Common Security Issues In WordPress

You've probably heard WordPress so many times, especially when you were younger. It is an online platform popular for blogging, but what you might not know is it is also one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) used by different individuals nowadays. In simpler terms, it enables you to build and host websites where you can brand your business and establish an online platform. Aside from blogging and website management, here are other interesting things you can do with WordPress that are very helpful these days:

• Social Network - Yes, you can turn WordPress into a social networking site where you can engage and interact with different people.
• Affiliate Shop - Did you know you can build an affiliate shop with WordPress? If you didn't, then it is a good thing we told you! With the ever-growing world of eCommerce today, WordPress is a tool that can help boost your online business.
• Project management tool - WordPress just made your job easier because you can schedule articles and build calendars using it!
• Online Courses - You've probably thought just how amazing WordPress is at this point, as it is true. You can create an online course using LearnDash, a WordPress plug-in.
• Build A Forum - Build a community by using WordPress' bbPress.

How interesting it is to know that there are so many things we can do with WordPress, and if we keep going on with the list, it will take the whole of this article! Because of the many features of WordPress that can be very useful nowadays, we might overlook the fact that there can also be security issues.

Sometimes, when we overindulge ourselves with something on the internet, we often forget that the internet is still not a secure place no matter how useful a site is.

To maximize the experience with online platforms, we want to ensure we have heightened security to protect important information, have good location privacy, protect our identity, and more. So if you are planning to use WordPress for your work and hobbies or if you are already using it, here are common security issues you have to be wary of:

1.  Malware

The most common security issue on any online platform is malware and yes, it can happen on WordPress. Malware is any code that gives access to the unauthorized use of your website, and it's the type of security issue you do not want to encounter. Since WordPress is an all-around platform, it is very vulnerable to malware as it can come from folders, files, images, links, and databases. 

You have to be extra careful before clicking anything, so if you use WordPress for work where security is highly relevant, regularly deep-scan your website to ensure that there's no malware hiding somewhere. A single scan is not enough, as you'll never know if you will acquire malware the next day and you're unaware. Do it every day to make sure your website is safe and secured.

2. Phishing Scams

Information theft is something you need to be wary of, and it can happen through a common tactic used by cybercriminals, called phishing. They do this to pose as legitimate organizations trying to persuade you into clicking links to get access to your information, and that's when they start to steal sensitive information from several individuals.

An act of phishing is when you receive an email from an unknown recipient, and the content will be something related to you. For example, if you have a website, cybercriminals will target you and send you a phishing email that tells something about websites, so you will be enticed to check it out. To be safe from phishing, just ignore emails you will receive from a recipient you don't know anything about.

3. Unauthorized Log Ins

 Desperate cybercriminals and hackers will try anything to see if they can log in to your account. They use a bot to check the many possible username and password combinations. When a cybercriminal successfully logged in to your account, they will gain access to protected information.

4. Spammy Redirects

One of the most frustrating things to experience when you're browsing a website is when you click on a link only to be led to another link that has no significant relation to the link you originally wanted to visit. These are malicious redirects that lead you to spammy websites. One wrong click, and you'll be on a suspicious site without knowing you are already getting hacked.

Conclusion

Of course, all of us want to utilize the internet and online platforms without encountering any malicious attacks online.

Security is also one of the many factors clients are wary of, as they also want to protect their information, so to have a safe and secure browsing experience, we need security software that can help us stay away from hackers and malware.