One of my websites is being bombarded this morning by hackers trying to get in. They keep failing and we’re at 226 lockouts so far. (240 by time I finished writing the Facebook post and currently at 268!!)
THIS is why you MUST have a security plugin installed and configured properly on your site AND why you must keep your site up to date.
Keeping your site up to date includes WordPress core, ALL installed themes (not just the active theme!), and all installed plugins (again, not just active plugins).
You should also never use questionable plugins or themes – especially from unverified sources. Many of them contain malicious code that can damage your website and backdoors for hackers. Always, always, always get themes and plugins directly from the developer’s website.
There are several good security plugins on the market like Wordfence, Defender, and WP Cerber, which I use for most of my sites and client sites. WP Cerber also includes a spam filter for comments and forms.
The base plugin of both Wordfence and WP Cerber are free and you can upgrade it if you need more features but the base plugin is adequate for most sites.
Or you can also install a spam plugin like Akismet (from the makers of WordPress) or CleanTalk, which you will need if you’re using a security plugin that does not include spam filtering. Again, both have free and paid versions but often, the free version is enough for most sites.
All of this gibberish to you? I can help!
Design. Build. Brand. offers monthly website maintenance plans and ‘techie bits’ help at reasonable prices! We love helping you keep your site updated and running smoothly.
For info on Monthly Maintenance Plans, see our Maintenance Plans page.
And to get help with the Techie bits, head over to the Techie Bits page.
(Final tally of lockouts in the last 24 hour period: 371 as seen in the screenshot below!!)
