Most Popular WordPress Security Plugins of 2022
The best WordPress security plugins make it simple and easy to secure and protect your website content.
A published WordPress site is as vulnerable to attack as any other website, and the security plugins can help protect your content as your website grows in traffic.
Being one of the most popular website builder and web hosting solutions out there, WordPress is definitely a target for hackers. In fact, a recent analysis revealed that 70% of WordPress installations could be vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Now before you start panicking, help is at hand: we've rounded up the top five WordPress security plugins to help you tighten up your site vulnerabilities, and make it as hacker-proof as possible.
The list features five of the best WordPress security plugins available on the market today, and I've gone through each one and sought to roadtest its key features and costs. Along with ease of use and the design of its interface, I've also weighed up aspects relating to the type of security protection each plugin offers, from scanning for malware to checking password strengths and backing up data.
Here then are the best WordPress security plugins currently available.
1. BulletProof Security
It may not be the prettiest plugin on this list of best WordPress security plugins, but BulletProof Security does its job, and is free, which makes it definitely worth checking out if you're on the hunt for a top WordPress security plugin on a budget.
The main page come with a video that highlights how to set it up once installed on your site. The plugin includes a malware scanner, full, partial or manual database backup, .Htaccess protection, login monitoring and idle session logout, among many others.
It has a bigger sibling, BulletProof Security Pro which is available for a one-time fee to install on an unlimited number of websites, offers free lifetime upgrades, and of course, many tools not available in the free version, including Heads Up Dashboard Status Display, and a series of 16 mini plugins which is called “Pro Tools”.
Always make sure you back up your WordPress site before making major changes.
Key Features- Monitoring and security of logins.
- Backup and restoration of databases.
- Malware scanner from MScan.
- Tools for preventing hacking and spam.
- A log of security.
- Directories for hidden plugins.
- Mode of maintenance.
- A full-featured setup wizard.
2. IThemes Security
IThemes is a comprehensive security plugin for all kinds of WordPress sites because of its significant emphasis on identifying plugin vulnerabilities, out-of-date software, and weak passwords.
Although the free edition comes with certain essential security features, we strongly advise upgrading to iThemes Security Pro. Two websites are supported, there is ticketed support, and there is a year's worth of plugin updates. You can upgrade to a more expensive plan if you want to secure additional sites.
The goal of iThemes Security Pro is to make website security for you simpler. Monitoring 404 errors is one of the features, and if too many of them come from the same IP address, it locks that address off of your site since it considers that they are an attempt to obtain access.
Admins must be required to use strong passwords; the more complicated the password, the less likely it is to be hacked. The same is true when two-factor authentication is enabled. In case something terrible happens, a database backup is also a welcome bonus. We loved a new feature in particular: Passwordless Logins (which is a similar concept to fingerprint authentication or FaceID).
You can choose from a number of options, such as one that protects a single site or one that can protect up to 10 or even unlimited WordPress websites.
Key Features
- Since most web administrators fail to notice when a file is modified, the security plugin provides file change detection, which is essential.
- Use two-factor authentication and the Google reCAPTCHA integration to further secure your login.
- The plugin checks your WordPress core files against the most recent version of WordPress to see if anything dangerous has been added.
- To make your authentication keys even more difficult, update your WordPress salts and keys.
- When you're not making frequent updates to your website and wish to totally lock down access to your WordPress dashboard for all users, you can install a "Away Mode."
- 404 error detection, brute force prevention, and robust password enforcement are further necessities.
3. Sucuri Security
Sucuri refers to themselves as a platform since they provide a variety of security features. They consist of the standard firewall, monitoring, and detection tools. They safeguard your website against hacking, include a virus scanner, stop SEO spamming, and provide tools for fixing it in the case that an assault was successful. Additionally, they provide performance upgrades like website speed optimization (they have caching options on their own servers).
The Sucuri Security platform is the priciest option on this list because it offers all of this and much more, clearly at a cost. You can only install it on one location with each of your three plans. The frequency of scans increases with the level of the plan. There is an Enterprise option, however the cost is dependent on your unique requirements.
If you upgrade and don't like it, Sucuri offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key Features
- There are numerous SSL certificate variants available. These are offered in the bundles, but you must pay for them.
- Customer support is offered via live chat, email, and a ticketing system around-the-clock.
- You are immediately informed if there is a problem with your website.
- Certain plans have advanced DDoS defence.
- Even if you don't want to pay anything, you can still get useful tools for security hardening, malware scanning, blocklist monitoring, and file integrity monitoring.
- Post-cleanup reports, SLA to remove hardware, blocklist monitoring, hack patching, and more features are available on the premium platform.
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4. Wordfence Security
One of the most widely used security plugins for WordPress is Wordfence Security, and for good reason. The strong login security features and the security incident recovery capabilities are two examples of how well this gem combines simplicity with strong security measures. With Wordfence, you may learn more about general traffic trends and hacking attempts, which is one of its key advantages.
One of the more amazing free security options is Wordfence, which offers everything from firewall blocks to defence against brute force attacks.
A premium option starting at $99 a year for one site is available in addition to a free version.
By offering significant discounts when you sign up for several site keys, the plugin developers help reduce the cost for developers. For instance, you can save 25%, or $74.25 per licence, if you purchase 15 or more licences.
If you're building several websites and want to secure them all, it makes sense to take Wordfence into account.
Key Features
- For smaller websites, the free version is strong enough.
- When registering for several site keys, developers can save a tonne of money.
- With features for manual blocking, nation blocking, brute force protection, real-time threat defence, and a web application firewall, it has a complete firewall suite.
- The plugin's scan function defends against spam, real-time threats, and malware.
It checks all of your files—not just WordPress files—for malware. - By keeping an eye on things like Google crawl activity, logins and logouts, real visitors, and bots, the plugin keeps track of live traffic.
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5. SecuPress Security
SecuPress is a good option for security in general, but we particularly like it for its concentration on preventing dangers like malware and viruses. It was created by Julio Potier, one of the original WP Media co-founders, who you may know from their work on WP Rocket and Imagify.SecuPress is an option to think about if you're looking for a security plugin with a nice UI and simple interface. The firewall, blacklisted IPs, and anti-brute force login are included in the free edition.
Additionally, it protects your security keys and blocks bots (which you often have to pay for in other security plugins). When required, the malware scans even attempt to stop intrusions by looking for unusual behaviour.
Key Features
- SecuPress has one of the nicest user interfaces! Because of this, even beginners will find it quite simple to use.
- 35 security checks are performed by the plugin.
- With security alerts, a thorough malware scan, and the possibility to geolocately block countries, the premium version significantly improves value.
- Change your WordPress login URL using this feature to make it inaccessible to bots.
- It aids in the detection of themes and plugins that are weak points or have been modified to contain malicious code.
- Blocks questionable IPs and finds them.
- Stops brute-force login attempts.
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Which security plugin for WordPress is the best option for you?
After going over the top WordPress security plugins, take a look at our key suggestions down below. This enables you to choose one or two plugins without having to try them all out. Always keep in mind that based on the services your WordPress server already provides, security plugins may not be necessary (like with Kinsta).
These recommendations concentrate on particular scenarios where you might pick one security plugin over another.
Sucuri Security, iThemes Security, Wordfence Security, or BulletProof Security are some options for proactive monitoring and comprehensive security.
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