The Internet has grown immensely, way more than anyone could have ever imagined; it’s simply phenomenal, right? But there’s something else that’s phenomenal too, i.e. WordPress, a platform which powers the quarter of the whole web, courtesy to its open-source origins and its thousands of WordPress Security Plugins, which keep it evolving continually.
In fact, there are 44,965 plugins supporting billions of WordPress users across the world right now and have been downloaded 1,295,168,393 times. Among them, WP security plugins are of crucial importance, making sure all WP websites function seamlessly well. And we are here with 10 of the best WordPress Security plugins to ensure the safety and security of your online presence.
10 Best WordPress Security Plugins
Following are the top 10 WordPress security plugins that you should give a try:
Looking to shield your WordPress website with enterprise-class protection without having to pay anything for it? Though it sounds unlikely, this is what Wordfence Security plugin is all about, safeguarding your website against hackings and malware 24×7 & 365.
Million plus active installs on the WordPress plugin repository with a user rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. It clearly reflects upon the trust and value Wordfence Security is offering to millions of its users across the world which makes it one of the best WordPress security plugins.
Though it can be upgraded to a premium version depending upon your business needs and budgetary flexibility, it offers quite a lot in its totally free version as well. Some major features offered in its free version include login security, WordPress firewall, IP blocking, caching, security scanning, multi-site security, IPv6 compatibility, and compatibility with all popular WP themes and plugins along with a free learning center, which will keep you updated on all latest security features.
2) iThemes Security (Formerly Better WP Security)
Wouldn’t you be happy to secure your WordPress site in more than 30 ways? Well, it’s about time your dream comes true, thanks to the generosity of iThemes Security, previously known as Better WP Security. The best part is that you are getting all this top quality protection without paying anything.
With this plugin shielding, your site is not only protected by concealment of its vital areas, but it also serves to protect critically important files by preventing any brute force login attempts by wannabe trespassers.
Its authenticity and efficiency are also validated by the fact that it boasts of more than 700,000+ active installs and the users have ranked it a solid 4.7 out of 5 stars in the ranking.
Ease of use is also one of the salient features of this fantastic WP security plugin, which enables you to download, install and activate it in only a few clicks, fully ready to protect your WP site from any security threats.
3) Clef Two-Factor Authentication
The thought of boosting security levels of your WordPress site in shortest possible way and time is always a great one, but the problem is that such thoughts mostly remain unfulfilled fantasies. However, with Clef Two-Factor Authentication plugin installed, your dreams can turn into a reality. It enables you to strongly guard and protect your site with strong authentication systems, most importantly without the hassles of giving passwords on every step of the way and maintaining them.
It also has over 700,000 active installs strengthened with 4.7 out of 5 stars in ranking just like iThemes Security, but it falls on our list after iThemes because of the total number of 5-star reviews it has got, i.e. 3,269 of iThemes Security compared to 71 of Clef Two-Factor Authentication.
It is especially helpful for people who are new to WordPress and don’t feel comfortable in going through many steps or remembering a host of passwords. It still offers them all the protection and coverage they want without all such issues to care for.
4) All in One WP Security & FireWall
Ease of use is definitely one aspect people prefer not only in the real world but also in the virtual world. In fact, this is one of the major reasons behind the popularity and fame of All in One WP Security & Firewall plugin to keep your WP site out of harm’s way. The best thing about this security plugin is that despite all the ease and convenience it offers in downloading, installing, and using, it never compromises on security features needed to shield your website from unwanted obtrusion.
This can also be concluded from the fact that more than 300,000 have currently downloaded and used it only to reward it with a 4.8 out of 5 stars in the ranking, which is quite phenomenal.
It is designed to avidly check your websites for any vulnerabilities and loopholes in security so that it can improve them instantly by enforcing and implementing the latest WordPress recommended practices and techniques.
Also Read: Top 7 Slider Plugins for Your WordPress Site
This is one of the fantastic WordPress security plugins specializes in offering protection to your WP site keeping checks on the IP address and timestamp for every failed login attempt that anyone makes to trespass into your website. This gives you a very clear representation of how many times someone has attempted to get into your site from the same IP within a specified period of time, immediately alerting you. You can then disable the login function for any further login requests from that particular IP range. This gives you one surefire way of countering any attempts of brute force logins.
Its efficiency can be gauged from the fact that over a period of time, more than 200,000 people have downloaded and used it, bestowing it with an outstanding 4.8 out of 5 stars in the ranking.
6) Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner, and Security Hardening
In fact, Sucuri Security offers everything in its name; auditing, malware scanning, security hardening, and much more. It is designed to stop hackers from stealing anything important from your website or wiping up your crucial forensic data with any kind of ill intentions. And against all odds, if somehow a hacker breaches your security, your critical information still remains safe and sound within SOC (Sucuri Security Operations Centre). You can almost be certain about never losing against hackers or any other trespassers with Sucuri security guarding your WordPress site.
Want to know how many people already trust security provided by Sucuri Security? Well, more than 200,000, who have given it a handsome 4.6 out of 5 stars in the ranking. So, if you are really serious about taking good care of your WordPress site, Sucuri Security is one of the greatest WordPress security plugins.
Also Read: Best Contact Form 7 Plugins For Your Site
7) Anti–Malware Security and Brute–Force Firewall
There are so many variables and so many vulnerabilities that modern-day websites are exposed to; it becomes really hard to feel comfortable about the security of your website ….. that is until you have Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall installed to protect your WP website. It is designed to offer the highest levels of site security by scanning, identifying, and fixing any malware, viruses, or any other type of security threat being vulnerable to which might create issues for your server. This is how it keeps your WP site threat free all the time.
This amazing WP plugin has been already downloaded and installed by more than 100,000 people and its efficiency can be determined from the fact that it has a majestic 5 out of 5 stars ranking on the WordPress plugin repository.
The fact of the matter is that almost all of WP site owners not only want a high-quality reliable security shield guarding them against all kinds of security threats for free but also want one that is CAPTCHA free too. So, if you are also among those who want so, WP-SpamShield Anti-Spam is one WP security plugin that you should never miss on to enhance the security of your site without having to worry about anything else at all. It is designed to work silently in the background, ready to find and kill spam without delaying or disturbing other functionalities of your site.
With more than 100,000 active installs backed up with exceptional 4.9 stars out of 5 in the ranking, this WP security plugin is definitely one of the best things ever that you might get for free.
9) Anti – Spam
One of the reasons for this massive popularity of WordPress based sites is the ease and convenience they offer to users in everything, from surfing through the pages of a site to commenting and rating the products they like. However, there’s always the other side of the coin as well, and there’s no scarcity of hackers and spammers who just can’t let a site go by without trying to mess up with it. They can’t resist the urge to spam your site via comments they can leave in the comment section, and this is where the Anti-Spam security plugin comes into action, identifying and killing all spam in the comments.
If you had any doubts about how well it can do to serve you the purpose it’s meant for, try judging its efficacy from the fact that it has 100,000+ active installs with 4.8 out of 5 stars in the ranking.
Though WordPress is already considered to be quite a safe platform on the web, every website, irrespective of the platform it’s built on, should have enhanced security measures in place to make sure they remain safe and sound as long as they exist. This is where a WP security plugin like BulletProof Security comes into action because it ensures the safety and security of your site on .htaccess files (distributed Server configuration files) level. These are the files your server processes before processing any other code present on your website. To the dismay of hackers and spammers, BulletProof Security stops malicious hackers’ scripts from running into .htaccess files/Firewalls even before they can ever get to the level of PHP code in WordPress.
When more than 100,000 users use and rank a plugin 4.7 out of 5 stars, it means it is really worth a try, which is what this plugin can boast of. Hence, it will not be wrong to consider this plugin as one of the Best WordPress Security Plugins.
Also Read: 10 Basic Plugins for WordPress Website
Over to you now
Our list of most secure and reliable WordPress security plugins ends here and it’s over to you now. Which plugins in the list have you tried until now? Which one worked the best for you? Are there some other useful WordPress security plugins that you might share with everyone here? Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comment section below.
- 10 Best WordPress Security Plugins to Shield Your Website - June 14, 2016
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well written post my best security plugins word fence, itheme and wp all in one security & firewall.
i always preferred them.
Great Job. Thanks for sharing.
I would like to add one more useful security plugin in this list which is User Activity Log Pro. It helps you monitor and keep track of all the activities occurs on the admin side.
BulletProof Security – is thee best plugin to keep WordPress sites secure. It’s free version is very helpful but if you can use paid version, it will be great for your website.