WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, but its popularity also makes it a prime target for hackers. Any vulnerability they find in the core files can be used to exploit an astonishing number of sites. Outdated code is one of the major reasons for security breaches on WordPress sites. The WordPress development team does a great job of keeping the core code resilient, but keeping the WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date, and only using products developed by reputable developers is crucial to keeping your site safe.
Security Ninja is a plugin that can make the process of securing your WordPress website more straightforward. It highlights the most important steps you should take in securing your WordPress site and explains exactly what you need to do. For someone looking to make their WordPress site more secure, it is the perfect solution.
Once you have installed the plugin, you can access it via the Tools link in your sidebar. When you access the plugin for the first time, you will need to run a security test so that the plugin can analyze the strengths and weaknesses particular to your site. This process shouldn’t take any longer than a minute or so. Once the tests have been completed, you will be presented with its findings based upon 27 different security considerations.
The issues run from absolutely basic (keep your themes and plugins up to date) to more advanced (a check to see if the upgrade.php file is accessible via HTTP at the default location). For each “Bad” result, you should click on the “Details, tips & help” button to the right. This will direct you to advice pertaining to the specific issue.
Carrying out the changes requires limited technical knowledge. For the most part, you will only need to add code snippets to your functions.php files, edit theme files (which you should do via a child theme), or make changes via FTP. As a WordPress blogger, these are simple tasks that you should be able to complete anyway.
What is great about Security Ninja is that it doesn’t try to do too much. Its focus is on scanning for vulnerabilities and presenting solutions. It doesn’t include a bloated mess of security features. It leaves you to make the choice as to which security features you put in place. And because you do so via tiny code snippets and other similarly subtle changes, the security improvements you make are likely to have no discernible impact on your site’s load time.
In a nutshell, Security Ninja is like having a set of invaluable WordPress security tutorials, specific to your site’s unique weaknesses, at your fingertips.
However, it is important to note that Security Ninja cannot guarantee the safety of your site. It can make your site far more difficult to hack, but there is no such thing as an impregnable website. In theory, any code that is legitimately accessible from a remote location can also be hacked from a remote location. In fairness to the developers of Security Ninja, they go out of their way in making this absolutely clear in a disclaimer within the test screen.
Having said that, scanning your site with Security Ninja and actioning the recommended improvements will increase the security of your site by a huge margin. As such, the likelihood of you being victim of a malicious attack is reduced considerably.
In conclusion, Security Ninja is an excellent plugin that can help you secure your WordPress website. It highlights the most important steps you should take in securing your WordPress site and explains exactly what you need to do. While it cannot guarantee the safety of your site, it can make your site far more difficult to hack. By scanning your site with Security Ninja and actioning the recommended improvements, you can increase the security of your site by a huge margin.
