No matter how perfect you think it is, nothing can ever be perfectly safe. What makes it worse are the myths and false security leads which many people develop as they get drawn into the web of internet.
There are a number of reasons that WordPress sites get hacked. These include making small but vital mistakes or using unreliable third-party plugins, updating to insecure version of WordPress and using SSL for login but not for main site, etc.
In this blog post we will explore what are the top reasons for getting WordPress sites hacked.
Reasons for Getting WordPress Sites Hacked
WordPress is open source, which means hackers have access to the code.
WordPress is open source, which means that anyone can see the code and change it. As a result of this, WordPress has become one of the most popular content management systems out there. However, it also means that hackers have access to the code and know how to exploit vulnerabilities in it.
Fortunately for us all, there are many ethical hackers, who contribute their time and knowledge toward making WordPress stronger by finding these vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
Using outdated WordPress software
Using outdated WordPress software is one of the top reasons why your site gets hacked. In fact, if you’re running a website on an outdated version of WordPress, it’s possible that hackers could be exploiting a recently discovered vulnerability in order to gain access and do damage to your site. Habit of regular update will not only prevent your WordPress site from hackers but also help in,
- Updates fix security vulnerabilities
- Updates can fix bugs
- Updates can improve performance
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You’re not updating your site.
If you’re not updating WordPress, plugins and themes on a regular basis, you’re leaving your site open to hackers who can exploit security vulnerabilities. When an update is released by the developer of any of these items, it fixes any bugs or issues that have been found with the software. Failure to update regularly makes it easy for hackers to find those vulnerabilities and gain access to your site.
You’re using weak passwords.
Weak passwords are one of the most common ways that sites get hacked. If you have a password that’s easy to guess or crack, hackers can easily access your site and do whatever they want with it. The best way to prevent this is by using strong passwords (for example long, complicated combinations of letters and numbers).
Your login page is too easy to find.
The login page is where hackers will attempt to gain access to your site. If it’s easy to find and hack, you’re putting yourself at risk. That’s why you need a plugin that makes the login page invisible from search engines and other users.
You should also never use the default WordPress login page for your sites. It’s full of security holes and outdated software—even if it looks pretty! Instead, choose one of these options:
- Generate a unique URL for each user account. Make sure that this URL is not accessible from any place on your site except for the account owner’s profile page.
- Use a plugin that allows users with administrative privileges. Only access through an admin panel in which they can log in by entering their username/password combinations.
Your host is vulnerable to attacks
Your host is vulnerable to attacks. There are a number of reasons why your host can be compromised, but let’s focus on the most common ones.
- Malware: This means that a hacker has installed malware onto your website or server. Malware is malicious software that installs itself on your computer without you knowing it and steals data or performs other nefarious tasks without you realizing it. If this happens, hackers could access anything they want from your site and database files–including passwords!
- Brute Force Attacks: These occur when a hacker attempts to gain access to user accounts by guessing passwords over and over again until they find the correct one(s). Even if there are strong passwords used, hackers will still try their luck with brute force methods because it only takes one successful guess for them to gain access–and then everything else falls into place after that point!
- Phishing Attacks: In this type of attack, hackers pose as legitimate entities such as banks or tech companies in order to get users’ personal information (such as bank account numbers) through email messages or even text messages sent via SMS messaging apps like WhatsApp Messenger.
Vulnerable themes and plugins
Vulnerable themes and plugins are another common way that hackers gain access to WordPress websites. For example, if a user has an outdated theme or plugin installed, it could be exposing their website to vulnerabilities that allow hackers to sneak in and take over. Hence it is always recommended to use Premium WordPress themes to keep your online presence safe.
- You are using a theme or plugin that is not updated frequently.
- Themes and plugins often contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.
- Many themes and plugins will not be updated to fix these known vulnerabilities, leaving you vulnerable until you update the theme or plugin yourself.
Not changing the database prefix
The database prefix is a string of characters that are added to the beginning of each table name. The default prefix is wp and if you don’t change it to something else, hackers can easily guess your table names by simply appending the word “wp_” to any common word in a dictionary. If you’re not changing this, you have left yourself vulnerable to an attack.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why your WordPress site could get hacked. If you’re using an outdated version of WordPress or a plugin that hasn’t been updated in years, it’s easy for hackers to find vulnerabilities in your website and exploit them.
However, these kinds of problems can be avoided by keeping up with updates from time-to-time, using professional WordPress themes so that you don’t fall behind on security patches or other important changes being made by the core developers.
In addition, since there are so many different versions available today for WordPress users including some who may be running newer versions than others depending on what hosting provider they choose, make sure that each person knows how important it is not only keep their passwords strong but also change them regularly as well!
