Protect Your WordPress Site with Kinsta: The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Hacks from Outdated Plugins.

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WordPress is a hugely popular platform, but it’s also a common target for hackers. The main reason?  Plugins . While helpful, outdated or low-quality plugins can put your site at risk with serious vulnerabilities . In this post, we’ll show you how to secure your WordPress site with Kinsta , a WordPress hosting provider, and give you the best strategies to keep your website safe.

Why Plugins Are a Weakness?

Plugins add features to your WordPress site, but they also add new code . If this code doesn't receive regular updates , it could contain bugs that hackers can exploit . Additionally, plugins that have been discontinued by their developers no longer receive security updates, putting them at even greater risk.

The Importance of Good Hosting: Kinsta

A solid  hosting provider is the first line of defense for your WordPress site. Kinsta is recognized for:

• Proactive in Security:  Kinsta implements advanced security strategies such as web application firewall (WAF), intrusion detection, and daily backups.
• Excellent Performance:  A fast site is less susceptible to cyber attacks. Kinsta employs high-quality, optimized servers for WordPress.
• Expert Support: Kinsta’s support team is available 24/7 to assist you with any security issues.

6 Steps to Safeguard Your WordPress Website

1. Keep your Plugins up to date:

• Automatic Updates:  Configure WordPress to automatically update smaller plugins.
• Testing in a Development Environment: Before upgrading to a major release, perform testing in a development environment to prevent unforeseen issues.

2. Absence of Abandoned or Incompatible Plugins:

• Check Constantly:  Run regular checks of your plugins to detect those that are no longer essential or are not maintained.
• Explore Alternative Options: If a plugin is crucial, opt for safer and more active options.

3. Use Only Safe Plugins:

• Developer Recognition: Check the plugin creator's reputation and review other users' reviews.
• Prestige: The most popular plugins are usually safer, as they are more careful and thorough.

4. Restrict the Number of Plugins:

• Less is More: The more plugins you have, the bigger the attack surface. Only install the plugins that are really necessary.

5. Restrict Administrator presence and establish strong authentication:

• Minimum Users: Reduce the number of users with administrator privileges to a minimum.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Implement two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.

6. Manage Vulnerability Reports:

• Stay Informed: Subscribe to WordPress security newsletters and forums to stay up to date with the latest threats.
• Scan Your Site:  Use vulnerability scanning tools to identify potential issues.

Does Kinsta provide other security measures besides malware scanning?

Kinsta provides awide range of security measures, including malware scanning, to protectWordPress sitesrunning on its platform.

1. Web Application Firewall (WAF) that prevents potential threats from reaching the website.

2. DDoS defense to keep sites operational even in attack situations.

3. Easy-to-activate SSL/TLS certificates to encrypt communication between the website and visitors. 

4. Daily automatic backups with multiple restore points, along with the ability to perform manual backups.

5. Location isolation through LXD containers to prevent difficulties in one location from affecting others. 

6. Continuous uptime monitoring, performing assessments every two minutes (720 times daily).

7. Hardware Firewalls to identify and prevent malicious attacks.

8. Repairs are free if a site is hacked. 

9. Automatic security update procedures. 
10. Secure access via SFTP and SSH.

11. Incorporation with Cloudflare to automatically provide a wildcard SSL. 

These multi-layered security strategies demonstrate Kinsta ’s commitment to fully safeguarding WordPress sites running on its platform.

Final Conclusion:

By following these recommendations and opting for a hosting provider like Kinsta , you can effectively protect your WordPress site from the most common threats. It is important  to keep in mind that protecting your website is an ongoing obligation , so you should carry out regular security audits and stay up to date with the latest suggested practices.

Do you want to protect your WordPress site effectively? Contact Kinsta today and find out how their experts can help you !

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