Every WordPress site on the internet gets probed by automated attacks, not because anyone targeted you personally, but because bots scan everything, around the clock, looking for easy wins. We watch this happen across the sites we host every single day. The encouraging part: the same few habits stop the overwhelming majority of it.
Use a real password, and don’t reuse it
The most common attack we see is simple: bots trying thousands of username and password combinations against login pages. They try admin, info, your business name, and passwords leaked from other websites. A long, unique password, ideally from a password manager, defeats this entirely. If your WordPress username is still “admin,” create a new administrator account with a different name and remove the old one.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication means a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in, the attacker would also need the code from your phone. Free plugins like Wordfence Login Security or Two-Factor add this to WordPress in minutes. It’s the single biggest security upgrade available for the effort involved.
Update everything, promptly
Most successful WordPress break-ins exploit a known flaw in an outdated plugin or theme, one that was already fixed in a newer version the site simply hadn’t installed. SiteVirtue applies WordPress core updates for you automatically; make it a habit to review plugin and theme updates weekly, and delete anything deactivated. An inactive plugin can still be a way in.
Be stingy with accounts
Give collaborators the lowest role that lets them do their job, an Editor rarely needs to be an Administrator. Remove accounts for people who no longer work with you, and if your site allows open visitor registration but doesn’t need it, turn it off under Settings → General. Spam registrations pile up quickly and each one is a small liability.
What your host should be doing
Good hosting quietly handles a layer you never see: firewalls that block attackers automatically, rate limits that shut down password-guessing, free SSL so logins are encrypted, and nightly off-site backups in case the worst happens. Every SiteVirtue plan includes all of it, so the habits above are your half of the partnership, and we’ve got the rest.