WordPress is popular, flexible and for many organisations a practical way to manage a website. Automated systems constantly search for websites with known vulnerabilities, outdated plugins, weak passwords or unsafe configurations. Once they find a usable entry, an attack can take place completely automatically. WordPress security therefore requires structural management.
Short answer
You reduce the chances of a WordPress hack especially by quickly updating WordPress, plugins and themes, removing unused parts, securing admin accounts, hardening the technical environment and actively checking for abuse.
- Keep WordPress, plugins and themes up-to-date.
- Limit the number of plugins and remove unused software.
- Secure management accounts with strong unique passwords and MFA.
- Secure hosting, configuration and access to the website.
- Check actively for vulnerabilities and suspicious changes.
A secure WordPress site arises by organizing maintenance, access protection, technical racking, monitoring and repair preparation as one coherent management process.
Why is WordPress security now extra topical?
The Dutch Data Protection Authority published its opinion on 27 August 2026 after the regulator received many reports of data leaks via hacked WordPress sites.
The NCSC also warned on 21 July 2026 about serious vulnerabilities in WordPress Core. A short time after publication of the security updates, actual abuse was observed.
The concrete vulnerabilities are changing. The underlying lesson remains the same: organisations need to know what software they use, can quickly review security updates and check that their website remains secure.
Why are WordPress sites hacked so often?
A WordPress installation usually consists of WordPress Core, a theme, plugins, a database, web hosting, management accounts and links with other systems. Any part can contain vulnerabilities.
Plugins are a large and constantly changing ecosystem. A website with twenty plugins actually uses software from twenty different suppliers, besides WordPress itself and the hosting environment.
If a serious vulnerability is detected somewhere, attackers can search Internet-wide for websites that are still running that version. Understanding the software used is therefore at least as important as installing security software.
1. How do you keep WordPress, plugins and themes securely up-to-date?
Security updates are an important part of WordPress security. Once a vulnerability becomes public, a race often arises between website administrators who want to patch and attackers who seek vulnerable installations. That difference can only be hours or days.
Check regularly which versions are active, which updates are available, whether the software is still supported and whether any updates are actually installed successfully. Use automatic security updates where this is justified and organise a fast route for critical vulnerabilities.
A monthly maintenance round can be too slow when a vulnerability is actively abused. Read how to use it patch management and vulnerability management structural.
- check the active WordPress version
- review updates for plugins and themes
- check if any software is still supported
- record urgent vulnerabilities and exceptions
- verify after completion whether updates have been successfully executed
2. Why do you need to delete unused plugins and themes?
Each additional plugin increases the amount of software that needs to be maintained. A deactivated plugin that remains on the server may still contain vulnerable files. The same applies to old themes and left behind test software.
Therefore, keep the WordPress installation as simple as possible. Ask with every new plugin if the functionality is really needed. Less software means less maintenance and usually also a smaller attack surface.
- delete plugins and themes that are no longer used
- Use only software from reliable sources
- check if a plugin is actively maintained
- avoid software whose latest update years ago appeared
- do not use illegal or custom zeroed versions
3. How do you secure WordPress management accounts with MFA?
Stolen, re-used or easily guessed passwords are a common entry. Use a unique password, a password manager, multifactor authentication and a personal account for each administrator account.
Do not share a general account such as administrator, webmaster or admin between multiple persons. For example, access can be withdrawn immediately when a person leaves or a supplier no longer needs access.
A worker who only changes texts does not usually need full management rights. Periodically check which accounts have administrator privileges and also secure the environment that allows passwords to be restored.
- WordPress management accounts
- hosting accounts and the management email address
- FTP and SFTP
- database and DNS management
- accounts of external web builders
4. How do you secure the surrounding WordPress?
WordPress runs on a web server, uses a database and is often linked to DNS, email, forms, analytics and external services. Therefore, check the infrastructure around the CMS.
Think of current server software, supported PHP versions, correct file rights, encrypted management connections, HTTPS, limited management access, a web application firewall where appropriate and good separation between websites and environments.
Hiding the WordPress version or changing a default URL may create additional noise. Updates, MFA and good access management remain the basis.
What agreements do you make with a web agency or hosting party?
Specifically identify who is responsible for WordPress and plugin updates, security updates, backups, monitoring, recovery after an incident and checks on vulnerabilities. The wording including maintenance will only give certainty when it is clear which activities, time limits and controls are covered.
5. How do you actively check that your WordPress site remains secure?
A website can be hacked without the homepage changing visibly. Attackers can add admin accounts, place malicious JavaScript code, forward visitors, add phishing pages, read personal data or maintain access via a backdoor.
Use vulnerability scanning, security logging and file integrity check where appropriate to identify such changes earlier.
- unexpected admin accounts and login attempts
- modified or new files
- unknown plugins or configuration changes
- abnormal network traffic
- alerts from hosting or security services
What role do backups play?
Backup does not prevent a hack and can greatly reduce its impact. Provide automatic backups, multiple recovery points, a copy outside the active WordPress environment, protection against deletion or overwrite and periodic recovery tests.
A backup that has never been tested or can be reset gives little certainty during a real incident.
Is a WordPress security plugin enough?
A security plugin can provide useful features such as MFA, brute force protection, malware control, file integrity monitoring, blocking suspicious requests and security logging.
See such a plugin as one technical measure within a broader security approach. Also, do not automatically add more security plugins. It's still software that needs to be maintained.
- keep WordPress and other software up-to-date
- secure admin and hosting accounts
- Set up the hosting securely
- organise monitoring and follow-up
- make maintenance responsibilities explicit
How do you know if your WordPress site was hacked?
Possible signals include unknown admin accounts, unexpected page changes, redirects, strange advertisements, new files or plugins, phishing pages under your own domain, and Google, visitor or hosting provider alerts.
Some attacks leave barely visible traces. If you have serious suspicions, research is therefore more important than simply restoring the website to a previous backup.
Is a hacked WordPress site automatically a data breach?
No. A technical hack and a data breach are different concepts. Research at a hacked WordPress site does have direct access to personal data, for example from contact forms, quote requests, accounts, webshops, plugins or databases.
Where personal data may have been accessed illegally, the organisation should assess whether there is a data breach and whether data subjects should be informed.
WordPress hacked yet? Read Hacked? What now? First steps after a cyber incident. There's the incident response step plan without us duplicate it here.
How often do you need to check and update WordPress?
There is no secure fixed term for each update. The urgency depends on the risk. A small functional update can often be done via regular maintenance. A serious security breach for which exploitation code is available or active abuse is observed may require action on the same day.
Organize automatic alerting, periodic maintenance checks, a procedure for urgent vulnerabilities, recording exceptions and checking for successful installation. The current risk determines the speed.
Can you check WordPress security in five questions?
Use these five questions as a compact control. When one or more answers are unclear, that is a concrete improvement point for WordPress security.
1. Is all the software up to date?
Check WordPress Core, plugins, themes, PHP and relevant server components.
2. Do only the right people have rights to control?
Check accounts, MFA, personal access and the rights allocated.
3. Are we just using software that we really need?
Remove unused plugins, themes and test installations.
4. Can we recognize any suspicious changes?
Use logging, monitoring, vulnerability scanning and periodic checks.
5. Can we recover safely?
Ensure protected backups and periodically test whether recovery is actually working.
How do you assess security outside WordPress?
A WordPress site is often only one part of the digital attack surface. A Cybersecurity Assessment also gives you insight into vulnerabilities, configuration, technical management and the functioning of security measures.
Sources and deepening
Based on official frameworks and practical implementation
The source pages provide the formal background. Kynexis Information Security translates this information into an executable approach for your organisation, sector and risk profile.
Updates and strong passwords are an important basis. A Cybersecurity Assessment shows whether security measures work and where vulnerabilities require attention.
Check out the Cybersecurity Assessment →