A large portion of the existing WordPress websites belong to small businesses and niche industry providers. I’ve heard the statements below many times over the years. They are common security misconceptions and can be dangerous to adhere to.
These sites don’t get large amounts of traffic and are considered ‘small’ by tech stack standards. They often don’t do complex things and exist as brochures for the business they’re attached to. Sounds simple.
So, it may stand to reason that security is simpler for sites like these as well, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. No matter what size your website is, they all need common standard security practices.
Misconception 1: “My Site Is Too Small To Be Targeted”
Many website managers and owners believe that because their site is small or doesn’t receive much traffic, it won’t be a target for hackers. Unfortunately, this is not true. Nearly 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses. Hackers commonly use automated tools to scan the internet for vulnerable sites, regardless of size.
Security Solution: Strong Passwords, Regular Software Updates, Firewall
Misconception 2: “I Don’t Need Extra Security, I Have A Strong Password”
Strong passwords are great, but they’re only one part of a comprehensive security approach. WordPress is complex, which means there are multiple entry points for bad actors and vulnerabilities. Passwords are just one attack vector.
Security Solution: Firewall, Malware Scans or Virtual Patching and Hardening
Misconception 3: “WordPress Software Updates Will Break My Site”
Software updates can occasionally result in code conflicts, but that is no reason to avoid practicing them Regularly. Conflicts can (and should) be resolved. Leaving important security patches unapplied means you’re leaving a known vulnerability exposed.
Pro Tip
Use a staging area to test your software updates first. And always create a backup before pushing them live.
Security Solution: Automated Backups, Software Updates Testing Procedure
Misconception 4: “My Hosting Provider Takes Care of Security”
While hosting providers do take some security measures, such as server-level firewalls and monitoring, this varies largely by provider. Overall, the responsibility for securing the website itself falls largely on the website owner.
Security Solution: Regular Software Updates, Malware Scans or Virtual Patching and Hardening
Misconception 5: “But I have an SSL Certificate”
An SSL Certificate will encrypt data between your site and its visitors, but it doesn’t protect your site from outside actors trying to inject something into the website. SSL Certificates also do not protect against brute force attacks.
Security Solution: Regular Software Updates, Malware Scans or Virtual Patching and Hardening
The Takeaway
Security risk level has nothing to do with your website’s size. It’s all about the website infrastructure and how WordPress functions under the hood. No matter how small (or big!) your website is, you need to have multiple layers of security in place. Regular Software updates, Malware Scans or Virtual Patching, and Firewalls are important for everyone.
