There’s a tale as old as time, while it may not be as old as time; it involves components that are as old as time. The written word has developed and evolved.
The way we write and speak a particular language has truly changed. But these words have more value.
As the field of communication has grown expansively, the effect that words have on the current day is multifold. With the world growing smaller, there is so much to be heard and told.
The function of words is transcending borders as well; with various tools and applications, it is easy to learn just about any language around the globe.
In the commercial sphere, there is an ongoing debate as to whether the content is truly a king.
While that is up for debate, many platforms provide a platform for self-generated content to reach a mass audience. WordPress is one of them.
WordPress is a blogging platform that allows users to put content in a blog format. What’s great about WordPress is its integrable nature.
Introducing a WordPress plug-in allows one to have a WordPress set up as a part of any website.
It extends or adds new features to other websites as well. Rather than investing or creating a similar portal like WordPress, many individuals rely on the
WordPress plug-in due to its convenient nature. While it is a convenient option, more than 90% of CMS systems have experienced some sort of a data breach and the common link they all shared was the WordPress plug-in. This is because WordPress Plug-ins are known to be susceptible to being hacked.
According to reports, expert hackers with or without malicious intent can easily breach the system.
This means that WordPress Plug-ins can create security issues for websites that have been integrated with.
In an era where cybercrime is at an all-time rise, it is important to be particular on the type of plug-ins one introduction to an online portal.
When it comes to WordPress, it is important to understand that it is indeed easy to hack and penetrate.
But the following points make it more susceptible to being hacked and can be used to strengthen the WordPress Plug-In:
1) Mild/ Weak Passwords:
This is one problem that needs to be solved and can be solved. Since WordPress is a public forum, it’s easy for hackers to procure information.
The user name is easy to find because it’s part of the domain name. Another way of entering the server is by attempting to use common user names like ‘admin’.
Figuring out the username is half the job, the next is to crack the password. This can be easily done.
Apart from just the admin access, there are many other parts WordPress that is accessed through passwords, so weak passwords make it easy and susceptible to hack the entire CMS system.
2) Lack of an SSL Certificate:
An SSL Certificate helps in encrypting information between the server and the browser.
Since WordPress is used by many, an SSL certificate helps in protecting information when the website is connected to a user.
If there is no security on the website, hackers can take advantage of transferring plain text information.
Therefore, investing in an SSL Certificate can help protect sensitive information to a certain extent. If you have multiple subdomains under the main domain then, a good option for an SSL Certificate it Positive Wildcard SSL Certificate.
3) Lack of Two-Factor Authentication:
Did you ever notice that some websites have two levels of authentication to log into an account? This plays an important role in keeping up-WordPress website security.
If multiple people are accessing the WordPress Plug-in, a lack of two-factor authentication can create security issues.
By introducing two-factor authentication, it’s an extra layer of security for hackers to pass through, making it harder for them to breach through to the server.
4) Many People with Admin:
With WordPress Plug-in, multiple people can easily access it. While this feature is highly appreciated, it can also mean that it’s easier for hackers and malware to make their way.
In such cases, since multiple admins are using the account, the user name and password are simple, making it easy to breach.
Hence, it is recommended not to have too many admins, not to use user names like ‘admins’ or ‘administrator’ and not to keep simple user names or passwords that multiple people can easily guess.
5) Outdated WordPress core, plugins & other software:
The current world is all about updates; this is because technology, hardware, and software are always subject to improvement.
By using outdated plug-ins, or software, it makes it easier for hackers and malware to breach into the servers.
Each new version or update can fix or take care of certain bugs or vulnerabilities better than the previous version.
Lack of updating in fear that your WordPress would be overloaded does more harm than good.
6) File Permissions:
To make the server synch on an online platform, some certain conditions or pre-requisites are set.
For example, accessing certain data from certain folders may require permission from the concerned authorities.
If this is not done with meticulous attention or care, then hackers can gain the most sensitive information without much difficulty.
Since the WordPress plug-in has access to the server and is easy to hack, then this can be a great weakness to the whole system.
7) Web Hosting Insecure:
WordPress is hosted through web servers. Just because a company is known, does not necessarily mean its secure.
WordPress is known for not being secure. To have a strong secure server, it requires meticulous work from the IT department.
Since it is being plugged into other websites, these insecurities can seep into those servers as well. This is when a website becomes susceptible to malware that enters through another server.
Hence, it is important to secure the WordPress plug-in as much as possible and keep malicious malware from seeping to the database.
Conclusion:
While WordPress is easy to hack, there are countermeasures to help deal with the same. It is important to deal and invest in those countermeasures as well. This will help combat cyber-crime.