That’s the bad news. The silver lining is, there are many things you can do to tackle these threats and the first step is to be aware they exist. After all, you can only protect yourself from something that you know could pose a risk.

To help you do exactly that, this article will go over common website security threats for WordPress and beyond. We will talk about what the threats are, how they work, and what you can do to prevent them from happening. When you are done reading, we want you to feel capable of keeping your WordPress website safe and out of harm’s way, so you can focus on what really matters.

Why Care About Website Security Threats?

The first reaction you might have is to ask yourself whether this is even relevant to you. Sure, you often hear about these big data breaches and hacks, but doesn’t this kind of thing usually only happen to large companies? You know, your Facebooks, Twitters, Equifaxes and Yahoos–enterprises that have information worth stealing.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but just because you are not a million-dollar company, there are still plenty of individuals interested in bringing down or breaching your website.

Global cyberattacks increased by 38% in 2022 alone and according to a 2019 Verizon report, small businesses were the number one target, representing 43% of all data breaches. When they become a victim of a cyber attack, it costs these businesses, on average, $25,000. In fact, in 2022, cybercrime damages amounted to $10.2 billion in the U.S. alone, according to the FBI.

However, it’s not just about direct costs of dealing with and cleaning up an attack. You also pay in customer attrition, downtime, work disruptions, loss of trust among customers, being blocked by search engines, and more.

So, even as a small website, you can be a target. That is particularly because most attacks are launched automatically by programs that scan the web for vulnerabilities until they find something. So, if you leave them an opening, someone will try to take advantage of it.

Want to know how to protect yourself? Let’s go over some of the most common security threats out there.

Website Security Threat #1: Phishing

Phishing is when hackers try to get you to visit a malicious website, click on a dangerous link, download a tainted attachment, or give up sensitive information such as your website login. Most of it happens in the form of emails that pretend to be from legitimate sources, however, you can also receive phishing messages via text, messenger apps, or fake social login pages.

Potential Dangers of Phishing

Obtaining your login information through phishing saves attackers a lot of time. Instead of having to painstakingly try to guess and brute force their way into your site, they can simply use the credentials that are definitely working.

With that in hand, they have free reign on your website, especially if the credentials come with high user privileges. They can create new users, add content and links, manipulate files, create backdoors, and even run code. Plus, if you have sensitive information saved on your site, such as customer data in an online shop, a hacker also gets access to that.

Of course, if this happens and becomes public, it’s a real blow to your reputation. Plus, depending on the privacy laws you are operating under, it can come with additional fines.

How to Deal With It

The best way to prevent phishing attacks is to develop awareness for them. If you receive any message asking you for sensitive information, it should immediately give you pause. Don’t send anything back, don’t click on any links, or download and execute the attachments. At the very least, check the sender email address if it’s legitimate. In addition, educate yourself on phishing tactics and do the same with other people in your company.

Website Security Threat #2: (D)DoS Attacks

DoS stands for “denial of service,” which is when someone tries to take down your website by flooding it with illegitimate traffic. The goal is to overwhelm your server with requests so that it can no longer cope and stops working.

DoS attacks are often carried out through botnets, meaning computers that have been infiltrated by a virus or trojan horse and that hackers can command remotely. In that case, you also speak of “distributed denial of service” or DDoS.

Attacks of this kind are meant to damage a business or website or blackmail them for money. They are also carried out for ideological reasons because the attacker does not agree with what the website in question stands for or because of a public statement a business made. However, in other cases, DDoS attacks can also be used as a diversion to distract you while hackers are trying to break into your site.

What Are the Outcomes?

The effect of a DDoS attack is that the website in question becomes unresponsive and inaccessible for real customers and visitors. The server has too much to do to properly process visits and loads very slowly or not at all for legitimate visitors.

Of course, for most businesses, the website is one of their main assets. When it becomes unreachable, it leads to loss of business and revenue. DDoS attacks can also damage your reputation because some visitors will think your website’s quality is simply not good.

How to Prevent DDoS Attacks

One of the best ways to counteract website threats of this kind is to add another security layer in the form of a firewall or web application firewall. These are designed to filter out malicious traffic before it reaches your site. That way, the attack doesn’t even arrive at your website and can’t do damage. Plus, if the DDoS attack is just a distraction for a break in, firewalls also offer protection for that. Good providers here are Sucuri and Cloudflare.

Another good investment to protect yourself from this website security threat is a content delivery network or CDN. It places copies of your site on different servers, which makes it harder to take it out of the web completely. It can also keep the attack away from your main server. Many CDNs include DDoS protection.

If you host your website at WP Engine, you can take advantage of both of these methods at once by using Global Edge Security. It’s an enterprise-grade performance and security add-on that includes a managed web-application firewall, advanced DDoS protection, and a global CDN. In short, everything you need to keep external security threats at bay.

Plus, it’s pretty hands off. You simply add it to your plan, point your DNS records to the right server, and the rest is taken care of for you. Easy peasy. Finally, it’s a good idea to set up uptime monitoring, e.g with UptimeRobot. That way, you are alerted quickly when your site is no longer reachable so you can take action immediately.

Website Security Threat #3: Brute Force Attacks and Credential Stuffing

Brute force attacks are somewhat similar to DDoS attacks in that they automatically attack a part of your site. However, instead of blocking traffic, they target your login page and try to get access to the website by guessing your login information. Programs of this kind try many different common password and username combinations per second until they get in.

A slightly more sophisticated variety is so-called credential stuffing. Here, instead of random login information, attackers use email/password combinations that are already known from other data breaches. These attacks bank on the fact that many people reuse their login information.

If an attacker does successfully guess your login credentials, the outcome is pretty much the same as discussed in the “phishing” section.

Deterring Login Attacks

There are several ways you can protect yourself from attacks on your login page:

• Limit login attempts and lock out users that fail too often, e.g. via Limit Login Attempts Reloaded
• Don’t reuse your credentials, have individual passwords for every account you own
• Limit the number of users on your WordPress site and only give them as many capabilities as they need for their job
• Force strong passwords, e.g. via Password Policy Manager
• Better yet, use multi-factor authentication
• Switch off the theme and plugin editor so that attackers can’t manipulate your files from inside the WordPress dashboard

Website Security Threat #4: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

In cross-site scripting, a hacker tricks a website into delivering malicious scripts to a victim’s browser. Because of the source, the browser trusts and executes the script. This often happens through input fields, such as in a contact form. However, the attack can also come from the database of a compromised website.

Possible Outcomes

When successful, an attacker can use cross-site scripting to steal login data, install malware, redirect the user to another site, and even manipulate the page they are viewing. They may also access the website in question as another user and read their data. Plus, they might be able to install software on the victim’s computer.

Overall, cross-site scripting is more of a danger to your visitors than the site itself. However, if it originates from your web presence, naturally, this will not shine a good light on you. Therefore, you owe it to yourself and your visitors to make your site safe.

How to Prevent XSS Attacks

On a technical level, the most important step to prevent cross-site scripting is to sanitize and validate your data inputs. That means denying special characters and symbols to avoid code injection, e.g. make sure that input can’t contain things like script, object or link. Programming languages like PHP and JavaScript offer standard functions for this and WordPress also has its own markup for this purpose.

If you are not a developer, your role is to use good judgment in order to keep code away from your site that doesn’t adhere to these rules. That means, get themes and plugins from reputable sources and make sure that they are well supported and maintained. Plus, don’t install code snippets on your site that you don’t understand.

Website Security Threat #5: SQL Injections

SQL injections are similar to cross-site scripting. They also work by using input fields to run malicious SQL code on your website and gain access to the database.

If your website is vulnerable to SQL injections, an attacker can use this technique to damage it in several ways:

• Create new identities with administrator rights and gain access to your site
• Directly access all data on the server
• Destroy/modify the database to make it unusable

Of course, none of that is good news.

Thwarting SQL Injections

This website security threat requires similar vigilance as cross-site-scripting. Sanitize, filter, escape, and validate data input and make sure you encrypt confidential information. Many web frameworks do this automatically.

As a non-developer, keep WordPress and its components updated and use a WordPress security plugin. Many of them come with functionality to prevent SQL injections. You can find more detailed information on this topic in a dedicated WP Engine article.

Website Security Threat #6: Ransomware/Defacement

Ransomware is a type of software that blocks access to your website or other business assets and only unlocks it again if you pay money to the attacker—and sometimes not even then.

Defacement is similar in that it messes up the design or content of your website or leaves a message of a successful hack on it.

In each case, someone somehow gained access to your site, which can come with a host of negative outcomes:

• The cost of the ransom (if you pay it, which can be expensive)
• Fees for the cleanup
• Lost sales and loss of reputation
• Staff productivity losses from being unable to perform their work
• Reduced search engine rankings due to being blocklisted

How to Protect Yourself

The way to prevent ransomware and defacement attacks is to follow other best practices mentioned in this guide to lock down access to your website and server. Keep your login information safe, your site updated, and put a backup solution in place so you can go back to an earlier version of your site.

Website Security Threat #7: Malware and Spyware

This is not so much a danger to websites themselves but something that can happen to your site. When an attacker gets access to it, they may install malware and spyware that infect your visitors’ computers. Your compromised website ends up acting as a vehicle to further the hacker’s agenda.

What Can Happen?

Malware is a big danger to your reputation. When a browser or antivirus program detects it, they will prevent visitors from accessing your site.

What’s more, search engines can blocklist you and remove you from their index since they don’t want to send their users to websites that harm them.

Of course, both can result in massive traffic loss, and it’s sometimes hard to get yourself off of blocklists even when you have fixed the problem. Without traffic, there is no revenue, no leads, no customers, no business.

Preventing Malware Infections

Again, follow the practices mentioned in this guide to keep other website security threats out of your site. Particularly, employ strong credentials and multi-factor authentication, keep website components up to date, and be vigilant about what you install on your site.

In addition, keep your own computer clean by using antivirus software and regularly scan your website for Malware, for example via Sucuri Sitecheck.

Website Security Threat #8: Man-in-the-middle Attack

These kinds of attacks are common on websites that don’t use encryption for their traffic. Here, the attacker intercepts unprotected data and can thus gain access to login, payment, or other sensitive information. Man-in-the-middle attacks also happen in unsecured wifi networks.

How to Protect Yourself

On websites, the number one method to counteract this threat is to use encryption. Install a TLS/SSL protocol on your site and switch it over to HTTPS. This automatically encrypts all information sent between your site and visitor browsers, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks from succeeding.

In addition, protect your work and home wifi with a strong password and by changing the default credentials. Plus, be especially careful when using public wifi. Use a VPN to protect your traffic and only log in to your site from public wifi when absolutely necessary.

Website Security Threat #9: Supply Chain Attacks

A supply chain attack is when an attacker infiltrates a website through third-party software. For example, when someone hacks into an SaaS product that integrates with a lot of websites and then gains access to those sites in the process.

We have seen supply chain attacks in WordPress in recent years. In one case, attackers intentionally spiked plugins with malicious code. Another time, they broke into the distribution server for a WordPress extension to do the same.

In most cases, these attacks were quickly discovered and the plugins in question have been banned or patched. But it’s still something to be aware of.

How to Prevent It

The best recipe for preventing supply-chain attacks is to follow best practices for the use of plugins and third-party code on your website:

• Only use reputable sources for extensions like plugins and themes
• Keep your integrations to a minimum, only install what you really need
• Regularly audit your site if all third-party stuff is still relevant
• Use an activity log to spot suspicious behavior going on on your site

Keep Website Threats at Bay

Security threats are something that every website owner must face. They are an unfortunate reality of operating on the Internet. Thankfully, many of them can be prevented by implementing some common-sense best practices:

• Be vigilant about the messages your receive, links you click on, and attachments you download
• Invest in a firewall, CDN, and uptime monitoring
• Use strong passwords, limit user capabilities and login attempts, and set up multi-factor authentication
• Minimize the amount of plugins and themes on your site and make sure to get them from legitimate sources
• As a developer, sanitize and validate your data
• Keep your website and everything belonging to it up to date
• Use HTTPS to encrypt your website’s traffic
• Have a backup solution in place in case something goes wrong
• Don’t input sensitive information in unsecured networks

Following these should be enough to protect yourself from the majority of common website security threats. Stay vigilant!

What other ways to protect your website from security threats do you recommend? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 9 Common Website Security Threats (And How to Counter Them) appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, implementing domain privacy is relatively easy. There are WordPress hosting providers and domain registrars that offer this service. Taking the necessary steps to protect your domain can be an effective way to safeguard your personal information. 

In this post, we’ll discuss what domain privacy is and why it’s important. Then, we’ll show you how to implement it on your WordPress site. Let’s get started! 

An Introduction to Domain Privacy

When you register for a domain, you have to enter your personal details. This information is available to anyone who tries to access it.

However, there is a system in place that protects your data. Domain name privacy (also known as WHOIS privacy) refers to domain name registrars that protect personal information from being publicly displayed in the WHOIS directory.

This directory is a public database of all website domain names. It includes the contact details of every domain owner. The WHOIS directory is maintained by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers):

When you search for a domain in the ICANN lookup tool, it provides you with information such as the date of registration, nameservers, and domain status. It also displays some details about the domain owners, including their phone numbers and email addresses.

This information is available to the public. However, you can implement domain privacy to hide this data.

Why Domain Name Privacy Is Important

If you don’t protect your domain information, you could be at risk of identity theft, spam calls, and cyberattacks. There are numerous reasons why someone might want to use this data, such as:

• Unsolicited marketing: People can get your email from this site, so you might receive messages from marketers trying to sell you their services.
• Purchasing a domain from another user: The WHOIS directory is an easy way for businesses or people to find the current owner of a domain they want to buy.
• Scamming: Given how easy it is to get this personal data, it’s very likely that you’ll get spam emails or messages from scammers.

By taking measures to obtain domain name privacy, you can boost site security, protect your data from competitors, and prevent domain theft. However, it can make it difficult for people to contact you if they want to purchase your domain.

How to Implement Domain Privacy in WordPress (3 Tips)

Now that you know what domain privacy is and why it’s important, let’s look at how to implement it on your WordPress website.

1. Check to See If You Already Have Domain Privacy

If you already have a domain, you can check to see if your contact details are private. You can do this with the ICANN lookup tool.

To do so, enter your domain name in the search bar:

This will give you details about your domain registration. Scroll down to Contact Information:

Here, you can see if any of your personal information is hidden. If it is, you probably already have domain privacy. 

If you can see your personal information, it means that you don’t have privacy. To hide this data, you’ll want to look into a domain protection plan.

2. Request a Domain Protection Plan From Your Hosting Provider

If you don’t have domain privacy, there are a few different avenues you can take. First, you can check to see if the hosting company offers this service. Certain providers can give you domain protection with your hosting plan.

Hosting companies that provide domain protection include GoDaddy, Hostinger, and FastComet. You can contact these providers to see how you can get this service. The process is usually straightforward if you haven’t already signed up for a domain.

Even if you already have a domain, you can still protect your privacy. You might want to search for this option in your account. Alternatively, you could reach out to your provider to ask about its domain protection plans.

3. Add Domain Privacy Through Your Domain Registrar

If your hosting provider doesn’t offer domain privacy, you may be able to add a protection plan through your domain registrar. There are several companies that offer this service, including Google Domains. This registrar lets you purchase domain protection at checkout.

If you haven’t purchased your domain yet, you can enter your desired URL name in the Google Domains search bar:

This will tell you if the domain is available to purchase. If not, it will give you suggestions for alternative names or TLDs:

You can browse the available options until you find one you like. Then, select it and proceed to checkout:

Here, you’ll see an option for privacy protection. This is labelled Privacy protection is on:

Make sure that the toggle switch is on to enable your domain privacy. You can also add auto-renew and a custom email. When you’re done, you can click on Checkout to complete your purchase.

If you want to modify a domain that already exists, the process should be equally straightforward. We recommend that you reach out to your registrar’s support team to see if they can add privacy to your domain.

Conclusion

If you value your privacy, you most likely want to protect your personal information. Taking steps to hide your domain details can help you keep your data safe and prevent security breaches.  

To recap, here are three tips you can use to implement domain privacy on your WordPress website:

1. Check to see if your domain is already protected using the ICANN lookup tool.
2. Request a domain protection plan from your hosting provider.
3. Add domain privacy through a domain registrar such as Google Domains.

Do you have any questions about domain privacy? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post How to Implement Domain Privacy in WordPress (3 Tips) appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, you can use a WordPress logging plugin to track user activity on your website. Tracing modifications can unearth the root of issues and tell you the who, what, and when behind problematic changes. Overall, logging enables you to more easily resolve any complications. 

In this post, we’ll explain WordPress logging and why eCommerce site owners should consider using it. Then, we’ll walk you through how to set up logging via a plugin. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to WordPress Logging

WordPress logging is a process that collects records displaying all modifications to your WordPress website. Its logs can be helpful if you have multiple users accessing or working on your site. They also enable you to track customer activity and keep track of downloads, logins, emails sent, and more.

There are many things a logging tool can track, including:

• Content modifications
• Changes to user profiles and permissions
• Plugin and theme changes
• New and removed users 
• Failed login attempts 
• Changes to WordPress core and its settings
• Technical issues

Generally, you will use a plugin or external software to track user activity on your WordPress website. Now let’s explore why logging is such an essential task!

Why It’s Important to Track User Activity in WordPress

Tracking user activity is essential to maintaining an efficient and secure eCommerce website. Overall, it improves transparency on your site and streamlines the troubleshooting process.

WordPress logging is particularly important if you have multiple administrator user roles. Members of your team can make mistakes. Therefore, if you have a record of activity, you’ll be able to trace issues to fix them and prevent problems in the future.

Logs can also identify hacking attempts and other suspicious activity. As such, logging is especially important for running an online business because you must protect your company’s information and customer data.

For example, a brute force attack is when a user submits numerous password and username combinations, hoping they will eventually guess correctly and gain access to your website. Logging tools will notify you of this behavior so that you can stop a security breach before it happens.

Furthermore, online stores aren’t the only websites that can benefit from WordPress logging. For example, if you have a blog with multiple contributors, an activity log can track added posts, edits, and general updates. Therefore, it’s worth using a logging tool to ensure your WordPress site is running as it should.

How to Log Activity in WordPress (In 3 Steps)

Now that you know the importance of WordPress logging, it’s time to discuss how you can implement it on your site.

For this tutorial, we’ll be using the Activity Log plugin due to its features and ease of use. It offers around-the-clock user activity tracking for single or multisite setups, and it’s also free to use and download.

Step 1: Install and Activate Activity Log Plugin

You’ll first need to install the Activity Log plugin in your WordPress dashboard. When you click on Activate, you’ll be taken to your Plugins page:

In the lefthand navigation bar, you should now see Activity Log listed. Navigate to this tab:

If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll see that the app has already tracked itself being activated:

This is just one example of the activity that your new plugin will record. We’ll now explain how to set up the tool for WordPress logging.

Step 2: Test the Plugin and View Its Logs

Now it’s time to test certain activities and verify that Activity Log is tracking them. You can do this by viewing your site on the front end and leaving a comment on a post:

If you navigate back to the Activity Log tab, you’ll see that the action has been tracked. You should be able to see the user name, IP address, date, time, and general information about the action:

This is an example of an action on the front end of the website. It can be helpful for seeing how users interact with your web pages.

However, tracking activity on your site’s back end is a more critical component. If someone has access to your website and has modified content, this tool can also log the user who performed the action and when they did it.

Let’s take a quick look at how this works. We’re going to make a minor edit to the Shop page in our online store:

Here, we’ve just made a slight modification to the name:

Navigating back to the Activity Log tab, we can now see that the tool has noted the change:

The log gives you many details about the modification, including the username, IP address, and exact time when the edit was made. This kind of information can be very handy if someone ever makes an unauthorized change to your eCommerce site.

If you want to filter the log by user rules, you can use the Filter button. For example, you can view specific roles such as Administrator, Editor, or Guest:

Keep in mind that the Activity Log plugin can track many actions on your WordPress site, including:

• WordPress core updates
• Created, updated, and deleted pages, posts, categories, and tags
• User information, including login, logout, login attempts, profile updates, and registered and deleted users
• Installed, updated, activated, deactivated, and changed plugins and themes
• All shop settings and options for WooCommerce

Activity Log will record all of these actions by default. However, you might also like to tinker with the plugin’s settings to fit the needs of your online store.

Step 3: Customize the Plugin’s Settings

If you’d like to customize the plugin’s settings, navigate to Activity Log > Settings:

Now you can make a few modifications to the plugin settings. For example, the Keep logs for feature lets you choose how long you want to store the records on your website:

You’re able to keep your log for an indefinite number of days. However, it isn’t recommended because you can bloat your database. Therefore, consider storing your activity log for 30 days.

Activity Log will automatically keep failed logins on record. If you feel like you don’t need this information, you can change it with the Keep Failed Login Logs setting:

Finally, if you’d like to delete all log activities, hit Reset Database. This will erase all of the records you have saved.

Once you’re done, click on Save Changes. Now you just need to check the plugin periodically to see all your activity logs.

Conclusion

Getting to the root of issues on your WordPress website can be challenging if you have a lot of hands on deck. Fortunately, using an activity log plugin is one of the most effective ways to monitor modifications to your eCommerce website. That way, you’ll be able to access important information if and when you need it. 

To recap, here are three steps you can take to track and log activity on your eCommerce website:

1. Install and activate the Activity Log plugin in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Test actions on your site to see how the log works.
3. Customize the plugin settings, including how long you want to keep your log.

Do you have any questions about using WordPress logging on your eCommerce website? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post WordPress Logging: What It Is & Why You Should Use It appeared first on Torque.

Understanding the causes behind problems with SSL certificates will make it easier to troubleshoot this error. Then you’ll be able to regain access to your website and ensure that visitors don’t run into scary browser warnings.

In this article, we’ll talk about the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error and what causes it. Then we’ll go over four ways to troubleshoot it. Let’s get to work!

What Is the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL Error (And What Causes It)?

The ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error message is unique to Google Chrome. The browser displays this screen when you try to access a website that uses an SSL certificate it can’t validate:

Although this error message is specific to Google Chrome, you can encounter the same problem with other browsers. Mozilla Firefox, for example, displays the following error message instead:

Someone could be trying to impersonate the site, and you should not continue. Websites prove their identity via certificates. Firefox does not trust X certificate because its certificate issuer is unknown, the certificate is self-signed, or the server is not sending the correct intermediate certificates.

Error code: SEC_ERROR-UNKNOWN_ISSUER

The main problem with the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error is that some browsers prevent you from accessing sites that display it. Firefox enables you to choose whether to go to the website anyway, but other browsers, such as Chrome and Edge, don’t give you that option.

If the error appears to potential visitors, it makes your website almost unreachable. However, in most cases, the problem is with your computer rather than the site itself or its certificate. That means it’s not common for this error to appear for all visitors.

How to Fix the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL Error (4 Methods)

In this section, we’ll assume your website has an SSL certificate from a trusted authority. SSL certificates are incredibly easy to obtain and set up (you can even get them for free).

If you’re using a self-signed certificate, go ahead and replace it with a valid one. However, if you have a certificate from a trusted source and it’s correctly set up (many web hosts will do it for you), then the problem is most likely with the device you’re using.

Fortunately, changing some local settings should clear up the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error in no time. Let’s take a look at four potential solutions!

Method 1: Wait For the Certificate to Propagate

Sometimes, you might run into the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error if you set up a valid certificate and try to access the site immediately. The certificate needs time to propagate, just like when you update a domain’s settings.

If you just set up an SSL certificate, we recommend trying to access the website from multiple devices. If the error appears on all of them, you can assume that you’re dealing with a propagation issue. In that case, simply wait a few hours for the certificate to become associated with the domain you’re using.

You can also check to see if your SSL certificate is working using an online tool such as Qualys’ SSL Server Test. You can test any domain to see if it has an associated certificate and if it’s working properly:

The SSL report can take several minutes to generate. If the certificate is working correctly, you should only see green check marks. Otherwise, you might need to re-install the SSL certificate or ask your hosting provider to do it for you.

Method 2: Check Your Device’s Time and Date

By design, SSL certificates are designed with expiration dates. That expiration forces you to renew the certificate periodically, proving you’re the website owner.

When you visit a website with an SSL certificate, the browser checks its expiration date and compares it to your device’s date. If the certificate is expired, the browser will let you know.

Your device’s time might also be wrong, meaning that the browser can’t check for the certificate’s validity and starts displaying errors such as ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL. In that case, the fix is simple. All you have to do is update your device’s time and date to the correct values.

Most Operating Systems (OS) do this automatically to prevent errors. On Windows devices, open the Start menu and type in Change time and date. The Date & time settings will pop up, and you can select the option that says Set time automatically:

Once you’re sure that you have the correct date and time, close the settings window and try reaccessing the website. If the error persists, it’s time to try another solution.

Method 3: Clear the SSL State

You’re probably familiar with the concept of browser caching. Still, you may not know that browsers also cache SSL certificates to avoid re-authenticating them whenever you visit the same websites.

The “problem” with SSL caches is they sometimes cause conflicts if they continue to store outdated versions of a certificate. Fortunately, if this is the source of the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error, you can fix it by clearing the SSL state (which is what we call this particular cache).

That process varies between OS and browsers. On Windows, you can clear the SSL slate by opening the Start menu and typing in Internet Properties. Click on the option that comes up and go to Internet Properties > Content. Now look for the button that says Clear SSL state at the top of the window:

The SSL slate will clear instantly, and you can try accessing the website again. The error should now be gone if the problem was with an outdated SSL certificate.

Method 4: Disable Your Antivirus (Temporarily)

Finally, depending on your chosen antivirus software, it might come with a built-in firewall. Sometimes, firewalls can be overzealous when blocking websites due to security issues, including problems with SSL certificates and HTTPS connections.

Although an antivirus program blocking a connection with a valid SSL certificate is rare, it can happen. To make sure that isn’t the case, we recommend temporarily disabling your antivirus software and firewall.

This process will vary depending on which antivirus software you’re using. Typically, you’ll be able to find an option to disable the antivirus completely, but we recommend reading the software’s documentation.

Once you disable the antivirus software, try to access the website normally. If you can now visit the site, then you know what the culprit is. Typically, you’ll be able to reactivate the firewall after a while since the error should be temporary.

Conclusion

SSL certificate errors tend to be easy to troubleshoot. As long as you know the certificate is valid and hasn’t expired, the problem usually lies with your device’s configuration. Tweaking a few local settings is often enough to solve the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error.

If you run into the error and you want to troubleshoot it, here’s what you need to do:

1. Wait for the certificate to propagate.
2. Check your device’s time and date.
3. Clear the SSL slate.
4. Disable your antivirus (temporarily).

Do you have any questions about fixing the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL error? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

The post How to Fix the ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL Error appeared first on Torque.

By implementing two-factor authentication (2FA), you can easily improve the security of your website. This will give your users multiple ways to verify identity, preventing any unwanted entry. Ultimately, 2FA can increase security, accountability, and compliance for WordPress websites.  

In this post, we’ll explain what two-factor authentication is. Then, we’ll show you the benefits of WordPress 2FA and how you can implement it on your site. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

When you log into WordPress, you’ll use a personalized username and password. If this information is compromised, it could leave your website vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data leaks. Even worse, each user that you add to your site increases this risk. This is where two-factor authentication (2FA) comes in.

Two-factor authentication is a security technique that implements two different authentication factors during the login process. This adds another layer of security, making it harder for attackers to access your website while giving legitimate users easy entry.

A common example of 2FA is using security questions to sign into a sensitive account. Instead of simply entering a password, you can give answers that only you would know, preventing unauthorized access. 

In WordPress, you can require all users to enter a password and a one-time passcode to enter your website. Although passwords are guessable, passcodes are not. That’s because users receive these one-time codes via their preferred method (which is already safely stored in the database and can’t be changed during login). 

Plus, it will only be valid for a certain amount of time. This second form of authentication will make it much harder for unauthorized users to access your website. 

The Benefits of Using 2FA for WordPress Websites

Now that you’re familiar with two-factor authentication, let’s discuss why you should consider implementing it!

1. Secure Your WordPress Login Page

As a website owner, it’s important to have a strong password. If you choose a simple, easily guessable password like ‘123456’, it makes it easier to break into your website. 

However, no matter how complex your password is, it can eventually be guessed, hacked, or leaked. You can use two-factor authentication to prevent these unauthorized logins. 

When using 2FA, every login will require both a password and a one-time passcode sent to a trusted device. Even if your password is guessed, an intruder will not be able to get the authentication code needed to log in:

Even better, you can require 2FA for all users on your WordPress website. This way, your security risk doesn’t skyrocket the more your site grows. When a registered user who has set up 2FA tries to log in, a one-time passcode will be sent to their phone or email.

2. Boost User Accountability

As your website grows, you may need to add additional users. This will enable developers, marketers, or other necessary team members to sign in to your WordPress dashboard. 

To keep your site as secure as possible, you’ll want to limit every role (and its associated permissions) on your website to trusted users:

However, you won’t know if a user shares their login password with someone else. With increased password sharing, your login information could be exposed to someone who wants to steal your data or hijack your website. Without 2FA, these malicious actors can more easily log in to your WordPress dashboard and change or share site data without permission.

Two-factor authentication makes it harder to share passwords. Even if unwanted users have the right password, they won’t receive the 2FA passcode that’s only sent to a trusted device. 

Since your users will likely be working on the go, they may also be using unsecured network connections. This can increase the risk of man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, which can lead to password theft. Using 2FA, you can make sure all logins are authorized users, no matter where they’re coming from.

3. Comply With Legal Web Requirements

When managing a website, it’s important to make sure that it meets the necessary legal requirements. This way, you can increase trust between you and your visitors while avoiding any fines.

Using two-factor authentication helps you comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is a European law that ensures users have the right to control how their data is collected:

In a report by the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), GDPR compliance should involve 2FA for any system that processes personal data. Essentially, you should implement 2FA on your website to protect your audience’s data and prevent leaks. 

Two-factor authentication can also help you meet the Payment Card Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Simply put, this ensures that companies maintain a high level of security when dealing with payment information. Although this isn’t a law, non-compliance can be met with fines or expensive audits.

The PCI DSS requires eCommerce websites to implement multi-factor authentication. When using at least two authentication factors, you’re meeting one of the compliance requirements of this standard. 

4. Reduce Helpdesk Support

If a password is forgotten, the user may struggle to gain access to your website again. To help reset the password, visitors will likely turn to your IT team for support. This can be an easy and efficient way to solve login problems.

However, password reset requests are the main workload for helpdesks. In a report by Forrester, they found that it can cost $70 for every reset password. The report also found that help desks can spend up to $1 million every year on the necessary staffing and infrastructure. 

Plus, users may have a long waiting period while working with IT support. Ultimately, this can create a negative user experience (UX).

With two-factor authentication, your users can be less dependent on your IT helpdesk and resolve their login issues faster. Whenever they need to access their accounts, they’ll be able to use the helpful 2FA backup codes. 

How to Implement 2FA in WordPress

Two-factor authentication can be a simple but effective way to boost the security of your website. To implement it on a WordPress website, you can simply install a 2FA plugin. 

For instance, WP 2FA is a beginner-friendly WordPress 2FA plugin that can enable you to customize your login methods to your exact needs:

After you activate WP 2FA, you can use the setup wizard to enable two-factor authentication. Using the free version, you’re able to choose between two primary 2FA methods, but WP 2FA premium supports up to eight different 2FA verification channels:

Next, you can select users or roles that need to use 2FA. You can also exclude specific users if needed:

To fully secure your website, you can require that users configure 2FA right away. However, you can also implement a grace period:

Finally, you’ll need to finish setting up your 2FA method. This will involve installing an app like Google Authenticator or sending a one-time code to your email. After this, you’ll have a hacker-proof login page!

Conclusion

Two-factor authentication can be the key to maximizing WordPress login security. Luckily, you can easily enable these one-time login passcodes with a plugin. Thanks to these codes, your website won’t be compromised even if your users’ passwords are hacked.  

To review, here are the main benefits of 2FA in WordPress:

1. Secure your WordPress login page.
2. Boost user accountability.
3. Comply with legal web requirements.
4. Reduce helpdesk support.

Do you have any questions about whether you should implement 2FA on your website? Ask us in the comments section below!

The post The Benefits of Using 2FA for WordPress Websites appeared first on Torque.

Luckily, strengthening your WordPress site’s cybersecurity starts with a few easy steps that anyone can use. Here’s an overview of the key risks facing WordPress sites and what you can do to defend against them.

Common WordPress Cybersecurity Risks

Cyber threats have been on the rise across the board over the past few years. For instance, ransomware attacks rose an estimated 92.7% in 2021. Ransomware is arguably the most severe threat facing WordPress sites. If a hacker gets into your system, they could potentially take down your site or hold it, or your data, for ransom.

In addition to ransomware, WordPress sites can also be weaponized by hackers to attack site visitors. A hacker could plant malicious ads on your site or force your site to redirect visitors to another, untrustworthy site. Search engines will pick up on this suspicious activity and mark your site as untrustworthy, hurting your reputation while your visitors are also put in danger of cyber crime.

The most common gateways for WordPress cybersecurity breaches are plugins and themes. Both of these can be great tools for improving your site. Unfortunately, not all plugins and themes are built with security in mind. In 2021, as many as 13.7 million WordPress sites were exposed to security breaches through vulnerabilities in the same set of four plugins and 15 themes, all of which had critical vulnerabilities that hackers took advantage of.

Tips for Securing Your WordPress Site

These threats are serious, but there are actions you can take to protect your WordPress site and your visitors. These tips will help you get started boosting your WordPress cybersecurity.

1. Use Multi-Factor Authentication

One of the easiest ways to secure your WordPress website is using multi-factor authentication. This is a login technology you’ve probably already used on other websites. It consists of verifying every login attempt using an external identity verification method, such as a text message, email, or one-time access code. This way, even if a hacker manages to get your login credentials, they still can’t log in to your site because they don’t have access to your email account or phone.

Think of multi-factor authentication as a secure digital signature for your site – only you can sign off on login attempts, even if someone else knows your username or password. There are even WordPress plugins you can install that allow you to use an e-signature on your site. If you have a unique signature, it could prove extremely effective as a mode of multi-factor authentication.

2. Scan for Backdoors

Backdoors are secret entrances into your site that a hacker can use without being detected. This is one way in which hackers can exploit vulnerable plugins and themes. These tools sometimes create new access points into administrator privileges on WordPress sites. Through an admin account, whether real and hacked or simply fake, hackers can create a backdoor for themselves.

With the backdoor, they can come and go from your site and tamper with whatever they want. So, it’s important to regularly scan your site for backdoors, which are often hidden in PHP files and the code for plugins and themes. You can do this manually by looking over every line of code for anything out of order or using a trusted WordPress security scanner plugin.

3. Install Secure Plugins Only (And Add a Security Plugin)

The easiest way to avoid many WordPress cybersecurity risks is by practicing diligence when choosing your plugins and themes. Most plugins and themes aren’t created to be malicious. The problem is more that some add-ons for your WordPress site haven’t been designed with maximum security in mind. The developer may unintentionally leave holes and vulnerabilities in their code.

So, do plenty of research before installing any plugins or themes on your site. If you have plugins or themes installed that you aren’t using anymore, it’s a good idea to remove them. Additionally, make sure to install at least one trusted security plugin. There are many trustworthy WordPress security plugins out there, some of which are even free.

4. Keep WordPress, Plugins, and Themes Updated

Another simple way to strengthen your WordPress cybersecurity is to keep your site, plugins, and themes updated. It might seem inconvenient to put your site in maintenance mode for updates, but it’s crucial to protect your visitors and yourself. Updates frequently include new security features, ensuring that your site is prepared for the most up-to-date cyber threats.

Hackers will not hesitate to take advantage of out-of-date plugins, themes, or WordPress variants. It can be all too easy for a hacker to exploit an old bug that an update would have resolved. So, check for updates often and set aside time to let them install.

5. Monitor Login and User Activity

One of the keys to strengthening cybersecurity is increasing visibility. If you can see everything going on within your site, you will be better able to spot anything unusual. This is particularly important when it comes to user and login activity. Monitoring login attempts and user activity on your site will help you spot any unauthorized activity and catch a hacker in their tracks.

For instance, you might realize that an “admin” changed one of the outbound links on your homepage, though you did no such thing. This could be a hint to check for a fake admin account on your site – a backdoor a hacker is using to meddle with your WordPress site. The same goes for unauthorized login attempts, logins from users you did not create, and an unusually high number of login attempts.

There are a couple of ways you can monitor login and user activity on your site. For example, you can use the simple history feature built into WordPress. Similarly, plugins are also an option. Just make sure you do your research before installing any new plugins on your site.

Keep Your Site and Visitors Safe

Protecting your WordPress site and visitors is all about staying ahead of hackers. Simple tasks like updating your site, researching plugins, and strengthening your login methods can go a long way. The extra effort you put into securing your site will save you time and money spent recovering from a cyberattack.

Most importantly, you’ll be able to rest assured your visitors are having a safe, positive experience thanks to your WordPress cybersecurity measures.

The post Improving Security for Your WordPress Sites (And Your Visitors) appeared first on Torque.

The answer to your worries might be WordPress managed hosting. It has many benefits over shared hosting, including increased security. Managed hosting can help prevent attacks on your site and add extra protections in case of disaster.

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of what managed hosting is, as well as its benefits. Then, we’ll look at four ways WordPress managed hosting can boost your website’s security. Let’s jump in!

An Introduction to WordPress Managed Hosting

Managed hosting is a type of web hosting in which the provider takes on responsibility for managing some or all aspects of the server and website. This can include patching software, performance monitoring, and providing support to website owners. 

Managed hosting completely contrasts with unmanaged hosting, where the provider leaves all management tasks to the website owner. It can be more expensive than unmanaged hosting, but it will likely provide inexperienced WordPress users with peace of mind. 

Since managed WordPress hosting is specifically designed for the Content Management System (CMS), you can expect better website speed and performance, enhanced WordPress support, as well as updates. In terms of updates, this means that you’ll never have to worry about whether or not your website or plugins are out-of-date or slowing down your site.

However, perhaps the biggest benefit of managed WordPress hosting is increased security. With this option, your website will be hosted on a secure server. You’ll also get access to enhanced security features that are unavailable with other hosting types. Additionally, the WordPress experts who manage your account can provide an extra, human layer of security. They’ll even perform (or schedule) regular backups so that your data is always safe. 

How WordPress Managed Hosting Can Boost Your Website Security (4 Ways)

Now that you know the basics of WordPress managed hosting, let’s dive deeper into how it can boost your website security.

1. Data Loss Prevention

It’s no secret that data loss can devastate any website, especially eCommerce sites that store sensitive customer information. Whether it’s caused by a server crash or human error, the consequences can be expensive and challenging to recover from.

That’s why having a WordPress managed hosting solution is so important. Managed hosting providers will take care of all the technical aspects of your website, including security and backups. That means if something goes wrong, your data will be safe and you’ll quickly be able to get your site up and running again.

Backing up your website is crucial because it will help you recover from any of these worst-case scenarios. For example, if hackers access your site or if you accidentally delete something, you can restore your site from backup data.

In a nutshell, you won’t have to worry about losing critical data in an emergency. Managed WordPress hosting services will have a clear disaster recovery plan. This can enable you to focus on more exciting (maybe growth-related) aspects of your online business.

2. Expert Security Advice

As we mentioned, managed WordPress hosting typically includes expert security advice to help you keep your site safe from hacks and other vulnerabilities. With managed hosting, you can rest assured that your site is in good hands.

For example, experts can ensure that your site complies with all the necessary web security standards. You’ll have around-the-clock security monitoring and regular updates. Both of these things can help prevent incompatibilities and downtime before they happen.

One of the most important aspects of website security is the proper implementation of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TSL) certificates. Managed hosting can provide your site with a dedicated SSL or TLS certificate, which will encrypt all traffic to and from your pages.

This is essential for protecting your site from hackers and other cybercriminals. With experts keeping your SSL/TLS certificate up-to-date, you won’t have to worry about them expiring and leaving your site at risk.

Another critical element of website security is malware scanning and removal. Malware is a severe threat to any website and can cause significant damage if you don’t remove it quickly. Managed WordPress hosting will scan your site regularly for malware and safely get rid of it.

Other security features typically included with managed hosting are uptime monitoring and DDoS attack protection. Finally, Managed WordPress hosting can provide SOC 2 Type II protection. This is a high level of security compliance with the stringent requirements of the Payment Card Industry (PCI).

3. Firewall Protection

One of the most important website security measures is a firewall. As the name suggests, firewalls work by creating a barrier between your website and the rest of the internet. They do this by inspecting incoming traffic and blocking anything that looks suspicious. This helps to keep your website safe from malware, hackers, and other cyber threats. 

Managed hosting providers often make network-level firewalls available. This is a very effective way to protect your website from attack.  

Some of the best managed hosts, such as WP Engine, will come with their own proprietary firewall.

Others will include a service like a Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF). WAFs work by inspecting HTTP traffic and blocking anything that appears dangerous. Managed hosts typically offer a WAF as part of their services because they are an essential tool in keeping websites secure.

4. Dedicated Resources

If you’re running a website that deals with sensitive information such as financial transactions, it’s important to ensure that your server is secure. One way to do this is to choose a managed hosting provider that doesn’t share resources or environments with other websites. This means you can be confident that any malicious websites aren’t using your server. 

However, it isn’t just malicious websites that you need to be concerned about when you share an IP address on a shared server. Google’s algorithms will also downgrade your website if it’s sharing resources with any websites considered spam or adult.

Essentially, a managed hosting provider can guarantee a secure environment. This way, you can be sure that your website won’t be penalized by Google’s algorithms, and you can focus on providing your users with a great experience.

Having dedicated resources is also vital for eCommerce websites. That’s because these sites may need dedicated resources to ensure that they can handle large spikes in traffic. 

For example, during a big sale event, you may experience a significant increase in the number of visitors to your site. This can strain your server and cause your website to run slowly or even crash. By having dedicated resources, such as a separate server or increased bandwidth, you can be sure that your website can handle the increased traffic without issue.

Conclusion

If you’re concerned about website security and want an added layer of protection, managed hosting might be for you. By opting for managed WordPress hosting, you can gain top-notch security features and expert monitoring.

To recap, here are four ways that managed WordPress hosting services can boost your website’s security:

1. Data loss prevention
2. Expert security advice
3. Firewall protection
4. Dedicated resources

Do you have any questions about how managed WordPress hosting can improve website security? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post How WordPress Managed Hosting Can Boost Your Website Security (4 Ways) appeared first on Torque.

In fact, it’s important to understand precisely what a WAF is so you can decide if it’s a good idea for you. 

Today, we’ll explain all the finer details of web application firewalls. We will provide a definition, explain their benefits, the different types available, as well as how to select one should you decide to get one.

What is a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and What Does It Do?

A web application firewall (WAF) is a type of security system that filters and monitors incoming traffic to a website or web application. Its purpose is to block malicious traffic, such as hackers and bots, while allowing legitimate traffic through. 

In other words, a WAF is like a security guard for your website. It checks the identity of each visitor to makes sure they are who they say they are and that they aren’t trying to do anything malicious. 

WAFs can be either hardware- or software-based. They are usually deployed as an additional layer between your website and the Internet so they can intercept and inspect traffic before it reaches your site. 

Most WAFs use a set of directives, also known as a rule set, to determine which traffic they allow through or block. These rules are generally created by the WAF vendor based on common attack patterns. Some WAFs also allow you to create custom rules. 

What’s the Difference Between a Web Application Firewall and a Network Firewall? 

A WAF is different from a network firewall in that is is meant to specifically protect web applications. Network firewalls, on the other hand, aim to protect entire networks and can be either hardware- or software-based. 

While both types of firewalls can filter traffic, a WAF is more comprehensive in that it can also monitor and inspect web traffic for malicious activity. It can also block specific types of attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). 

Benefits of Using a WAF

With key definitions and distinctions in mind, you’re probably wondering what’s so beneficial about using a web application firewall. There are actually five key benefits worth noting: 

• Improved security: By keeping out malicious traffic, a WAF can help to improve the security of your website or web application.
• Reduced risk of attacks: Through blocking known attack patterns, a WAF helps to reduce the risk of a successful hack.
• Improved compliance: Depending on your industry, you may be required to comply with certain security standards, such as PCI DSS. A WAF can help you to meet these standards.
• Reduced false positives: Many WAFs include features that help to reduce false positives, such as rate limiting and IP reputation checks. This means that you are less likely to block legitimate traffic.
• Peace of mind: Knowing that your website or web application has another layer of protection can give you peace of mind. It’s basically one less thing to worry about. 

Of course, there’s more to the world of web application firewalls than just a few key features and benefits. There are several types to be aware of as well. 

Types of Web Application Firewalls

There are three main types of web application firewalls that you’ll need to be familiar with before making any purchasing decisions. 

1. Network-based WAFs

A network-based WAF is deployed as an additional layer between your website and the Internet. It inspects traffic as it passes through this layer.

Network-based WAFs are usually hardware-based, which means they require a physical device. However, there are some software-based solutions available. 

2. Cloud-based WAFs

A cloud-based WAF is a type of web application firewall that resides in the cloud. It inspects traffic as it passes through the cloud provider’s network. 

Cloud-based WAFs are usually managed by the provider. This means that they are usually easier to set up and manage than other types. 

3. Host-based WAFS

A host-based WAF is located on the same server as your website or web application. It inspects traffic that moves through the server. 

Host-based WAFs are usually software-based, which means you can add them to any type of server. However, they may require more configuration and management than the two other types mentioned here.

So that’s the three primary types of WAFs, but what about how they operate? That’s what we’ll be discussing next. 

WAF Models of Operation

Just as there were three main types of WAFs, they actually work in three distinct ways as well. These are typically referred to as their model of operation:

1. The positive security model, also known as the allowlist model, only permits traffic that has specifically been granted access by the rule set. This type of WAF is more restrictive but can be more effective at blocking malicious traffic. 
2. The negative security model, also known as the blocklist model, allows all traffic except what is specifically blocked by the rule set. This type of WAF is less restrictive but is less likely to block legitimate traffic. 
3. The hybrid security model is a combination of the positive and negative security models. It allows traffic that has been specifically allowed and blocks traffic that has been specifically blocked to whatever degree the person setting up the system dictates.

So you hopefully now have a pretty good understanding of what a WAF is and how it works. But before you decide if you’d like to invest in one, we need to talk budget.

Typical Costs of Web Application Firewalls

Web application firewalls are most often available in two pricing types. 

Deployment Costs

Deployment costs include the cost of hardware (if you’re using a hardware-based WAF) and the cost of installation and configuration. These costs can vary depending on the type of WAF you choose. 

Subscription Fees

Most WAF vendors charge annual or monthly subscription fees. These fees generally cover the cost of maintenance, support, and updates. Some WAFs also offer more features for an additional fee. 

How Do You Know If You Need a WAF?

If you’re still not sure if you need a web application firewall, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you store sensitive data on your website or web application? If so, you may need a WAF to help protect this data.
• Do you process payments? If yes, you likely need a WAF to help comply with PCI DSS.
• Are you required to comply with any security standards? A WAF may be necessary to meet them. 
• Lastly, are you concerned about the security of your website or web application? If you’re concerned your current security efforts aren’t enough, a WAF can help.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a WAF is likely a good choice for your business. 

How to Choose the Right WAF

When choosing a web application firewall, there are a few things you should consider:

• Deployment model: First, you need to decide which type of WAF is right for you. Do you want a network-based WAF, a cloud-based WAF, or a host-based WAF? 
• Security model: Next, you need to decide which security model you prefer. Do you want a positive security model, a negative security model, or a hybrid security model? 
• Pricing: Finally, you need to consider the cost. WAFs can vary significantly in price, so it’s important to choose one that fits your budget. 

No single WAF is right for everyone. The best way to choose a WAF is to evaluate your needs and then compare the features and costs of different web application firewalls against those needs. 

Most Popular WAF Providers for 2022

With the above in mind, we can now discuss a few of the most popular WAF providers on the market. Be sure to weigh the features and pricing of each before you land on a decision.

1. AWS WAF

AWS WAF is a cloud-based web application firewall that offers a positive security model. It’s available as a standalone service or as part of the AWS Shield Standard package. Notable features include:

• Integrates with Amazon CloudFront, making it easy to deploy and manage.
• Offers a comprehensive rule set that covers common web attacks.
• Available in two editions: Standard and Advanced. Standard is included with AWS Shield Standard, while Advanced is available for an additional fee. 

Pricing for AWS WAF starts at $5 per rule per month for the Standard edition and $10 per rule per month for the Advanced edition. 

2. Azure Web Application Firewall 

Azure WAF is a cloud-based web application firewall that offers a positive security model. It’s available as a standalone service or as part of the Azure Application Gateway package. Pricing for Azure WAF starts at $0.44 per gateway hour. 

3. Imperva WAF

Imperva WAF is a cloud-based web application firewall that offers a positive security model. It’s available as a standalone service or as part of the Imperva Incapsula package. Pricing for Imperva WAF starts at $59 per site per month for the Imperva App Protect Pro plan. 

4. Cloudflare WAF

Cloudflare WAF is a cloud-based web application firewall that offers a hybrid security model. It’s available as part of the Cloudflare Business plan, the pricing for which starts at $200 per month. 

These are just a few of the most popular web application firewalls on the market at the moment. Be sure to research prospective service providers well before committing to a service plan. 

Implementation and Best Practices 

Once you’ve chosen a web application firewall, you need to implement it. The process of implementing a WAF can vary depending on the type you’re using, of course. 

If you’re using a network-based WAF, you need to deploy it on your network. And if you’re using a cloud-based WAF, you need to sign up for an account with the vendor and then configure your website or web application to use the WAF. This usually happens by pointing your domain to the provider’s servers. The process will vary depending on the vendor, but it’s usually pretty straightforward.

If you’re using a host-based WAF, you need to install and configure it on your server. To do this, you will need to have access to your web server’s code and configuration. This is typically accessible via cPanel or some other management suite. If you don’t have this, you will need to work with your development team or hosting provider to get it installed and configured properly.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind: 

• Take the time to properly configure your WAF: Don’t just turn it on and hope for the best. 
• Test, test, test: After you configure your WAF, test it to make sure it’s working as expected. You can do this by manually testing your website or web application or by using a tool like WebInspect. 
• Keep an eye on your logs: Your WAF will generate logs that can give you insights into what’s happening on your website or web application.
• Monitor your website or web application for changes: If you see something that doesn’t look right, investigate it.

Note: If you’ve purchased a more all-in-one plan, some of these implementation steps may be completed for you.

Web Application Firewall Best Practices

Once you’ve chosen a web application firewall and set it up, there are a few best practices to keep in mind over the long-term, including:

• Make regular updates: Make sure you keep your WAF up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Otherwise, it may not be able to protect your website or web application.
• Monitor your WAF logs: Monitor your WAF logs regularly. This way, you can spot any potential attacks or security issues.
• Keep testing: Audit the WAF on a regular basis to make sure it’s working properly. You can use a tool like WebInspect or Burp Suite to perform periodic tests.

Final Thoughts: Discovering Web Application Firewalls and Their Role in Your Business 

Today, we’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to web application firewalls (WAFs). We’ve established that a WAF is a type of security software that helps protect websites and web applications from attacks. They can be deployed in a variety of ways, including on-premises, in the cloud, or as a host-based solution. 

It’s also apparent that when choosing a WAF, it’s important to consider your needs and budget. And after selecting from the most popular options, implementing it properly and following best practices is tantamount.

But what do you think? Do you use a web application firewall? Are you currently weighing your options? Work it out in the comments below.

The post What Is a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Do You Need One? appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, you can easily protect your website by understanding the ins and outs of this kind of attack. With proper knowledge, you can take the necessary steps toward securing your website against RCE hacks.

In this post, we’ll discuss RCE attacks and how they can harm your website. Then, we’ll discuss five ways you can protect your site, including using a Web Application Firewall (WAF). Let’s dive right in!

An Overview of Remote Execution Attacks

RCE is a cyber-attack where a hacker remotely executes code commands on somebody’s device. These attacks may happen if the host unknowingly downloads malicious malware. Then, the hacker can install data-stealing malware and deny access to user files until the owner pays a ransom or mines cryptocurrency. 

Furthermore, once an attacker has exposed a vulnerability, they can exercise complete control over your information and device. Your customer data may be compromised, you might lose your website files, and your reputation can be destroyed forever.

Moreover, RCE attacks are increasing, rising from 7 to 27 percent of the most common critical vulnerabilities between 2019 and 2020. This increase is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic moving many businesses to a virtual-first environment.

How to Protect your Website Against Remote Code Execution Attacks (5 Ways)

We’ve just covered the dangers of RCE attacks. Now, let’s discuss five ways to protect your website from them!

1. Install a Web Application Firewall

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is an excellent prevention tool that can protect your site against various security risks, including RCE attacks. It monitors and filters HTTP traffic to block suspicious parties from breaching your defenses. Essentially, it acts as a buffer between your web server and incoming traffic. 

For example, a tool like Sucuri WAF can safeguard your site against RCE attacks, speed up your loading times, and even increase your website’s availability:

In addition to protecting your site against RCE attacks, Sucuri can remove existing malicious code on your site and prevent DDoS attacks. Depending on your web host, your hosting service might also come with WAF protection.

2. Ensure Your Software Is Up-to-Date

Keeping all your website software up-to-date is critical for RCE prevention. Therefore, it’s crucial to consistently monitor your site for new updates to themes, plugins, and the core WordPress software. 

The developers behind WordPress, plugins, and themes regularly roll out updates that improve security and functionality. Thus, updating your site as often as possible effectively minimizes security risks that RCE hackers could exploit. 

Head to Dashboard > Updates in your WordPress dashboard to manually update your software. Here, you can view any available updates and enable them by clicking on them:

If you have any outdated plugins, click on Select All and Update Plugins to get to the latest versions:

Alternatively, you can partner with a managed WordPress hosting provider. This company takes care of multiple behind-the-scenes tasks like automatic updates, website security, and performance boosts. Choosing a managed host can automatically protect your site against RCE attacks and other security threats.

For example, WP Engine is a reliable web host with a sophisticated WAF, automated updates, daily backups, and access to both a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and SSL certification:

WP Engine hosting plans start at $23 per month. This package supports one website and 25,000 monthly visitors.

3. Use Buffer Overflow Protection

A buffer holds data in a memory storage zone while it is transferred between different locations. Overflow happens when the amount of data is more than the buffer’s capacity. When this happens, the data-writing program starts overwriting other memory locations. 

If there is a buffer overflow, it can enable exploiters to overwrite your software’s memory. They can add malicious code and commit an RCE attack. Therefore, protecting your site against buffer overflow is critical to preventing RCE threats. 

Fortunately, buffer overflow protection is typically built into most theme code libraries in WordPress. Languages such as C/C++ may not have buffer overflow protection, but Javascript, PERL, and C# do.

Therefore, we also recommend following coding best practices to protect against buffer overflow when developing your site.

4. Limit User Access Permissions

In WordPress, you can assign multiple different permissions to your users. For example, there are administrators, editors, authors, contributors, and subscribers. Each user type has different permissions, and only the administrator can directly edit the code.

By ensuring each user only has the access level they need to do their job, your site won’t be fully compromised if a hacker infiltrates one of the user roles.

For example, if you have freelance writers on your blog, consider assigning them as editors, authors, or contributors, depending on their roles. 

Navigate to Users > All Users in your WordPress dashboard to edit user roles. Then, click on Edit under the user you want to modify:

Then, scroll down to Role and select an appropriate role for the user from the drop-down menu:

As a general rule, don’t give anybody the Administrator role unless you want them to have full access to your site and its code.

5. Use Intrusion Detection Software

Intrusion Detection Software (IDS) scans your website’s inbound and outbound traffic and notifies you if it detects suspicious activity. With these notifications, you’ll know when and if you need to take proactive measures against RCE attacks.

Suricata is an example of a free and open-source IDS tool that can alert you when your network is receiving suspicious requests:

In addition to intrusion detection, Suricata provides services such as:

• TLS/SSL logging and analysis
• HTTP logging
• DNS logging

Suricata also provides users with a full control panel of analytics, events per type, alerts, and HTTP user agents over time.

Conclusion

Keeping your security up-to-date is an essential task as a WordPress site owner. If hackers can access your site and steal customer data, you’ll likely face severe legal and financial penalties. However, you can thwart common cyber-attacks such as Remote Code Execution (RCE) by taking simple precautions.

In this post, we discussed five methods for protecting your website against RCE attacks:

1. Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF).
2. Make sure your website’s software is updated to reduce security risks.
3. Ensure your website is protected against buffer overflow.
4. Limit your users’ access permissions.
5. Utilize Intrusion Detection Software (IDS).

Do you have any further questions about Remote Code Execution attacks and how to protect against them? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post How to Protect Your Site Against Remote Code Execution Attacks (5 Ways) appeared first on Torque.

That’s why we’ve put together this complete guide to the best SSL certificate providers. By exploring the validation times, costs, and type of products each company provides, you should have no problems finding the option that’s right for you.

In this post, we’ll discuss why SSL certification is important for all websites and is absolutely crucial for eCommerce sites. We’ll then explore four of the industry-leading SSL providers and debate their strengths and weaknesses. Let’s get started! 

An Introduce to SSL Certificates (And Why They’re Essential for WordPress Websites)

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an encryption protocol that can secure the information exchanged between a visitor’s browser and a website. 

When someone visits your site, their browser will request a connection. Your website will respond by sending an SSL certificate with a public key. Assuming that the certificate is valid, the browser will encrypt the visitor’s data and send it to your site. Finally, your server will decrypt this information using the public key, plus a secret private key.

With this process, visitors can confirm the identity of the websites they’re communicating with. SSL can also prevent malicious third parties from eavesdropping on visitor data while it’s in transit.

If you don’t install an SSL certificate, most modern web browsers will mark your website as Not Secure. This is a sure-fire way to scare away potential customers.

By contrast, if your site has an SSL certificate, most browsers will display a padlock icon alongside the address bar. The visitor can click on this icon and view certification, identification, and other information about your website: 

Online privacy continues to be a concern for most internet users. This means that an SSL certificate can be a valuable addition to any website, as it encourages visitors to view your site as trustworthy. Using SSL may even boost your search engine rankings because Google has confirmed it uses HTTPS as a ranking signal.  

We highly recommend that every website installs an SSL certificate. However, using one is particularly important if you accept any payments or personally identifiable information. For example, eCommerce sites and membership sites frequently handle sensitive data.

4 Best SSL Certificate Providers for WordPress Websites

If your site doesn’t have an SSL certificate, you may alienate potential readers and customers. You’ll also struggle to monetize your content. Most online payment services require you to install an SSL certificate before receiving money. 

With that in mind, let’s make sure your site is secure and profitable. Here are four places where you can acquire that all-important SSL certificate. 

1. Let’s Encrypt

Some website owners avoid installing SSL certificates due to the costs involved. While avoidance may help minimize your expenses in the short term, this approach can leave your site vulnerable to data theft.

The good news is that you can acquire an SSL certificate for free, thanks to the Let’s Encrypt organization. It is a great choice for startups and small businesses, who typically have tighter budgets. Free certificates may also be suitable for non-profit websites.

However, installing a free Let’s Encrypt certificate is a multi-step process. It may require knowledge of server systems and programming. This can make it difficult to actually use your SSL certificate after acquiring it. 

Fortunately, many WordPress hosting companies offer free Let’s Encrypt certificates as part of their hosting packages. For example, WP Engine customers can activate their certificates on any domains with just a few clicks. You can use them on both staging and development sites: 

One downside of Let’s Encrypt is that its certificates expire after 90 days. As a busy website owner, it’s easy to fall behind on renewing your SSL software, putting your site and visitors at increased risk of data theft. 

Thankfully, some hosting providers will manage the renewal process for you. For example, WP Engine will attempt to auto-renew your certificate 15 days before it’s due to expire. 

2. Comodo SSL

Comodo SSL is a company that specializes in SSL certificates. As a dedicated provider, it’s not surprising that it offers a wide variety of products.

If you own multiple websites, you may be happy to learn that Comodo SSL has a selection of wildcard certificates. You can use them to secure a single domain plus an unlimited number of sub-domains. 

Just be aware that wildcards are only available in Organization Validation (OV) and Domain Validation (DV). Suppose you require Extended Validation (EV). In that case, the Multi-Domain SSL and SAN certificates are available at all levels. They can secure up to 250 different websites. 

This product variety makes Comodo SSL a good option for anyone who has specific SSL requirements. It’s also ideal for securing multiple sub-domains.

However, there is such a thing as too much choice. The sheer number of SSL certificates can be daunting for anyone who doesn’t have in-depth industry knowledge. 

As previously mentioned, the process of installing an SSL certificate can be complicated. If you need a helping hand after purchasing your certificate, then Comodo SSL offers 24/7 support via multiple channels. It includes email and live chat.

Comodo SSL pricing can vary dramatically depending on the type of product you’re purchasing. However, single-domain SSL certificates start at $7.02 per year. The company also offers a price match guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its items. 

3. DigiCert

DigiCert positions itself as the SSL certificate provider for large enterprises that require the highest level of security. In fact, according to its website, 97 of the 100 largest banks in the world and 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies are secured using DigiCert solutions.

When installing an SSL certificate, you may encounter delayed validation times. They can result in lost sales and can leave your website vulnerable to hackers.

DigiCert claims to issue OV certificates in minutes and EV SSL certificates in hours. If you need either of these options in a hurry, then the lightning-fast issuance times can make the company an attractive option. 

When it comes to its offerings, DigiCert keeps things straightforward. It divides its certificates into three categories: Basic SSL, Secure Site SSL, and Secure Site Pro SSL.

While its Standard SSL certificate is priced at $238.00, the Secure Site EV Multi-Domain SSL comes in at a whopping $2785.00 per year. As one of the more expensive providers, DigiCert isn’t well suited to small businesses, startups, or entrepreneurs.

However, the company boasts features including a $1.75M Netsure Protection Warranty and a $2M aggregate Relying Party Warranty. As such, it’s clear that DigiCert has its sights set firmly on enterprises. If your business has a significant turnover and high security requirements, then this company may offer the level of protection you need. 

4. Entrust 

As a founding member of the Certificate Authority Security Council (CASC) and the CA/Browser Forum, Entrust is an established SSL provider. This organization has a long history of issuing secure certificates.

Unlike some providers, Entrust doesn’t offer DV certificates. If you’re searching for this type of product, then you’ll have to look elsewhere.

However, there are security concerns regarding DV certificates, so not using one shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for many websites. Instead, Entrust only issues EV and OV SSLs, which are better suited to business use.

Entrust also offers a suite of web-based tools, including robust reporting software. The reports can help you avoid security gaps, downtime, and certificate expirations.

If you’re running your site as part of a team, then you’ll be happy to learn that the company also provides multi-person, multi-level expiration notifications. 

By offering end-to-end lifecycle management for your digital certificates, Entrust positions itself as an all-in-one solution. If you’re looking for a self-contained SSL system with access to additional tools, this company may be a good fit for your organization.

Prices range from $199 for a standard OV to $699 for a wildcard OV. Entrust also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Conclusion 

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate can help reassure your users and keep their private information safe. If you don’t already have one installed on your site, then you may be missing out on potential customers, conversions, and sales.

To help you find your perfect SSL certificate, let’s quickly recap the four providers we covered earlier:

• Let’s Encrypt: A non-profit certificate authority that’s supported by many of the major hosting providers, including WP Engine.
• Comodo SSL: This provider has an extensive range of products, including multi-domain SSL certificates. 
• DigiCert: If you need enterprise-grade features, rapid issuance, or million dollar guarantees, then DigiCert may be your perfect provider. 
• Entrust: An established certificate provider that specializes in Extended Validation (EV) and Organization Validated (OV) SSLs.

Do you have any questions about the SSL certificate providers mentioned in this post? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post 4 Best SSL Certificate Providers for WordPress Websites appeared first on Torque.