Many WordPress users rely solely on security plugins for protection. While these plugins add a layer of security, they aren’t often enough to protect your WordPress website completely, especially when cybercriminals are getting smarter.
With AI on the rise, hackers can now mass-scan WordPress sites to identify and exploit vulnerabilities faster than ever. Therefore, you need a multi-layer strategy that includes real-time monitoring, proactive updates, and a solid WordPress security foundation to protect your site.
Let’s look at the biggest security risks threatening WordPress sites today and the best ways to increase website security beyond just using a plugin.
4 Mounting WordPress Security Threats & How to Deal With Them
One thing is clear: the types of attacks haven’t changed, but how hackers carry them out has. They’re using automation, machine learning, and smarter techniques to find and exploit weak WordPress sites in bulk. Let’s look at different trends to understand why this is happening:
1. WordPress Vulnerabilities are Rising Faster Than Before
According to Patchstack, we witnessed 7,966 vulnerabilities registered in WordPress last year, which is about 34% more than the 5,947 recorded in 2023.
This staggering increase shows that WordPress is getting attacked more often and, considering how fast AI is growing, we should expect worse next year. Hackers are using automated bots, and machine learning to scan thousands of WordPress sites in seconds. Identifying sites with outdated WordPress core, plugins, themes, and even exposed readme.html files is a lot easier now.
So, there’s an even stronger need to keep your WordPress software updated. If you haven’t done so already, enable auto-updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes so your site remains undetected from these mass scans.
If you manage multiple client sites, you can stay on top of WordPress updates using a WordPress site manager like Divi Dash. You can oversee every aspect of WordPress websites, whether plugins, themes, or core updates, within one dashboard without remembering passwords. It won’t solve all your problems, but at least you will have an easier way to manage your sites. (More about this below.)
To further enhance your WordPress security, you should make it difficult for hackers to access your core files. Hide wp-config.php, readme.html, license.txt, and WordPress core versions. This way, hackers can’t scrape or hurt your website data.
2. Popular Plugins and Themes are Being Targeted
Using trusted themes and plugins has generally been better for security, and still is for the most part. But even the most popular themes and plugins aren’t safe from malicious attacks. According to Patchstack, well-known plugins like LiteSpeed Cache, and many others were registered vulnerable last year.
The CVE-2024-44000 vulnerability was found in the LightSpeed Cache plugin. The plugin was active on 5 million websites when the vulnerability was discovered.
This just means that no plugin or theme is safe all the time.
While reliable theme and plugin authors actively release patches to fix vulnerabilities, not all developers are that diligent. For example, Patchstack found two bugs in a real estate theme and plugin from InspiryThemes, both with a severity score of 9.8/10. However, the latest three updates didn’t include patches, and there has been no news so far.
(If you’re using them, Patchstack recommends disabling them to protect your site.)
You need to be even more selective of the themes or plugins before installing them. Choose from reputable developers with a strong track record of security updates and ongoing support. Always check when they were last updated and whether they have a history of quickly patching vulnerabilities.
Don’t download abandoned themes/plugins. Even when installing from the WordPress directory, confirm that they’re compatible with the latest WordPress version and updated regularly.
Audit every week to remove unwanted themes and plugins so you have minimum third-party elements on your site.
3. AI is Outsmarting Traditional Security Defenses
Unfortunately, scanning and identifying thousands of vulnerable WordPress websites is just one way hackers can use AI. They can outsmart traditional security measures by finding creative uses, such as:
- Brute Attacks: Finding leaked credentials and predicting password patterns to crack logins is easier. Hackers can break into WordPress admin accounts within seconds. This means websites without unique passwords, 2FA authentication, and Google CAPTCHAs are unsafe.
- XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) Attacks: An AI tool can rewrite XSS payloads until it bypasses security rules and steals admin session cookies. Enable a real-time malware scanner like Wordfence.
- SQL Injection: Hackers can test different SQL injection techniques to exploit weak database security.
- CSRF-Tokens Bypass: AI can learn how CSRF tokens are generated and forge requests that trick users.
A cyber threat report by Trellix also highlights a noticeable increase in AI-driven attacks targeting WordPress vulnerabilities. This means that unprotected and weakly secured WordPress sites are easy targets for hackers.
Traditional solutions are no longer enough.
There’s an even stronger need to harden your WordPress site security. If you’re using a random plugin, switch to a modern and comprehensive security system like Wordfence.
Wordfence protects against common cyber threats, including brute force attempts, SQL injections, and XSS attacks with malware scanning. Here’s how:
- Malware Scanner: Automatically detects and removes malicious injections and spam.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Blocks SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and zero-day exploits before they reach your site.
- Brute Force Protection: Prevents unauthorized logins by limiting failed attempts and enforcing strong password policies.
- Advanced Login Security: Reduces credential stuffing and phishing attacks with 2FA and CAPTCHA.
Note that while Wordfence is a good solution for general WordPress security, it’s not enough on its own. Especially since AI threats are evolving, no single solution is foolproof..
It’s best used as part of a multi-layered security strategy that also includes WordPress monitoring services, server-side security hardening, real-time behavior-based monitoring, and external firewalls. We’ll explore these solutions below.
4. Common Vulnerabilities Are Still Going Strong
While AI-driven threats are getting more sophisticated, common vulnerabilities remain the biggest security risks for WordPress sites. The 2024 Patchstack database shows that Cross-Site Scripting, broken access control, and Cross-Site Request Forgery were the most reported vulnerabilities, followed by data exposure, SQL injection, and arbitrary file upload.
It highlights that these common threats haven’t disappeared but evolved, and ignoring them leaves your site open to attacks. Basic WordPress hardening is just as important as defending against AI-powered threats.
To prevent the above mentioned security threats, follow these measures:
- Enable a Content Security Policy (CSP): To restrict unauthorized scripts and lower the risk of XSS attacks.
- Limit Login Attempts and 2FA: Protect against brute force attacks and reduce the risk of unauthorized access to prevent broken access control.
- Hide the WordPress Login Page: To make it harder for attackers to exploit /wp-admin. It helps reduce unauthorized access risks.
- Enable CSRF Protection: Implements random tokens to validate actions, protecting against CSRF attacks.
- Use HTTPS: Encrypts data in transit, preventing sensitive data exposure and reducing the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Disable XML-RPC: Blocks brute-force entry points and mitigates DDoS attacks.
If you’re uncomfortable making these changes yourself or don’t know how to code, you can install the right security plugins. Most of these can be handled using a combination like Malcare + Cloudflare + Wordfence.
However, to find specific tools for each threat, check our list of the best security solutions. Here are a few more resources for optimizing your site:
- How to secure your WordPress website
- WordPress security guide for freelancers (perfect if you’re managing multiple WordPress sites for clients)
What You Can Do to Protect WordPress from Modern Attacks
Just one security plugin isn’t the solution, or at least not enough anymore. So, how can you protect your WordPress website from these creative and modern attacks? Here’s the multi-layered security approach worth reviewing:
1. Invest in WordPress Security Monitoring Services
Traditional security solutions might not work against modern-day threats like zero-day vulnerabilities because they rely on predefined rules and known attack patterns.
WordPress security isn’t a once-done thing—it’s an ongoing process that requires 24/7 tracking and maintenance. That’s why serious business owners are investing in WordPress security monitoring services like Patchstack, which focuses on keeping your site protected at all times.
Patchstack detects security vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins, themes, and core files and provides real-time alerts. Once you install the Patchstack Security plugin and connect it to your site, it monitors for vulnerabilities and blocks known exploits before hackers can take advantage of them.
Here’s how it helps:
- Real-Time Vulnerability Monitoring: Monitors publicly disclosed security vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and core files. It also alerts you before they can be exploited.
- Virtual Patching & Threat Prevention: Virtual patching (premium feature) blocks known exploits before developers release a fix. This reduces the risk of zero-day attacks.
- Security Threat Intelligence: Uses its extensive vulnerability database and security research to detect and respond to newly discovered threats.
- Detailed Security Reports: Provides real-time alerts, recommended actions, and security insights with detailed reports.
The best part about Patchstack is that its cloud-based, which makes it 10 times lighter than traditional security tools. It keeps your site fast while constantly monitoring for threats.
Like other solutions, Patchstack has its limitations. For example, it detects and blocks known vulnerabilities but does not modify plugin or theme code or apply official updates. You still need to manually update your WordPress software or use a solution like Divi Dash.
2. Opt for Reliable and Proven Security Solutions
Proactive prevention is always better than damage control. Choosing trusted security measures helps keep your website safe and reduces the risk of attacks. Here are some reliable tools that fight against the most commonly exploited WordPress security threats:
| Security Tool | Category | Threats It Solves | How It Helps |
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| Sucuri Security | Website Security & Monitoring |
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| Wordfence | Security Plugin |
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| SolidWP | Security Plugin |
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| MalCare | Security & Malware Protection |
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| Cloudflare | CDN & Security |
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| UpdraftPlus | Backup Plugin |
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| Jetpack | Multi-Purpose Security & Performance |
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| WP Rocket | Caching & Performance |
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Pairing these security solutions with a solid foundation can add another layer to your WordPress site.
3. Build a Strong Security Foundation
A secure WordPress website starts with a strong foundation: a reliable hosting, theme, and security plugin.
For instance, don’t choose any web hosting because it’s cheap—choose Siteground, which offers real-time monitoring, excellent uptime, and advanced security. Similarly, choose a secure, all-in-one theme like Divi, which offers many built-in features, so you don’t have to install plugins.
1. Use Siteground for Secure Hosting
Siteground is a reliable and reputable hosting provider known for its built-in security features, such as:
- Free SSL Certificates: To secure your website and encrypt data which helps keep visitor information safe.
- Automatic Updates: SiteGround automatically updates WordPress and plugins, so you don’t have to do it manually.
- Daily Backups: Your website is backed up daily to offer data security.
- Web Application Firewall: A firewall scans incoming traffic and blocks dangerous requests to protect your site from hackers.
You can also install the free Security Optimizer plugin that comes with Siteground. It includes features like hiding your WordPress version, blocking unwanted access through XML-RPC, protecting against harmful scripts such as XSS, and strengthening login security with 2FA and limited login attempts.
2. Use Divi + Divi Dash
Divi is a powerful, all-in-one WordPress theme that has most of the tools you need built-in, reducing the need to add more plugins that could compromise your site security. It includes:
- Drag-and-Drop Builder: No need for a separate page builder plugin. Divi’s visual editor lets you design pages with custom layouts and advanced styling options.
- 200+ Design Modules: Choose from built-in modules (sliders, forms, galleries, testimonials, etc.) to add functionality to your site.
- Advanced Theme Customization: No need for additional customization plugins. Divi Theme Builder lets you fully customize headers, footers, post templates, and global styles.
- Built-in Marketing Tools: Divi comes with A/B split testing, contact forms, and conversion-focused modules, so you don’t need extra plugins for marketing and lead generation.
- Divi Dash: A powerful site management tool for WordPress websites. It makes managing multiple WordPress sites easier by keeping track of updates in one central dashboard.
With Divi, you can build, optimize, and maintain your websites—all from a single, secure platform.
3. SolidWP for Basic WordPress Security
SolidWP is an effective WordPress security solution that offers built-in protection and login security tools. Here’s how:
- Comprehensive Security Suite: Protects your site from malware, brute-force attacks, and vulnerabilities.
- Two-Factor Authentication & Login Security: Built-in 2FA, reCAPTCHA, and brute-force protection secure your login page.
Siteground + Divi + SolidWP is a powerful combination that protects your website from attacks while also making sure it’s doing its job—attracting site visitors and converting them into customers.
The most underrated feature of these services is proactive support. All of these are known for their responsive and premium support. You always have expert assistance to resolve issues quickly. Why worry about WordPress security alone when you have reliable experts to help out?
Let Divi Dash Take Care of Your WordPress Updates
Managing multiple WordPress sites can be time-consuming, but Divi Dash simplifies the process by giving you a centralized dashboard to handle everything in one place. Whether you’re updating plugins, logging in, or monitoring site performance, it eliminates the need for extra management tools.
- Bulk Update Everything: With one click, you can update themes, plugins, and WordPress core across all your sites to save time and effort.
- Set Auto-Updates: Automate updates for plugins and themes to keep your websites secure and running smoothly.
- Password-Free Login: Access all your sites instantly without entering passwords.
- Website Overview: Get an overview of your sites, including update statuses, security alerts, and performance insights.
The best part is that Divi Dash is free with the Divi theme, so you don’t need to purchase a separate WordPress website manager—everything is built right in. Divi is a powerful WordPress theme that gives you complete control over your website design. Plus, it includes impressive built-in features like Divi Leads, Divi Quick Sites, and more, so you don’t have to install many plugins. The fewer the plugins installed, the safer your website from vulnerabilities.
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