The WordPress Website Security Checklist: 15 Non-Negotiable Steps for Small Businesses

The WordPress Website Security Checklist: 15 Non-Negotiable Steps for Small Businesses

For a small business, a data breach is not just an inconvenience—it is an existential threat. News headlines often focus on large corporations, but small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are, statistically, the most frequent targets of cybercrime. The reasons are simple: SMBs often hold valuable customer data but lack enterprise-level defenses.

If your business relies on a WordPress website—as over 40 percent of the internet does—you benefit from a robust, open-source platform. However, its immense popularity also makes it the most targeted content management system in the world. Security is not a feature you install once; it is a shared, ongoing responsibility between your hosting provider and your team.

This article provides a comprehensive, 15-point action plan designed to lock down your business website. We will walk you through the essential defenses your Web Host must provide, as well as the critical, immediate steps you must take within your WordPress dashboard to safeguard your operations, customer data, and reputation.

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I. Hosting-Level Security: The Foundation

Your web host is the first line of defense. The quality of your hosting directly determines the server environment's security and your site's resistance to large-scale attacks. When selecting or reviewing your host, ensure they provide these five non-negotiable features:

1. Automatic, Offsite Backups

A breach, hack, or catastrophic error can happen to anyone. The most critical defense is a reliable, scheduled backup system.

• Action: Confirm your host performs daily (or near-daily) backups that are stored offsite (not on the same server). You should be able to restore your entire site with a single click.

2. Server-Level Web Application Firewalls (WAF)

A WAF acts as a protective shield, inspecting incoming traffic and blocking known malicious patterns before they ever reach your WordPress installation.

• Action: Ask your host if they utilize a managed WAF to proactively filter threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attempts.

3. Free and Enforced SSL Certificate

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts the data moving between your visitor's browser and your server. This is mandatory for e-commerce and login pages.

• Action: Ensure your site uses HTTPS (not HTTP) and that your host provides a free SSL certificate (like Let’s Encrypt) and automatically redirects all traffic to the secure version.

4. DDoS Protection

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks attempt to overwhelm your site with massive amounts of traffic, forcing it offline.

• Action: A reputable host should offer automatic mitigation tools to absorb and filter these malicious traffic spikes, keeping your business online during an attack.

5. Secure File Permissions

The host manages the access rights for files and folders on the server. If these permissions are too open, it allows attackers to inject malicious code.

• Action: Choose a host that enforces strict, secure permissions (755 for folders, 644 for files) to minimize the risk of file manipulation.

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II. WordPress-Level Security: Your Action Items

Even with the best host, a secure WordPress installation requires diligent management. These steps are directly in your control and must be implemented immediately.

6. Enforce a Strong Password Policy

Weak passwords are the single most common entry point for hackers.

• Action: Use a password manager and ensure all users (admin, editors, contributors) utilize complex, unique passwords of at least 12 characters that combine upper/lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.

7. Change the Default Admin Username

The default 'admin' username is often the first guess for a hacker attempting a brute-force attack.

• Action: Delete the 'admin' user and create a new administrator account with a complex, unique username.

8. Implement Two-Factor Authentication 2FA

2FA requires users to input a code from their phone (or similar device) in addition to their password, making it nearly impossible for a hacker to log in.

• Action: Install a 2FA plugin and require it for all administrator and editor accounts.

9. Keep Everything Updated (Core, Themes, and Plugins)

Vulnerabilities are frequently found and patched in WordPress code. Hackers target older, unpatched versions.

• Action: Schedule time at least weekly to ensure your WordPress Core, themes, and all plugins are running the latest versions.

10. Install a Trusted Security Plugin

A security plugin provides centralized monitoring, scanning, and protection features.

• Action: Install a highly-rated plugin (like Wordfence, Sucuri, or iThemes Security) and configure it for file scanning, monitoring, and logging.

11. Limit Login Attempts

This prevents "brute-force" attacks by automatically blocking an IP address after a specified number of failed login attempts.

• Action: Use a dedicated plugin or leverage the feature often included in your security suite to limit attempts to 3-5 tries.

12. Use Reputable Themes and Plugins Only

Free, "nulled," or downloaded plugins from unofficial sources are often laced with malware.

• Action: Only install themes and plugins from the official WordPress directory, well-known vendors (like Themeforest or plugin developer websites), or trusted providers.

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III. Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance

Security is a marathon, not a sprint. These advanced actions are essential for long-term protection and business continuity.

13. Perform Regular Security Audits and Scans

Your security plugin or host should be used regularly to scan your file structure for malicious code, file changes, or unauthorized access.

• Action: Schedule a full website scan monthly and review the security logs.

14. Harden the wp-config File

This file holds your database credentials and is the most critical file on your installation. Protecting it is paramount.

• Action: Add security keys (salts) provided by WordPress and implement code that disables file editing from the WordPress dashboard.

15. Disable File Editing (In Dashboard)

By default, WordPress allows administrators to edit theme and plugin files directly in the dashboard. If an account is compromised, a hacker could use this to inject code.

• Action: Add the following line to your wp-config file: define( DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );