site Scripting

Cross-Site Scripting, commonly known as an XSS assault, is one of the most prevalent types of attacks. In this sort of attack, the attacker inserts malicious JavaScript code that, once loaded on the client-side, begins gathering data and perhaps forwarding to other malicious sites, negatively impacting the user experience.

How WordPress Development Agencies fix Cross-Site Scripting

To prevent this sort of attack, apply adequate data validation throughout your WordPress site. Use output sanitization to guarantee that the correct type of data is entered. Prevent XSS Vulnerability plugins can also be utilized.

5. DDoS Attack

Anyone who has visited the internet or maintains a website has probably heard of the infamous DDoS assault. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is an improved form of Denial of Service (DoS) in which a huge number of requests are made to a web server, causing it to slow down and eventually crash. DDoS is a single-source assault, whereas DDoS is a coordinated attack carried out by numerous workstations throughout the world. Every year, millions of dollars are lost as a result of this well-known web security assault.

How WordPress Development Agencies fix DDoS Attacks

DDoS assaults are tough to avoid with traditional methods. Web hosts are critical in protecting your WordPress site from such assaults. Cloudways, for example, controls server security and flags anything suspect before it may harm the customer’s website.

Outdated WordPress & PHP Versions

WordPress versions that are more than a year old are more likely to be compromised by a security vulnerability. Over time, hackers discover a means to exploit its core and eventually carry out an assault on sites that continue to use obsolete versions. The WordPress team provides fixes and newer versions with enhanced security measures for the same reason. Incompatibility difficulties might arise when using earlier versions of PHP. Because WordPress is based on PHP, it requires an updated version to function correctly. According to official WordPress statistics, 42.6 percent of users are still using different earlier versions of WordPress. Whereas only 2.3% of WordPress sites are running on the latest PHP version 7.2.

How WordPress Development Agencies Secure PHP Versions

This is a simple one. You should always keep your WordPress installation up to date. Always use the most recent version (remember to always do a backup before upgrading). When it comes to PHP, you may update the version once you’ve tested your WordPress site for compatibility.

Conclusion:

We are acquainted with many WordPress vulnerabilities and potential remedies. It is important to note that updates are critical to maintaining WordPress security. And, if you detect any strange behavior, stay alert and contact the best WordPress website design Toronto to identify the source of the problem, as these security concerns can result in thousands of dollars in damages.