How to Increase WordPress Login Security

Posted on Jan 09 2016 by in Uncategorized 

Hackers are all over the place trying to test their hacking skills on different websites. If your website is not properly secured you may fall victim to such predators. That explains why security is among the features your WordPress theme should have. How then do you protect your website?

The one place that hackers can use to gain entry into your website is the login page. This is like the main entrance to a house so this is where you should step up efforts to increase WordPress login security.

There are three major ways that can help with this but you may look at them like very small or ineffective ways. You can hide your original username from the public, choose a stronger and less predictable password and lastly limit the number of login attempts by users.

How to hide your original name

Previously WordPress used ‘admin’ as the default username but current versions allow you to choose a different username. Some people may, however, leave the username as it is. This makes it easier for hackers to get through because that is most likely the first username they will try to login with. Make it much less obvious and much more difficult so as to increase WordPress login security.

Start by logging into your account with your current username and password. Look at the top right corner of the dashboard and open your profile. Click on ‘edit my profile’. Scroll all the way down and choose a nickname in the name section. Choose a name that will show publicly. Scroll down again and click on ‘update profile’. Your original username will no longer be visible to the public but either way, do not leave it as ‘admin’.

Choose a name that will show publicly. Scroll down again and click on ‘update profile’. Your original username will no longer be visible to the public but either way, do not leave it as ‘admin’.

Increase WordPress login security by using a stronger password

A password is like a key to a door. Without it you can’t quite open the door unless you break it down. Your password should, therefore, be strong and just about impossible to guess to increase WordPress login security.

A few rules to follow:

  • Include one or more capital letters in the password.
  • Ensure that the password is a minimum of about 10 characters.
  • Among these characters include special characters like *%$#@?!
  • Include numbers in the password

You may mix small, capital, digits and special characters and still find that your password is weak. If this happens, do the following to create a new password and increase WordPress login security.

  1. Log in to your account.
  2. Go to the top right corner of the blog and click on ‘edit my profile’.
  3. Scroll down and look for generate password. WordPress will automatically generate a password for you. Save this password somewhere just in case you forget it.
  4. Click on ‘update profile’ to begin using the new password.

You can also use any other online tool like strong password generator or Norton password generator to generate a new password.

Limit the number of login attempts

The longer someone takes on your website trying to log in, the higher the chances that they will actually be able to gain access. Many hackers use the Brute Force Algorithm to hack into websites and accounts. This algorithm takes all the possible combinations of numbers, alphabets and special characters until it finds the perfect match for your password. This is why your password must be long and complicated so that it takes much longer to crack.

This algorithm takes all the possible combinations of numbers, alphabets and special characters until it finds the perfect match for your password. This is why your password must be long and complicated so that it takes much longer to crack.

You can limit the number of login attempts to at least three to give hackers very few options. You can use a security plugin like login lockdown to reduce the number of login attempts. Take this a step further and even choose a plugin that allows you to view the IP address from where the failed login attempt originated. If it happens again you can have the plugin block that IP address from logging into the account for an hour or so. This drastically reduces the chances of a hacker getting through to your website and

If it happens again you can have the plugin block that IP address from logging into the account for an hour or so. This drastically reduces the chances of a hacker getting through to your website and will therefore increase WordPress login security.

Now you are sure that you have made it that much harder for hackers to break in. Many people look at usernames and passwords like things that can only be used for logging in and nothing else. These allow you to get into your website and can allow anyone else who takes the time to take a peep into the backend. Increase WordPress login security using these three tips so you can remain a little less worried about any invasions.

Now that your website is all secure and safe from hackers, why not look into a new theme? Your website and faithful readers will truly appreciate the new feel and it could easily earn you more site visits. Visitors may also want to stay a bit longer on your site and go past the main landing page. More views equal better publicity, higher chances of better ranking and if you are selling something, a possibility of increased sales.