When it comes to designing and publishing a website, few tools are used as frequently as WordPress. It's a versatile platform that allows its users' maximum flexibility in building websites, and it's widely beloved because of that. While WordPress's popularity isn't in question, that doesn't mean it's free from any concerns. Any website needs to maintain a certain level of security to prevent catastrophic damage from malicious actors. That means that if you own and operate a WordPress website, you'll want to ensure it's actually protected from malware.

Did you know that more than 660 vulnerabilities have been discovered in WordPress this year alone? With every vulnerability comes opportunities for those looking to harm or take over your website. It gives them yet another weapon in their arsenal.

Every security vulnerability provides hackers with carte blanche to gain access to your website. That's why it's critical to understand what these vulnerabilities mean to determine whether your site is safe or not. That leads to better WordPress protection.

A website vulnerability is any kind of weakness in the site or platform's code that will allow entry from a cyber attack. They come in all varieties - the only thing they all definitely have in common is they have the potential to allow for damage to your site's infrastructure if you don't take the proper precautions.

WordPress vulnerabilities are the easiest way for hackers to take control of your site. Once they gain control, you're at their mercy. They can inject malicious files that will install WordPress malware or send your visitors to another site.

If you have a personal website, this could mean your data and site content are compromised. If you operate a website for your business, it can have even worse consequences.

No matter what kind of organization you operate - from a brick and mortar store to an eCommerce retailer - nearly every company has some kind of web presence in the year 2021. That means that for those businesses, maintaining the appropriate level of website security is critical to ensure their business operates smoothly and efficiently.

If someone exploits these WordPress vulnerabilities to take control of your site, what are the immediate impacts? Here are just a few potential consequences:

Let's say your WordPress site has been taken over by malware. The malware could hypothetically install code that redirects visitors from your site to one of theirs. They could then use that to gather sensitive visitor data without anyone knowing. This is known as a traffic redirection system or TDS.

When users are directed away from your site, two things can happen: in the short term, they'll be unable to complete a transaction with you. That can lead to a dip in your sales. Since making sales is your ultimate goal, this can have a devastating impact on your business.

Any activity that negates your ability to make sales is taking money out of your pocket. It's affecting your website's ability to serve as one of your key money making tools - an ability that any company's website should be able to have.

Another possible consequence is that your visitors will eventually find out about the breach and lose trust in our website. If users know they're going to be redirected from your site, they'll be less likely to visit in the future. You'll have to do work to earn their trust back.

When your users visit your website, some want to buy from you online. Others just want information about you and your product/service. Either way, none of your online visitors will want their information or devices compromised. That will hurt their desire to visit your site again.

The practice of blacklisting is when major vendors refuse to allow passage to an infected website. This can lead to anti-virus software being installed on a visitor device and potentially seeing a web filtering system blocking visitors from seeing your site.

Forget about potential customers not trusting your site - in the case of blacklisting, they may not even get the chance to see your site exists.

Blacklisting represents vendors taking understandable precautions against infected websites. You do not want to be in the position of being blocked due to an easily avoidable vulnerability in your platform.

By taking the same proactive approach to website security that blacklisting uses, you can stay open for your potential customers looking to learn more about your product or service.

So how do you optimize your site from a security perspective?

Think of your approach to website security as a fortress that needs fortifying. There are measures you can implement to keep hackers from your door.

One of those measures is enabling WordPress's periodic updates on plugins. These updates will ensure your site has the most current protection WordPress has to offer. Whatever assistance the platform can give you, it will if you opt-in for these critical updates.

That's not the only action you can take, however.

ThreatSign! services are security tools you can use to detect and protect your website from malware infection. It features:

• An external web malware scanner. This lets you investigate any externally stimulating website visitor behavior on our site. You’ll receive alerts on any issue detected.
• An internal web malware scanner. This tool helps you investigate your site’s source files and any file system modifications for any potential disruptions.
• Uptime monitoring. With this capability, you can monitor your site’s performance and receive alerts when there’s an outage. Any time your site crashes, you’ll receive an update.
• Web application firewall. This will protect your site from malicious traffic that’s targeting it.

In short, ThreatSign! can bolster your website protection, allowing your site to continue functioning even in the face of security vulnerabilities. Interested to learn more about how Quttera’s ThreatSign! services can help your website stay secure and operational? Reach out today and sign up for ThreatSign!