How to Make Your WordPress Login Page Secure

The majority of website owners are choosing WordPress as their platform of choice due to its ease of use, flexibility, and robust community support. However, its popularity also makes it a prime target for hackers.

WordPress sites are a constant victim of cyberattacks, with the primary entry point being a login page. Even though many claim it is secure by default, widespread use and the simple structure of the page make it an easy target for brute force attacks and unauthorized access attempts.

So, if you want to learn how to secure your WordPress login page effectively, you’re in the right place. Implementing just a few of the practices we’ll cover will put you miles ahead of those targeting your site.

Why Do You Need to Secure WordPress Login Page?

Your WordPress login page is one of the most vulnerable parts of your website. This is because it uses a simple format of adding a /wp-admin or /wp-login.php after your domain name. While WordPress itself offers basic security, the simplicity of the login structure leaves it open to several types of attacks.

If hackers gain access to your admin panel, they could alter your site’s content, steal sensitive data, or inject malware. Beyond that, a hacked site can cause a loss of trust with your visitors, potentially driving away customers and tarnishing your reputation.

That’s why protecting your login page is essential if you wish to keep your data safe and your customers’ trust intact.

How to Secure Your WordPress Login Page?

With such a wide range of potential threats, there are also many ways to secure your login page effectively. The good news is that many of these solutions are simple to implement and can go a long way in protecting your site.

1. Use strong password

The first step in securing your WordPress login page should be making sure you have a strong password. In many cases, hackers will keep trying different combinations, and if you are using a simple password like your birthday or a pet name, the chances are they’ll figure it out.

A strong password should be unique and complex, incorporating a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. By all means, avoid using common or predictable passwords like “admin” or simple combinations such as “password123.”

To make managing strong passwords easier, consider using a password manager. But be sure to choose a reputable one, as risky options can compromise your security.

2. Limit login attempts

The simplest and yet most effective way to secure your page against brute force attacks is to limit the number of login attempts. Brute force attacks involve hackers trying multiple username and password combinations until they gain access. They often utilize bots for this, as they can type in thousands and thousands of combinations until they get the correct one.

Image source

Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t have a built-in feature for this kind of limitation, so you’ll need to download a security plugin. These plugins temporarily block an IP address after a certain number of failed login attempts. Two great options are:

• Limit Login Attempts Reloaded
• WPS Limit Login

3. Change your default WordPress login page

You know how easy it is to find your WordPress login URL in case you ever lost it. By default, WordPress uses the login URL /wp-login.php or /wp-admin, which are also well-known to hackers.

Changing your login URL makes it much more difficult for malicious users to even find the login page, adding an extra layer of protection. You can easily create a custom login URL using plugins like WPS Hide Login or by altering the .htaccess file. Just make sure to bookmark the new page, as it can be harder to find.

4. Implement two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) can help you add an additional layer of protection to your login page. It requires another form of verification in addition to the password. This could be a code sent to your phone, an email, or generated by an authenticator app. Even if an attacker manages to guess or steal your password, they still won’t be able to log in without the second factor.

Setting up 2FA is easy with a plugin like Google Authenticator, which integrates seamlessly. Moreover, while it might seem like a hassle to enter a code every time, the added security is well worth it, especially when it comes to protecting sensitive data.

5. Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins

WordPress regularly releases updates that address security vulnerabilities, fix bugs, and introduce new features. So, in order to be fully protected, you need to keep up with the newer versions. Failing to regularly update the plugins you use, themes, and WordPress in general will leave you exposed and much more vulnerable to attacks. Besides, hackers often target outdated software as they can access it much more easily.

Set a reminder to check for updates at least once a month, or better yet, enable automatic updates for WordPress core and its components. Additionally, always back up your site before performing updates, just in case an issue arises during the process.

6. Configure auto logout

Did you know that if a user stays logged in for too long without activity creates a potential security risk? An unattended session could be hijacked, especially if the user is on a shared or public computer.

Setting up an automatic logout after a period of inactivity ensures that users are logged out of their sessions if they spend too much time idle. This feature is especially important for admin accounts, which have access to sensitive site data.

You can easily configure auto logout using plugins like Inactive Logout or WP Idle Logout. They allow you to specify the duration of inactivity before a user is automatically logged out.

7. Install a security plugin

Many security plugins for WordPress can help you keep your website safe. They provide a range of tools designed to protect you from various types of attacks, including brute force, malware, and unauthorized access attempts.

Security plugins often include features like firewalls, malware scanning, the ability to monitor suspicious activity, and many others. Wordfence, AIOS, and Jetpack are popular choices among WordPress users.

We suggest you pick the one that has an easy-to-navigate interface so you can manage your site’s security settings without the need to be a technical expert.

8. Disable login hints

When you try to log into WordPress with the wrong username or password, it often gives you a hint about which one is incorrect. For example, you might see a message like “Incorrect username” or “Incorrect password.” While these hints may seem helpful, they actually give hackers a bit of an advantage.

Knowing which input is incorrect will help hackers know what to focus on. To increase your site’s security, it’s a good idea to disable these login hints. This way, even if someone tries multiple combinations, they won’t know what the issue is.

Here’s a simple way to disable these login error messages:

1. Log into your WordPress account and navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor.
2. Look for functions.php, which is typically listed under Theme Files.
3. Click on it to open it so you can type in a code.
4. Type in the following:

function no_wordpress_errors ()

{ return ‘An error message of your choice’; }

add_filter( ‘login_errors’, ‘no_wordpress_errors’ );

With this, every time someone fails to log in, WordPress will show a generic error message you’ve put in the “an error message” field. Just keep in mind that functions.php gets overwritten when WordPress updates, so you’ll need to re-add this code after each update.

But if this seems too complicated, you can always opt to install a plugin that will help you achieve the same results without manually changing the code.

9. Allow or block certain IP addresses

If you’ve noticed suspicious activity or know that only certain people should be logging in, blocking or whitelisting specific IP addresses can make a world of difference.

Blocking IP addresses that repeatedly try to access your login page can stop hackers in their tracks. Even better, allowing only a few trusted addresses to access your page can protect you even if hackers change their location or use a VPN.

However, we understand that most websites have multiple users who need to log in, such as administrators, editors, or other team members. In these cases, you’ll want to be careful when adding them all to the allowed list, or you might be better off blocking the suspicious addresses.

You can manually manage the access by editing the .htaccess file to allow or block specific IPs.

Image source

Here is what you need to type in:

<Files wp-login.php>

Order Deny, Allow

Deny from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Allow from all

</Files>

Just make sure you replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the IP you want to block. The process is the same for allowing access – only type in “Deny from all” and add a specific IP address that’ll have access. In case you don’t want to do this manually, you can also opt for a good IP management plugin.

10. Hide login username

Lastly, in our guide on how to secure your WordPress login page, we recommend hiding the default login username. Even if you utilize a strong password and follow many other practices, your username is often available to the public. This gives hackers an opportunity to exploit it.

To prevent this, you can remove your username from showing up in places like blog posts or author archives. Simply navigate to the “Users” and then “Profile.” Here, you can modify the Nickname field. This way, your username won’t be shown to site visitors; instead, they will see a custom name, such as your full name or a nickname.

Next, to prevent your username from appearing in author archives, you can disable author pages entirely. You can do this using an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO. After installing the plugin, go to SEO → Search Appearance → Archives in your WordPress dashboard. Here, you can disable the author archive pages, making your username harder to find.

These adjustments are small but can significantly improve your site’s security by keeping your username hidden from prying eyes.

Additional Tips for Keeping Your WordPress Site Secure

Following at least some of the practices we mentioned is a great first step. However, there are many other things you can do to keep your site safe. While securing your login page is crucial, there are many more layers of protection you can add to further safeguard your website against various threats.

Here are some additional tips to help you secure your website:

• Back up your site regularly 

No security measure is foolproof, and it’s always a good idea to back up your WordPress site on a regular basis. In case your site is ever compromised, you can quickly restore it to a previous version and minimize damage.

• Use HTTPS

HTTPS ensures that data transmitted between your website and its users is encrypted, which is especially important for keeping your data safe. This encryption adds an extra layer of protection against man-in-the-middle attacks, which can occur when hackers intercept sensitive information sent over unsecured connections.

• Keep your user role in check 

By assigning the right roles to your users, you reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Make sure that only trusted individuals have administrative rights, while editors and contributors can be assigned more limited roles.

Conclusion

Protecting your WordPress login page is critical to securing your website from potential attacks. By following at least some of the practices we mentioned, you’ll significantly reduce the chances of unauthorized access and minimize the risk of a security breach.

However, security doesn’t end with your login page. It’s important to regularly evaluate and update your site’s security measures to stay ahead of evolving threats. A proactive approach will safeguard your data and help maintain your website’s integrity and users’ trust.

Remember, website security is an ongoing effort. With these simple tips, you’ll make it much harder for hackers to get through, ensuring your site and data remain safe.

Author Barbara Stankovic

Back to Previous

Share the article

Back to Previous

View Comments (0)

Explore features Explore Demo

Read Inspiring Customer Stories

Check out how our user set Amelia for his business

Read the full story