In my role as an ethical hacker, I discovered that WordPress cyber attacks have been on the rise and there might be less awareness of this problem. In the world of content management systems, WordPress is used by 44% of the websites. So, any attack of any kind can cause irrecoverable losses, and if you have a crucial database, the effects can be even worse.
In my opinion, this threat is extremely serious for industries which deal with important data such as personal information and passwords, as well as industries that use platforms, such as financial institutions. Well I think it is so obvious what a huge victory it can be for a hacker to gain access to a platform full of financial data!
If you are interested in WordPress security or you are the owner of a supercritical database, I’m glad to share my ideas and help you to protect your website from this kind of issue caused by my bad colleagues :)
First vulnerability can be unsafe login fields
The very first step you should take to prevent cyber attack against your website WordPress is to make it as difficult as possible for a hacker to log in to your account. There are several ways to do that:
Set a strong password
First thing you should do is to choose a very strong password. As a hacker, I can assure it is a pain in the neck for someone to break into an account with a strong password.
Set Two-Factor Authentication
This is an essential task which you should consider. Obviously having a strong password is not enough because it can be guessed by someone or may be stolen when you’re not sober :D
Therefore, do not forget to install tools that will send you a pin via email or phone every time you are trying to log in.
The number of attempts to log in should be limited
Usually, users can attempt to enter their user IDs and passwords for an unlimited number of times until they discover the right combination. I understand this is a good feature for those who have a memory like a sieve! But don’t forget this can be a chance for a hacker to try a large number of attempts to login too.
The use of outdated WordPress components
Hackers target older, unpatched WordPress versions to exploit their security vulnerabilities due to the easy availability of many WP (WordPress) vulnerabilities on the internet. So, it’s necessary to watch for updates and install updated versions as soon as they become available.
Using the default structure for URLs, file names, and storage locations
As long as your name and location are set to default, attackers may find it easy to hack important files and pages. For instance, WordPress always uses default admin pages, which is easy for anyone to reach. Changing the default URL path of the admin page is one solution for this, where you should keep in mind that being unique is always something nice no matter it is your admin URL or your personality :D
Insecure data exchange
I’d like to explain this issue in layman’s terms. Let’s say you offer users the option of shopping on your website, and they attempt to submit their payment card info. This data exchanges between the user browser and the server of your web. An attacker can steal this crucial data during transformation if this transmission is not encrypted well enough. So, it is obvious that data exchange must always be safe.
Lack of Malware Scanner
Despite what people think, cybersecurity is a long process. To be aware of any threat before too late, you need a tool that will scan your website 24/7, notify you if your website is in any danger of malware attack and remove them.
Vulnerabilities in plugins are always a big threat
There are a lot of plugins for WordPress out there, made by different developers. Who knows which of them are professional and which amateur? Are you aware of the process of coding for that plugin? As an ethical hacker, I’m telling you that poorly coded plugins can cause a big vulnerability in your WordPress. Therefore, be cautious when installing plugins on your website, and don’t forget to always update all your plugins.
Using unsecured input fields
Any input fields on your website, such as contact us, log in, or comments, need to be taken seriously. Hackers can insert malicious payloads in your unprotected input fields. For instance, there are certain scripts which may upload malware to your website if you click on them!
What is the solution?
Almost every vulnerability I described can be protected against cyber attack. However, if you ask me how to be rest assured that you are closing all the doors for hackers to penetrate your WordPress website, then I would suggest hiring a bunch of ethical hackers to monitor your site constantly. because every ethical hacker has its unique mindset and knows the way to prevent cyber attacks. But is it really possible for your company to do that?
A crowdsourced organization will be able to help your company by getting help from not only one hacker, but hundreds who are ready to look for vulnerabilities on your website and report them.
In SecureBug, the first Scandinavian cybersecurity platform, hacker buddies and I are eager to find any vulnerabilities on your website and make it a safe place for your customers.
