Brute-force attacks are one of the most stressful and harmful security risks for WordPress websites. The attack is done by the artificial bots, making repeated trials to a WordPress website login with thousands or sometimes millions of username-password combinations until they hack the account. Since WordPress is very popular and has its workings public, hackers can easily focus on its login system if security measures are not implemented.
This comprehensive article explains what a brute-force attack is, the reasons behind the regular attacks of WordPress sites, and, above all, the established, practical methods to prevent brute-force attacks on WordPress.
What Is a WordPress Brute-Force Attack?
A WordPress brute-force attack is a type of hack where the attacker employs automated software to guess login credentials until the door is opened repeatedly. Brute-force attacks don’t seek to exploit a software flaw; rather, they take advantage of human errors like the use of weak passwords, easily guessable usernames, and security neglect. Since the WordPress login page is publicly accessible, attackers can quickly and easily target it massively.
Most of the time, these attacks aim at the wp-login.php page, the wp-admin directory, and XML-RPC authentication endpoints. Eventually, just one weak password can be compromised if there are no safeguards. Brute-force attacks from a semantic SEO standpoint are also called login attacks, password-guessing attacks, or credential-stuffing attempts.
Why WordPress Sites Are Common Targets
WordPress is behind over 40% of all websites on the internet, which automatically makes it the number one target of hackers. As it is the most widely used content management system, attackers just need to create the attack script once, and then they will be able to apply it to all the millions of sites at once through automation with very little work. A lot of times, the root of the problem is not that WordPress is an insecure platform, but that the owners of the sites have failed to follow simple security best practices.
Examples of frequently occurring problems are the use of standard usernames like “admin”, weak or reused passwords, old plugins or themes, and incorrectly configured hosting environments. In addition, WordPress, being an open-source platform, it allows attackers to know its file structure and authentication flow, thus making it easier for them to carry out brute-force attacks.
Signs Your WordPress Site Is Under a Brute-Force Attack
Detecting a brute-force attack in its early stage can definitely spare your website from great damage. The most typical indication is a large volume of failed login attempts, which are usually coming from multiple different IP addresses. Besides that, your website may get slower than normal because the bots that are used for brute-force attacks are using up the server’s resources while continuously sending requests.
There are also some other indications to be alert for, such as sudden increases in your CPU or bandwidth usage, security alert emails coming from your hosting provider or security plugin, and unusual server access log entries. Sometimes, you may even get alerts about successful logins from unknown places, which means that the attack has probably been successful.
Proven Methods to Stop Brute-Force Attacks on WordPress
To prevent brute-force attacks on WordPress, a multi-layered security strategy is essential. A single method is hardly sufficient, but the aggregate of different safeguards greatly minimizes the threat of infiltration.
Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Weak passwords are still one of the main factors resulting in the success of brute-force attacks. The time and computer power needed to crack an account increase significantly with a strong password. Thus, WordPress administrators and users must ensure their passwords are not only long and complex but also absolutely unique.
It is necessary to include a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters in one’s password. People should avoid reusing their passwords on different websites. By using password managers, you can generate and save strong passwords without the need to remember them, which leads to the minimization of risks and inconvenience.
Change the Default Username
For attackers, utilizing obvious usernames during brute-force attacks by far increases their chances of success. Out of all the usernames, “admin” is the most vulnerable, as that is the first one that almost all bots will try. However, when you change the WordPress admin username, the attackers will only have the password trace left to them.
It is ideal that you make a completely new administrator account with the unique username, give it full privileges, and then delete the existing account. Subsequently, this small change will significantly decrease the number of automated login attempts.
Limit Login Attempts
One of the best ways to protect against brute-force attacks is to limit login attempts. You can stop bots from persistently guessing passwords if you control the number of login failures attempted over a particular time frame.
When the limit is hit, the IP address of the attacker is banned either temporarily or permanently. This technique, in itself, is capable of throwing most of the automated brute-force attacks off, and at the same time lowers the server load due to malicious traffic considerably.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication provides an additional security layer by demanding a second verification step alongside the password. This could be a one-time code generated by an authenticator app, a hardware key, or a confirmation sent via email.
Even if someone maliciously guessing a password, they are prevented from logging in as they really need the second authentication factor. Consequently, 2FA remains among the strongest means to keep WordPress admin accounts safe.
Disable XML-RPC If It’s Not Needed
Nowadays,WordPress is often targeted to perform large-scale brute-force attacks through its feature named XML-RPC, which is used for remote connections. Attackers have been exploiting XML-RPC since it permits multiple login attempts in a single request, thus making attacks not only faster but also harder to detect.
You can easily minimize your risk of being attacked if your website isn’t using features such as Jetpack or mobile app publishing by simply turning off XML-RPC. Another option is to allow access to only a few trusted IP addresses.
Change the WordPress Login URL
Switching the default WordPress login URL will not fully secure your site, but it will significantly lower the number of automated attacks. The majority of brute-force bots direct their attacks at the standard wp-login.php endpoint, so by hiding it, you are basically making them guess where it is.
A custom login URL, together with other security measures, can definitely serve as an extra layer of protection against automated attacks.
Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A web app firewall is a barrier between your WordPress site and malicious traffic that filters it out before it reaches your site.
WAFs recognize a set of predetermined attack signatures, ban suspicious IPs, and also stop bots that continuously access the vulnerable parts of a website.
Among the network firewalls, those that are cloud-based, like Cloudflare or Sucuri, are more effective as they terminate the attacks at the network level, which leads to a lesser server burden and thus better site performance.
Best WordPress Security Plugins for Brute-Force Protection
WordPress security plugins make it really easy to keep your website safe from brute-force attacks. Good plugins come with a variety of features like limiting login attempts, firewall protection, malware scanning, and keeping detailed security logs.
The most widely used are Wordfence Security, iThemes Security, and WP Cerber. Every plugin has its own special features, but it is very important that you use only one security plugin at a time to keep away from conflicts and issues with the performance of your site.
Server-Level Security Enhancements
Server-level security measures add another layer of protection to your WordPress. Preventing harmful login attempts by blocking the IP addresses of the attackers at the server or firewall level means that their plans will be stopped before they enter your site. Rate limiting, in addition, controls how often an IP address can send requests, thus making it very hard for an automated attack to work.
It is just as important to make a wise decision in choosing a secure, trustworthy hosting provider. Managed WordPress hosting environments typically come with features such as built-in firewalls, malware scanning, and DDoS protection, thereby greatly lowering the risk of brute-force attacks.
Advanced Security Techniques for High-Traffic Sites
WordPress websites that have high traffic and are critical to the business usually must have top-notch security measures in place. CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA systems are some of the ways to tell apart real users and bots, whereas the blocking of IP addresses based on countries can stop the attacks that come from high-risk areas.
Further shields like security headers, 24/7 monitoring, and random penetration testing keep the security at the level of the enterprise, not only to eCommerce but also to large-scale WordPress sites.
Best Practices for Long-Term WordPress Security
Instead of a one-time setup, WordPress security upkeep should be seen as an ongoing process. The core WordPress files, plugins, and themes must always be kept up-to-date in order to have security holes fixed that are publicly known. Not only that, but deleting any unused plugins or themes will decrease the number of potential access points that attackers may take advantage of.
Besides that, making regular backups, keeping an eye on login activities, and educating users are essential elements of a comprehensive security strategy that ensures long-term protection. Taking a proactive stance against security threats is the best way to safeguard your WordPress site from brute-force attacks and other types of dangers.
