WordPress Salts and Security Keys Guide

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WordPress is a widely used content management system that is prone to security exploits such as brute force attacks, SQL injection, malware, cross-site scripting, and DDoS attacks. Recently, a new malware strain called Clipsa has been launching brute force attacks on WordPress sites, stealing cryptocurrency via clipboard hijacking. To ensure the security of your WordPress-powered site, you need to implement a proactive security strategy and avoid common security mistakes such as using weak passwords and usernames, failing to update WordPress core and plugins, and using poor quality hosting.

WordPress uses security keys and salts to provide an additional layer of security to your website. When a user logs in to your WordPress site, cookies are created on their computer to verify their identity. If a hacker gains access to your database or finds your cookies, they may be able to read your password and compromise your site. Security keys and salts are used to encrypt the authentication details stored in these cookies, making it difficult for hackers to access your site.

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WordPress security keys are random, long, and complicated sets of variables that improve encryption and make it almost impossible to crack your password. The latest version of WordPress uses four security keys, each with a corresponding salt that can boost the security of your site. These keys include AUTH_KEY, SECURE_AUTH_KEY, LOGGED_IN_KEY, and NONCE_KEY.

WordPress salts are random strings of data that hash the security keys and add an extra layer of protection to your site and credentials. Each security key has a corresponding salt, namely AUTH_SALT, SECURE_AUTH_SALT, LOGGED_IN_SALT, and NONCE_SALT.

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To change your WordPress keys and salts manually, you can use the random generator on WordPress to procure a unique Secret Key. Then, log in to your control panel file manager or via FTP and locate the wp-config.php file to modify it. Open the file and scroll down to the “Authentication Unique Keys and Salts” section to add your secret keys. Alternatively, you can use WordPress plugins such as iThemes Security and Salt Shaker to automate the process.

When updating your WordPress security keys and salts, bear in mind that it will invalidate all existing cookies, causing all users to be instantly logged out. Therefore, you should encourage your users to change their passwords and be mindful that some users might be online.

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In conclusion, WordPress security keys and salts are essential for securing your site and preventing malicious attacks. By implementing a proactive security strategy and avoiding common security mistakes, you can ensure the safety of your WordPress-powered site.

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