Do I Need a WordPress Security Plugin - 3 Things You Can Do With vs Without WordPress Security Plugins

WordPress security plugins are very popular among the platforms users, and they can be quite helpful. At the same time, not every website needs them. In some cases, using a poorly-coded security plugin may slow down your site, or add a bunch of  features you dont need. The question is:  Do I need a WordPress security plugin?The great thing about WordPress is that you dont require a security plugin to harden your website. You can implement many of the features  such plugins offer manually. At the same time,  an all-in-one security solution can be much more convenient. Why you might want WordPress security plugins for your websiteWordPress security plugins can come in handy, but theyre not always the best solution.There are a lot of WordPress security plugins available online, and most of the popular choices are all-in-one solutions. That means they (usually) enable you to tackle everything from login security to access restriction using a single tool. These types of plugins ca n be very useful if youre running a large site that needs protection from every angle. Plus, adding a single plugin is often simpler and less risky than installing three or four to target specific vulnerabilities.The main issue  with this kind of tool is that in trying to tackle every aspect of WordPress security, they can become bloated. That means you get dozens of settings and features to deal with, when you might only need one or two for a small site. With that in mind, were going to devote the rest of this post  to helping you answer the question: Do I need a WordPress security plugin?How to answer the question: Do I need a WordPress security plugin?Now that weve discussed the overall pros and cons of security plugins, were going to walk you through some of their most common – and useful – features. Well also discuss alternative methods to deal with each issue, so you can determine  the best solution for you.1. Login page hardeningTemporarily blocking users after repeated login attempts is a smart way to protect your site.Login pages are one of the most tempting targets on your site. Hardening these pages  means making it more difficult for attackers to access your site by hiding information about login errors, forcing users to enter emails instead of usernames, and so on. These measures work because they provide less information to attackers without impacting usability.A  lot of WordPress security plugins, such as Wordfence Security, do a great job of  hardening your login pages. The problem is, they also pack a ton of extra features that are completely unrelated to the issue at hand. Do you need a WordPress security plugin to harden your login pages? Not necessarily, since there are other options available.For example, you might want to use a more targeted plugin, such as WP Limit Login Attempts. This plugin puts a cap on the number of login tries people get  before being locked out temporarily: WP Limit Login Attempts Aut hor(s): ArshidCurrent Version: 2.6.3Last Updated: July 31, 2019wp-limit-login-attempts.zip 94%Ratings 323,086Downloads WP 3.0+Requires Theres also the manual route to consider. WordPress enables you to both  hide login errors manually and force people to log in using email addresses. If youre looking to implement either of these features, you  can easily do so without a plugin.2. Database securityDatabases are where your WordPress information gets stored.WordPress databases store all your sites information. They can be vulnerable to attacks if you use the platforms default prefix  when naming them. Plus, you also need to back them up regularly – along with the rest of your site – if you want to play it safe.Along with the obvious benefits of backing up  your data, changing your databases prefix makes it harder for attackers to access it. Some security plugins, such as All In One WP Security and Firewall, make it easy to implement  both solutions: All I n One WP Security Firewall Author(s): Tips and Tricks HQ, Peter Petreski, Ruhul, IvyCurrent Version: 4.4.2Last Updated: October 8, 2019all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall.zip 96%Ratings 9,553,606Downloads WP 4.7+Requires On the other hand, changing your WordPress databases prefix manually happens to be pretty simple to do. Plus, you should definitely look into a separate backup solution that enables you to automate the process. For example, UpdraftPlus  lets you schedule backups automatically, which is something most WordPress security plugins dont offer.3. Firewall functionalitySimply put, firewalls enable you to block unwanted connections, whether  on your personal computer or your web hosting server. To be fair, thats not all they do, but it happens to be their main selling point.WordPress doesnt include a firewall feature out of the box, which is to be expected since it can be hard to implement depending on your server setup. However, theyre one of the best options av ailable if youre concerned about brute force or DDoS attacks on your site.Do I need a WordPress security plugin to implement a firewall? In this case the answer is probably yes, since plugins make it easy to implement blocking features on your site. For example, the All In One WP Security and Firewall plugin includes multiple firewall features, and is  easy to get started with.As for a manual solution, youll usually need full access to your server if you want to set  up your own firewall. This level of access isnt always possible. If youre using a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated server, however, you can always go that route if youre comfortable interacting with your command line.Otherwise, youre  probably better off sticking with a plugin solution if youre adamant about setting up a firewall for your WordPress site. This feature is less necessary if youre just starting out, however, so if that describes you wed recommend focusing on the other features weve covered (at least until your site grows a bit).ConclusionNo security solution is perfect,  but there are ways to ensure you get the most protection possible while minimizing the impact to your site. Do you need a WordPress security plugin to make that happen? It depends on what youre trying to accomplish. Reliable, well-designed security plugins will help protect your site against attackers, but they sometimes go overboard and make more changes than are strictly necessary.In many cases, you can improve your sites security just as effectively with a simple manual tweak, or with a targeted plugin designed to only implement a single feature. In this post, weve covered three features  that many WordPress security plugins tackle, and discussed alternative solutions:Login page hardening: If you just want to secure your login page, youre best off using a specialized tool such as WP Limit Login Attempts.Database security: Changing your database prefix manually is the smart move, and youll also want to set up a backup solution.Firewall functionality: As far as firewalls go, a security plugin  like All In One WP Security and Firewall is  usually  the most effective solution (and the simplest to set up). 'Do I need a #WordPress #security plugin?' Here's your answer Click To Tweet Do you have a WordPress security plugin installed on your website? If so, which one? Feel free to share in the comments below.Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.