WordPress 3: Developing Secure Sites

This course explains how to secure self-hosted WordPress sites, including site configuration, code modification, and the use of free plug-ins. Beginning with the basics of site security, author Jeff Starr explains how to harden a WordPress site by configuring authentication keys, setting proper file permissions, and removing version numbers. The course shows how to implement a firewall, prevent automated spam, and control proxy access, and concludes with a series of advanced tips and site security best practices.

Topics include:

• Backing up and restoring your site
• Setting up strong passwords
• Choosing trusted plugins and themes
• Protecting the configuration file and the admin directory
• Securing the login page
• Fighting comment spam
• Blocking access and detecting hacks
• Finding and reporting vulnerabilities

Table of content

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

Getting Started

• Backing up your site
• Restoring your site
• Keeping your site up to date

Security Essentials

• Implementing strong passwords
• Understanding users and roles
• Choosing trusted plug-ins and themes
• Removing unused plug-ins, themes, and files
• Changing and recovering passwords

Hardening WordPress

• Protecting the configuration file
• Configuring authentication keys
• Customizing the database prefix
• Changing the admin username
• Setting proper file permissions
• Preventing directory listings
• Protecting the admin directory
• Removing version numbers

Improving Security with Plug-Ins

• Fighting comment spam
• Securing your login page
• Monitoring file changes
• Monitoring admin users
• Implementing a firewall
• Blocking access
• Detecting hacks

Advanced Tips and Tricks

• Stopping file hotlinking
• Protecting the installation page
• Stopping automated spam
• Detecting and blocking bad bots
• Firewalling your site
• Protecting your RSS feeds
• Controlling proxy access

Applying Best Practices

• Finding and reporting vulnerabilities
• Auditing your site
• Choosing a good host

Conclusion

• Next steps

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