WordPress is definitely one of the most popular CMS (Content Management System) platforms that people use for daily blogging and for managing web shops and corporate presentations. WordPress owes its popularity to the easy maintenance, pre-defined and easily interchangeable themes (visual pattern) and plugins which helps you to do majority of tasks, while the site is becoming richer in just a few clicks. Because of the fact that people will certainly use these benefits, themes and plugins can often be embedded with a malware-malicious code.

As for the intentions and motives of the people who would do such a thing there is no point talking about, but it should be noted that such software codes are tasked to monitor and record activities, email addresses, passwords and login names, as well as the credit card data. Some codes are designed and placed just for fun with their only purpose being to bring down your site or display content that you have not set up.

To avoid that risk, we put together a list of popular plugins that will help in the detection of malicious and any kind of software that does not have a place on your site.

BulletProof Security

This plugin is downloaded more than 1.1 million times, was marked 4.8 out of 5. It uses .htacces file to ensure the protection of the essential directories of WordPress site which includes wp-config.php and php.ini. BulletProof Security protects against hacker atempts to perform code and SQL injection (inserting malicious code) actions that are used to add content to the site without your permission. There is also an option to email notifications if suspicious behavior is detected. Each activity is recorded in detail so you can easily keep track of all the events, and even attempts to login to the Administrator account.

This port is free and can be downloaded and installed directly from the control panel with an administrator account on your WordPress site.

Download: BulletProof Security (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Acunetix WP Security Scan

This is also a free plugin downloaded from a large number of users and evaluated with the highest marks 3 and 4 out of 5. It is a good for site scanning, determining the current state of security and finding the right ways to repair security. All suspicious behavior is listed according to its importance and pre-defined filters. For each recorded and reported to danger offers a detailed explanation of the link to the solution. The significance of the notes is expressed in colors, and the description as well as the solution can be obtained by clicking on the “+” that you see in front of each entry.

Download: Acunetix WP Security Scan (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Theme Authenticity Checker

TAC is a WordPress plug in which scans files of any installed themes in search of malicious software, hidden links and BASE64 codes. Once danger is detected, it shows the location of topics, file, line number code and malicious piece of code. This way the site administrator becomes easy to analyze the part that is suspicious and remove it if it turns out that the alert is justified.

Download: Theme Authenticity Checker (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Exploit Scanner

This port scans files and databases of yhour site to determine whether the suspect software is hidden somewhere. It is important to know that Exploit Scanner does not protect from hacker attacks and does not remove the dangerous parts of the code. Its role is to find the problem while it’s the administrator’s duty to manually remove the threat, as in the previous port.

Download: Exploit Scanner (this port is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Sucuri Security

Sucuri is a security port for WordPress which leaves behind a good reputation. Its purpose is to scan and find malware on your website. The basic features are monitoring files that are being built on the space map. In addition, it also owns a blacklist of monitoring, safety notices and remote scanning. The paid version of this connector also has a powerful website firewall supplement that can further increase network security.

Download: Sucuri Security (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Anti Malware and Brute-Force Security

It is used for scanning and removing spyware, adware and malware problems that can be detected on the site. Some of the important features of this terminal are adapted to scan the complete or fast scanning with automatic removing of known problems.

Download: Anti-Malware and Brute-Force Security (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

WP Antivirus Site Protection

WASP is a security port for scanning WordPress themes as well as all other files featured on site. In addition, the most important features make the automatic update database of known viruses, malware removal, automated alerts and notifications by e-mail.

Download: WP Antivirus Site Protection (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Quttera Web Malware Scanner

This connector helps scan web places, protects against injection of malicious code, viruses, worms, malware, Trojan horses, and so on. It offers options such as scanning and detecting of malware, a blacklist status, scanner machines with artificial intelligence, detection of external links and other. This way, you can scan your site for free, while other options are paid 60 dollars a year.

Download: Quttera Web Malware Scanner (this port is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

AntiVirus for WordPress

It provides an easy access safety whose main purpose is scanning of WordPress themes used on your site. The task of this connection is to inform you about a virus by displaying a notification in the administrative panel. There is also an optional daily scanning where you receive a notification e-mail when there are suspicious results showing.

Download: Antivirus For WordPress (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Wordfence

If you are looking for a way to protect your site against cyber attacks, you are free to test this connection. In real time, it provides protection against known attacks, two-factor authentication, blocking the whole malicious network, and scanning of known backdoor weaknesses. The appendix is ​​free, but it also has a chargeable version that offers somewhat better options.

Download: Wordfence (this connector is available for installation directly from the WordPress dashboard).

Safe behavior and maintaining safe website

There are two, so called basic ways that the website is infected with software that acts differently to the expected or planned way.

• The first one is theme-template installation, connection or even a complete WordPress platform installation which already contains a malicious software.
• Another way is a direct attack and penetration through WordPress weaknesses and setting of software code to the site (probable and safe) without the site maintainer’s knowledge about it.

Both ways are sensitive to the behavior and habits that are considered to be (un)safe. In particular, safe behavior includes the following:

• The download of installation version of WordPress is required and only with proven locations. Skip the torrents and various hosting services that offer download.
• Plugins and themes for WordPress should only be downloaded directly from trustworthy sources and reference authors.
• Update your WordPress with consultation and the agreement from the administrator. One of the biggest vulnerabilities is an outdated version of the software.
• Protect your site from the most common recorded scenarios of attacks (Wordfence and Bulletproof Security accessories)
• [Multiple authors websites] Reduce the number of administrators to a minimum. It is often sufficient to have only one administrator account. All other authors (and yourself) should be assigned tasks with lower privileges than an administrator account. Use the administrator account only in case of updates and software installation, alteration of software code and other management where administrator privileges are required.
• [One author website] Make one administrator and one editorial account. Administrator account should be used occasionally, in the case of updates and software installation, alteration of software code and all other management. Editor’s account should be used for daily writing and blogging.
• Do regular back-ups of site and database. It is advised to keep two separate backup copies. One locally on the computer and one away in a safe of the online service (Dropbox, Mega …).

There can never be enough of security but there is no reason to go to the extreme. Spending more than enough time on suspicion and anticipation can get you to neglect the primary obligations you have in managing and arranging the content on the site. If you regularly do a site backup follow the advice on safe behavior and occasionally run a scan with the help of some of the described connectors. That should do it. However, if your business, and therefore the data you store on the site require more security, consider the involvement of occupational safety specialists and online security.