WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for online publishing today. This makes it a prime target for hackers looking to steal data or wreak havoc on your site. This is why it’s important to have WordPress security plugins installed on your website. Many of these specific security plugins offer a free plugin version with essential features, allowing you to implement security measures without an initial financial commitment.
According to Wordfence, WordPress sites are targeted by cybercriminals every three minutes.
While there are many plugins out there designed to protect against malicious activity, some of them aren’t very good. If you’re looking for a reliable malware scanner solution for your website, then this blog post is for you.
To protect yourself against attacks, you need to use the best security plugins. In this article we have put together a list of the best wordpress security plugins you can use to protect your website.
What is WordPress Security and Why is it Important?
Brief Overview of WordPress Security
WordPress security involves a combination of technical and non-technical measures designed to prevent, detect, and respond to various security threats.
These threats can range from malware and brute-force attacks to more sophisticated cyber threats and hacking attempts. Implementing robust security measures, such as using security plugins, regularly updating the WordPress core and plugins, and employing strong passwords, is essential to safeguard your website.
Monitoring website activity and setting up alerts for suspicious behavior are also crucial components of a comprehensive WordPress security strategy.
Importance of Website Security
Website security is paramount for several reasons. Firstly, it protects sensitive data, including personal information and financial details, from being accessed by unauthorized parties. Secondly, maintaining site functionality is critical; a secure website ensures that your site remains operational and accessible to users.
Safeguarding users’ information builds trust and credibility with your audience, which is vital for maintaining a positive reputation. A secure website also tends to rank better in search engine results, as search engines prioritize sites that offer a safe browsing experience.
Consequences of Poor Security
Neglecting website security can lead to severe consequences. Data breaches can result in the loss of sensitive information, leading to potential legal issues and financial losses. Site downtime caused by security breaches can disrupt your business operations and result in lost revenue.
Reputational damage is another significant risk; if your site is compromised, it can erode customer trust and deter potential visitors. Furthermore, poor security can lead to a decline in website traffic, as search engines may penalize sites that are deemed unsafe. Therefore, investing in robust website security measures is not just a best practice but a necessity.
What is the Best WordPress Security Plugin?
Let dive deeper into the security plugins and their features
1. SolidWP
SolidWP is a WordPress security plugin that offers a robust suite of tools to help protect your site against common vulnerabilities and malicious activity. It’s available in both free and premium (Pro) versions and can be a cost-effective solution for site owners looking to safeguard multiple WordPress sites at once.
Key Features
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Protect your site by requiring a second verification step in addition to your username and password.
- Password Security Measures: Enforce strong passwords and even set password expirations to encourage best practices.
- Malware Scanning: Proactively detect and remove malicious code that could compromise your WordPress installation.
- Brute Force Protection: Monitor and limit failed login attempts to block attackers trying to guess user credentials.
- IP and URL Blocking: Automatically block suspicious IP addresses or URLs based on known blacklists or site-specific rules.
- Security Logging and Reporting: Track detailed logs of login attempts, user actions, and any potential security issues.
Free vs. Pro Versions
- Free Version:
- Brute force protection
- Password hardening
- Basic malware scanning and notifications
- Monitoring of common vulnerabilities
- Pro Version (SolidWP Security Pro):
- Advanced 2FA options and user-specific security rules
- More frequent or deeper malware scans
- File integrity checks to spot unauthorized changes
- Real-time alerts for suspicious activities
- Detailed reports and logging controls
Upgrading to Pro gives you additional layers of protection and more comprehensive alerts. However, the free edition already includes many of the essential features needed to get started securing your WordPress site.
Why Choose SolidWP Security?
- Ease of Use – The interface is designed to make setup and day-to-day management straightforward.
- Holistic Security – From brute force protection to malware scanning, it tackles a wide range of common WordPress vulnerabilities.
- Customizable Alerts – Fine-tune email notifications and alerts to stay informed about suspicious activity.
- Scalable Features – Whether you run a single blog or multiple business sites, you can choose only the features you need.
Try SolidWP
2. Sucuri Security
Sucuri security is one of the most popular web security companies today. Founded in 2007, it offers a variety of products and services designed to help businesses protect themselves against cyberattacks. It is a complete security solution for your website. Compared to other WordPress security plugins, the Sucuri security plugin stands out in terms of features and performance.
The company provides a number of different tools, including Web Application Firewall, Malware Protection, Site Speed Optimization, Website Backup, and others. All of these are offered under either a monthly subscription plan or a yearly subscription plan.
Sucuri is a powerful plugin that scans your site for malware and vulnerability issues. You can install it via the dashboard or download the code manually. If something does go wrong, you’ll receive email alerts about potential problems. This plugin is highly recommended because it works well with many themes.
Sucuri scans your site for malicious code, including viruses, malware, and exploits. If it finds anything, it sends you a notification via email. You can also view reports online.
Sucuri Security Key Features
Sucuri security offers multiple variations of SSL certificates. You have to pay for them, but they’re available in the packages. Customer support is available in the form of a 24/7/365 chat, email, and ticketing system.
- You get immediate alerts when there’s an issue with your site.
- Advanced DDoS protection comes with some plans
- You get free tools for blocking ads, malware detection, file integrity monitoring, security hardening, and more if you don’t want to pay anything.
- With the premium service, you get access to post-cleanup reports and SLAs for removing hardware, blocking lists, and more.
- Brute force attack protection and you can set up your own firewall rules.
- Some paid plans include real time backup of your site.
- Offers a CDN for high performance and speed optimizaiton of your site. This way your site’s SEO rankings can improve.
- Offers a powerful Firewall to protect agains malicious attacks.
Sucuri Security Pricing
Sucuri offers a free plan but if you want to get access to more advanced features you can upgrade to a paid plan. The freemium plugin only offers basic protection.
Here are the premium plans:
- Basic Firewall: $9.99 per month
- Pro Firewall: $19.98 per month
- Basic Platform (cleanups, scans, firewall, and CDN): $199.99 per year
- Pro Platform: $299.99 per Year
- Business Platform: $499.99 per year
They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you upgrade and don’t like it.
3. Wordfence Security
Wordfence is one of the most popular security plugins out there. It offers protection against common attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, XSS, and many others. Most importantly, it protects you against brute force attacks. Brute force attacks are automated attempts to guess passwords. They use large lists of possible words to try and crack into accounts.
This firewall plugin offers multiple layers of protection, including real-time scanning and automatic backups. It also provides a detailed log of what happened during an attack. In addition, it includes a firewall feature that prevents unauthorized access to your server.
The good news is that Wordfence blocks those kinds of attacks. But what about the rest? What about dictionary attacks? Dictionary attacks are automated attempts to look up passwords in a list of commonly used words. If they find a match, they know the password.
Wordfence does a great job of protecting against both types of attacks. In fact, we’ve seen some instances where Wordfence blocked dictionary attacks while allowing brute force attacks to succeed.
Wordfence is an award-winning WordPress security plugin that helps protect your site from malware, spam, and hacker attacks. Built by developers for developers, it allows you to monitor and control what happens on your site. You’ll receive detailed reports about hacking activity, and you can even block attackers.
With Wordfence, you don’t just see what’s happening on your site; you can actually do something about it.
Whether you’re looking for protection against malicious code, automated bots, or brute force password cracking, Wordfence gives you complete visibility into what’s happening on your website. And because it’s built on open source technology, you can install it yourself in less than 5 minutes by downloading the plugin from the WordPress repository.
WordFence Security Key Features
- Block IP addresses and URLs based on blacklists
- Monitor suspicious activities such as login attempts failed logins, and brute forcing passwords
- Detect and report hacked sites
- Protect your site against common vulnerabilities
- But how do you choose whether to go with the free version or the paid version? Let’s take a closer look.
- Complete access to security logs even on the Wordfence free plan.
Wordfence Security Pricing
The free version of Wordfence is great for small sites because it includes basic protection such as malware scanner, brute force login protection,, password cracking prevention, and spam filtering.
If you do decide to upgrade to the paid version, you can choose to add additional features like vulnerability scans, file integrity checks, and real-time alerts.
4. All In One WP Security & Firewall
All In One WP Security & Firewall is a WordPress plugin that helps protect your site from malicious threats by offering comprehensive security endpoint firewall features. This plugin includes features like malware scanning, brute force attack prevention, comment spam blocking, and much more. With this plugin installed, you are able to keep your site safe and secure.
This plugin works seamlessly with our premium security service, SiteLock Premium, which offers 24/7 support via email and phone. If you want to make sure your site stays safe and secure, it’s important to use both products together.
All In One WP Security & Firewall Key Features
All In One WP Security And Firewall is one of the most advanced users popular WordPress security plugins. With over 2 million downloads, it offers some of the best features out there.
Here are some reasons why it’s a good choice for your WordPress site.
- Malware Scanning – Malicious code can infect your site without you even knowing about it. A malware scan ensures that your site is clean of harmful code and viruses.
- Brute Force Protection – Brute force attacks are one of the most common ways hackers attempt to gain access to your site. An automated system prevents brute force attacks from happening.
- Comment Spam Blocking – Comment spam is another way hackers try to gain access to your account. Our system automatically detects and blocks suspicious comments.
- Site Lock Premium Integration – When combined with SiteLock Premium, All In One WP Security and Firewall make sure that your site stays safe. You don’t have to worry about anything because we’ll handle everything for you.
- Automatic Updates The automatic update function ensures that your site is always protected. You don’t have to worry about manually checking for updates because the plugin does it automatically. This way, you won’t miss anything important.
- Multiple Versions There are multiple versions of the plugin available. Each version works differently. Some offer additional security options while others focus on performance. You can choose the one that suits your needs better.
- Anti-Malware Protection This plugin includes anti-malware protection. Malicious software such as viruses, spyware, and adware often enter your computer via email attachments or web browser exploits. These threats can cause serious damage to your PC. Fortunately, the All In One WP Security and Firewall detects and removes any security threat like malicious before it causes any harm. Set up your own firewall rules for custom malware protection.
All In One WP Security & Firewall Pricing
5. Jetpack
Jetpack is a WordPress plugin that provides additional functionality to WordPress, such as automatic image resizing, social sharing, and contact forms. In addition, it offers a variety of premium add-ons, including the ability to embed videos and images directly into posts and pages.
Jetpack is an award-winning WordPress plugin that provides comprehensive site security, performance, enhanced content management, and powerful analytics tools.
The plugin includes features like spam and malware blocking user account monitoring, password strength checks, brute force login prevention, a simple activity log for tracking visitors, site stats reporting, and automatic updates. It also offers essential security tools for monitoring suspicious activity, preventing spam and bots, and providing functionalities like incremental backups and attack protection.
It offers an all-in-one solution for site security, site performance, and content management. It also comes with a number of premium add-ons.
The Jetpack plugin is offered both as a free download and as a paid subscription.
Jetpack Key Features
Jetpack is one of the most popular WordPress plugins out there today. It offers tons of great features that make it easy to manage your site.
In addition, it includes some premium features that aren’t included in the free version. Here are just a few of those features:
- Backup & Restore – With Jetpack, you’ll never lose your data again. Backups occur automatically every day, and you can schedule backups to run whenever you want. If something happens to your site, you can restore it easily. Includes database backups.
- Security Scanning – This feature checks your site against known vulnerabilities and helps keep hackers away.
- Social Sharing – Share posts across social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, and many others.
- Site Monitoring – Keep track of how visitors use your site. See where people come from, what keywords they’re searching for, and much more.
- Analytics – Use this tool to see exactly what people are doing on your site. Track visitor behaviour, find out what posts get the most views, and even analyze traffic sources.
- Comments – Add comments to posts and pages directly from within Jetpack.
- Spam & Malware Blocker – Automatically block spammy links, comment spammers, and other bad actors.
- Password Strength Checker – Checks if passwords are strong enough.
- Login Attempt Tracker – Keep track of failed attempts to break into your site.
Jetpack Pricing
For those who choose to pay for the plugin, there are three different levels of service: Basic, Plus, and Ultimate. Each level includes a number of different features.
- Basic allows you to resize photos automatically without having to use third-party tools like TinyPic. You can also enable auto-embedding of YouTube videos and Facebook Pages.
- Plus allows you to edit the text used in your comments and trackbacks. This feature allows you to customize the look of your site and make it easier for readers to comment.
- Ultimate allows you to install custom widgets, integrate with popular advertising networks, and send email newsletters.
6. miniOrange’s Google Authenticator
miniOrange’s Google Authenticator allows you to use Google Authenticator to generate one-time passwords for web applications like WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, Magento, PrestaShop, etc. You can set up multiple accounts within the same application. However, using multiple security plugins can lead to conflicts and overload server resources, ultimately harming website performance. It is important to choose a single, well-integrated security solution to promote better site security.
The plugin supports both desktop and mobile versions of Google Authenticator.
miniOrange’s Google Authenticator Key Features
- Generate random one-time password for each account
- Support for multiple accounts per application
- Supports Google Authenticator v2.0
- Works with both iOS and Android devices
miniOrange’s Google Authenticator Pricing
7. WP Cerber Security, Anti-spam & Malware Scan
Cerber Security is an easy-to-use WordPress security solution and one of the many free WordPress security plugins available. It protects you from hackers and spammers while providing advanced protection against malware. It is one of the best anti-malware plugins out there. It scans your site for malware and prevents it from infecting your site. You don’t even have to do anything!
You can use it without having to worry about losing viagra generic cialis price any data because it will scan your site every time you update your theme or install new plugins.
It automatically detects suspicious activity and blocks it. If someone tries to comment multiple times, it will block him/her.
The plugin works great with Akismet, too. It allows you to easily set up automatic spam detection and filter out spam comments.
WP Cerber Security Key Features
- Automatically detect and remove spam comments.
- Block suspicious IP addresses.
- Prevent comment spam.
- Protect your website from hacker attacks.
- WP Cerber Security provides real-time protection against malicious attacks. It monitors your site 24/7 and alerts you whenever something goes wrong.
WP Cerber Security Pricing
If you are looking for a reliable anti-spam anti malware security plugin for WordPress, look no further. Check out WP Cerber Security today!
Paid version available starting at $99/
8. Titan Anti-Spam & Security
Titan Anti-Spam & Security is a comprehensive security plugin designed to protect WordPress sites from spam, malware, and other security threats. It offers a range of features to ensure your site remains secure and free from malicious activities.
Titan Anti-Spam & Security Key Features
- Spam Protection: Automatically blocks spam comments and registrations to keep your site clean.
- Malware Scanner: Detects and removes malicious code and vulnerabilities on your site.
- Brute Force Protection: Protects against unauthorized login attempts by limiting failed login attempts.
- Firewall: Provides an additional layer of security by blocking malicious traffic.
- Security Monitoring: Offers real-time monitoring and alerts for suspicious activities.
Titan Anti-Spam & Security Pricing
Titan Anti-Spam & Security offers a free version with essential features. Premium plans start at $55 per year, providing advanced security measures and additional support.
9. WP Hide & Security Enhancer
WP Hide & Security Enhancer is a unique security plugin that focuses on hiding critical WordPress paths and files to protect your site from hackers. By concealing WordPress core files, plugins, and theme paths, it makes it difficult for attackers to identify vulnerabilities.
WP Hide & Security Enhancer Key Features
- URL Rewriting: Hides WordPress core paths and files by rewriting URLs.
- File Protection: Prevents direct access to sensitive files and directories.
- Brute Force Protection: Limits login attempts to prevent unauthorized access.
- Security Headers: Adds security headers to protect against common threats.
- User-Friendly Interface: Easy to set up and configure with a simple interface.
WP Hide & Security Enhancer Pricing
WP Hide & Security Enhancer offers a free version with basic features. The Pro version starts at $39 per year, offering advanced security options and premium support.
10. Ninja Firewall (WP Edition)
Ninja Firewall (WP Edition) is a powerful web application firewall designed to protect WordPress sites from various threats. It provides advanced filtering and monitoring capabilities to secure your website against attacks.
Ninja Firewall Key Features
- Web Application Firewall: Filters and blocks malicious HTTP requests to prevent unauthorized access. This feature is crucial for blocking malicious HTTP requests that could exploit vulnerabilities in your WordPress site. By filtering these requests, Ninja Firewall ensures that only legitimate traffic reaches your website, providing an additional layer of security against potential threats.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Offers continuous monitoring of your site to detect and respond to threats promptly.
- Intrusion Detection System: Identifies and prevents unauthorized access attempts, keeping your site secure from hackers.
- File Integrity Monitoring: Monitors changes to your files and alerts you if any unauthorized modifications are detected.
- Brute Force Protection: Protects against brute force attacks by limiting login attempts and blocking suspicious IP addresses.
- User-Friendly Interface: Easy to set up and manage, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
Ninja Firewall Pricing
Ninja Firewall offers a free version with essential security features. For advanced protection, the premium version starts at $39.95 per year, providing additional security layers and enhanced support.
11. BulletProof Security
BulletProof Security is a comprehensive security plugin designed to protect WordPress websites from a wide range of threats. It offers robust security features to ensure your site remains safe from malicious activities.
BulletProof Security Key Features
- Malware Scanner: Detects and removes malware, viruses, and other malicious code from your website.
- Login Security and Monitoring: Provides login protection by limiting login attempts and monitoring user activities to prevent unauthorized access.
- Database Backup: Offers automated database backups to ensure your data is safe and can be restored in case of an attack.
- Security Log: Keeps detailed logs of all security-related activities on your site, allowing you to track and analyze potential threats.
- Firewall Protection: Implements a robust firewall to block malicious traffic and prevent unauthorized access.
- Easy Setup Wizard: Features a user-friendly setup wizard that guides you through the installation and configuration process.
BulletProof Security Pricing
BulletProof Security offers a free version with essential security features. The Pro version, which includes advanced security measures and premium support, is available for a one-time payment of $69.95.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a WordPress Security Plugin
Choosing the right WordPress security plugin can be a daunting task, given the plethora of options available. However, focusing on one security plugin with key factors and features can help you make an informed decision.
Key Features to Look For
When selecting a WordPress security plugin, consider the following essential features:
- Malware Scanning and Removal: Ensure the plugin offers comprehensive malware scanning and removal capabilities. Regular malware scans help detect and eliminate malicious code before it can cause harm.
- Brute-Force Protection and Login Security: Look for plugins that provide brute-force protection to prevent automated attempts to guess passwords. Features like two-factor authentication and login attempt limits can significantly enhance login security.
- Firewall Protection and IP Blocking: A robust firewall can block malicious traffic and prevent unauthorized access. IP blocking features allow you to restrict access from suspicious IP addresses.
- Security Monitoring and Alerts: Real-time monitoring and alert systems notify you of any suspicious activity, enabling you to respond promptly to potential threats.
- Regular Updates and Patch Management: Choose a plugin that receives regular updates to address new vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress core updates.
- Compatibility with WordPress Core and Other Plugins: Ensure the security plugin is compatible with the WordPress core and other plugins you use to avoid conflicts and ensure smooth operation.
- User-Friendly Interface and Easy Setup: A user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process make it easier to configure and manage the security plugin.
- Good Customer Support and Documentation: Reliable customer support and comprehensive documentation can be invaluable when you encounter issues or need assistance with the plugin.
By considering these factors and other security plugins, and features, you can select a WordPress security plugin that provides comprehensive protection for your website, ensuring its safety and integrity.
What is a WordPress Security Plugin?
A WordPress security plugin is a software application designed to protect your WordPress site from hacking.
These tools include features like anti-malware protection, brute force firewall, and database cleanup. They also come with a variety of other useful features such as real-time monitoring, file scanning, and automatic backups.
Why Should I Use a WordPress Security Plugin?
If you run a business website, chances are good that you’ve been targeted by cybercriminals in the past. Hackers often target websites that offer services or products that people are willing to pay for.
If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to start using a WordPress security plugin. By protecting your site, you can prevent hackers from stealing your customer data, defacing your site, or infecting your visitors with malware.
A Good First Step in WordPress Security
WordPress sites are often targeted by hackers because of their popularity and ease of use. But there are ways to make it harder for attackers to break into your site. One way is to install a security plugin. These plug-ins work behind the scenes to keep your site secure. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.
We tested each plugin against known security vulnerabilities and found that most had excellent ratings. Some even scored perfect scores. This doesn’t mean every vulnerability won’t affect your site; it just means that the developers took extra steps to ensure that your site is safe.
The best security plugins do more than simply block attacks. They monitor activity on your site and alert you to potential problems. They also let you customize settings based on your needs. For example, you might want to set up alerts for specific IP addresses or keywords. You could also choose to receive email notifications about suspicious activity.
If you’re worried about being hacked, one of the best things you can do is install a security plugin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About WordPress Security Plugins
What are WordPress security plugins?
WordPress security plugins are tools designed to protect your WordPress site from various security threats such as malware, brute force attacks, and unauthorized access. They offer extensive security features, like malware scanning, firewall protection, and login security to enhance the safety of your website.
Do I really need a security plugin for WordPress?
Yes, a security plugin is essential for any WordPress site. Given the platform’s popularity, WordPress sites are frequent targets for cyberattacks. A security plugin helps safeguard your site against known security vulnerabilities, and ensures the protection of sensitive data.
Can I use multiple security plugins on my WordPress site?
While it’s possible to use multiple security plugins, it’s generally not recommended as it can lead to conflicts and strain server resources. It’s better to choose a comprehensive security solution that covers all necessary aspects of site protection.
How can I improve my WordPress website security?
In addition to installing a security plugin, you can improve your WordPress website security by regularly updating your WordPress core, themes, and plugins, using strong passwords, setting up two-factor authentication, and conducting regular backups.
What is the best password protection plugin for WordPress?
Many security plugins offer robust password protection and login security features now. Plugins like Wordfence, iThemes Security, and All In One WP Security & Firewall provide tools for enforcing strong passwords and monitoring login attempts.
Will installing a security plugin affect my website’s performance?
A well-optimized security plugin should not significantly affect your website’s performance. However, it’s essential to choose a free security plugin that is compatible with your WordPress setup and to avoid using multiple security plugins that could overload server resources.
Are free WordPress security plugins effective?
Many free WordPress security plugins offer essential protection features such as malware scanning and brute force protection. However, premium versions often provide more advanced security measures and additional features for comprehensive site protection.
