Is WordPress Secure? The Truth About WordPress Security in 2026

WordPress powers 43% of all websites. That makes it the world's biggest target for hackers. But is WordPress actually insecure, or is it just popular?

Let's look at the facts.

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The Uncomfortable Statistics

Hacked Sites

• 30,000+ WordPress sites hacked per day

• 90%+ of hacked CMS sites are WordPress

• 70% of WordPress installations have known vulnerabilities

Vulnerability Sources

Where WordPress security issues come from:

Source

% of Vulnerabilities

Plugins

56%

WordPress core

16%

Themes

11%

Hosting/server

17%

Key insight: Most vulnerabilities are from plugins, not WordPress itself.

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Why WordPress Gets Hacked

1. Massive Target

43% of the web = millions of identical attack surfaces. Hackers can:

• Find one vulnerability

• Write automated exploit

• Attack millions of sites

Economy of scale favors attackers.

2. Plugin Ecosystem

60,000+ plugins, varying quality:

• Many abandoned (no security updates)

• Some written by amateurs

• Vulnerabilities discovered constantly

• Users don't update promptly

Every plugin is a potential attack vector.

3. Outdated Installations

According to WordPress.org statistics:

• Only ~60% run latest major version

• Many run versions 2+ years old

• Old versions have known exploits

Attackers know exactly which vulnerabilities exist in old versions.

4. Weak Authentication

Common issues:

• "admin" username still used

• Weak passwords (123456, password)

• No two-factor authentication

• Login page publicly accessible

Brute force attacks are trivially easy.

5. Shared Hosting Risks

On shared hosting:

• One hacked site can affect others

• Limited security controls

• Server-level vulnerabilities

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Common Attack Types

1. Brute Force Attacks

What: Automated password guessing

How: Bots try thousands of username/password combinations

Scale: Some sites see 10,000+ login attempts per day

2. Plugin Vulnerabilities

What: Exploiting code flaws in plugins

Recent examples (anonymized):

• Contact form plugin: SQL injection

• SEO plugin: Cross-site scripting

• Backup plugin: Arbitrary file upload

Reality: Several plugin vulnerabilities discovered weekly

3. SQL Injection

What: Malicious database queries through forms

Result: Data theft, site defacement, backdoor installation

4. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

What: Injecting malicious JavaScript

Result: Session hijacking, credential theft, malware distribution

5. Malware Injection

What: Adding malicious code to files

Results:

• SEO spam (hidden links)

• Cryptocurrency mining

• Redirect to malicious sites

• Data harvesting

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What Happens When You're Hacked

Immediate Impacts

1. Site defaced - Your content replaced

2. Malware distributed - Visitors infected

3. Data stolen - Customer info compromised

4. SEO destroyed - Google blacklists site

5. Email spam - Server sends spam, gets blacklisted

Long-term Consequences

• Reputation damage - Customers lose trust

• Revenue loss - Downtime = no sales

• Recovery costs - $500-5,000+ to clean

• Legal liability - If customer data stolen

• Google penalty - "This site may be hacked" warning

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The Defense Burden

Securing WordPress requires constant vigilance:

Weekly Tasks

• Update WordPress core

• Update plugins

• Update themes

• Review security logs

• Check for malware

Monthly Tasks

• Security audit

• Review user accounts

• Test backups

• Review plugin necessity

Essential Security Stack

Function

Tool

Cost

Firewall

Wordfence/Sucuri

Free-$200/yr

Backup

UpdraftPlus/BlogVault

Free-$100/yr

SSL

Let's Encrypt

Free

2FA

WP 2FA

Free

Malware scanning

Sucuri/Wordfence

Free-$200/yr

Minimum security setup: 4-5 plugins, ongoing maintenance

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Is WordPress Core Secure?

Yes, reasonably so.

WordPress core team:

• Releases security updates promptly

• Has dedicated security team

• Follows responsible disclosure

• Core vulnerabilities are fixed quickly

The problem isn't WordPress core—it's the ecosystem around it.

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The Real Question

Instead of "Is WordPress secure?" ask:

"Am I willing to do what it takes to keep WordPress secure?"

This means:

• ✅ Updating immediately when patches release

• ✅ Vetting every plugin before installing

• ✅ Monitoring for security issues

• ✅ Maintaining backups

• ✅ Running security scans

• ✅ Paying for quality hosting

If the answer is no (or you can't), WordPress may not be right for you.

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Making WordPress More Secure

Essential Steps

1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords

• Minimum 16 characters

• Random, not based on words

• Different for every site

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

• WP 2FA plugin (free)

• Authenticator app or hardware key

3. Limit Login Attempts

• Block IPs after failed attempts

• Use Limit Login Attempts Reloaded

4. Hide Login Page

• Change /wp-admin/ URL

• WPS Hide Login plugin

5. Keep Everything Updated

• Auto-updates for minor releases

• Update major versions within days

• Remove unused plugins/themes

6. Use Quality Plugins Only

• Check last update date

• Read reviews and support forum

• Fewer plugins = less risk

7. Get Quality Hosting

• Managed WordPress hosting preferred

• Server-level firewalls

• Automatic backups

• SSL included

8. Regular Backups

• Automatic daily backups

• Store off-site (not just on server)

• Test restoration periodically

Advanced Protection

9. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

• Cloudflare (free tier available)

• Sucuri Firewall ($200/yr)

• Blocks attacks before they hit your server

10. File Change Monitoring

• Alerts if core files modified

• Wordfence includes this

11. Database Security

• Change table prefix (during install)

• Regular database backups

• Remove unused data

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When to Consider Alternatives

Signs It's Time

1. You've been hacked multiple times

2. Maintenance is consuming too much time

3. Security anxiety keeps you up at night

4. You can't keep up with updates

5. Budget for security is limited

Alternatives by Security Level

Alternative

Security

Maintenance

Static sites (Next.js, Astro)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Minimal

Ghost (hosted)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

None

Squarespace

⭐⭐⭐⭐

None

WordPress (managed host)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Moderate

WordPress (shared host)

⭐⭐

High

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Why Static Sites Are More Secure

Static site generators (Next.js, Astro, Hugo) create HTML files at build time.

Attack surface comparison:

Attack Vector

WordPress

Static Site

Database attacks

✅ Vulnerable

❌ No database

PHP vulnerabilities

✅ Vulnerable

❌ No PHP

Plugin exploits

✅ Vulnerable

❌ No plugins

Brute force login

✅ Vulnerable

❌ No login page

Session hijacking

✅ Possible

❌ No sessions

File injection

✅ Possible

❌ Read-only deploy

Static sites eliminate entire categories of attacks.

Trade-offs

Static sites require:

• Development skills (or developer)

• Different editing workflow

• Build step for changes

Worth it if security is a priority.

Learn about static site alternatives →

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If You Stay with WordPress

Minimum Security Checklist

• [ ] Quality hosting (managed WordPress)

• [ ] Strong passwords + password manager

• [ ] Two-factor authentication

• [ ] Limited plugins (only essential)

• [ ] Auto-updates enabled

• [ ] Daily backups off-site

• [ ] Security plugin (Wordfence or similar)

• [ ] SSL certificate

• [ ] Regular security audits

Recommended Security Plugins

Plugin

Function

Cost

Wordfence

Firewall, scanning

Free/Premium

Sucuri

Firewall, CDN, cleaning

Premium

iThemes Security

Hardening

Free/Premium

WP 2FA

Two-factor auth

Free

UpdraftPlus

Backups

Free/Premium

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FAQ

Q: My site is small—will hackers bother with it?

Yes. Attacks are automated. Bots don't check your traffic numbers before attacking.

Q: I have a security plugin. Am I safe?

Safer, but not immune. Security plugins are one layer. You need multiple layers plus vigilance. See our complete security checklist →

Q: Can managed hosting prevent all attacks?

No, but it significantly reduces risk. Good managed hosts block many attacks at server level. Compare hosting options →

Q: How often do WordPress sites get hacked?

Statistics vary, but thousands daily. Most are automated attacks, not targeted.

Q: If I'm hacked, can I recover?

Usually, if you have backups. Professional cleaning costs $500-2000. Prevention is cheaper.

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Conclusion

Is WordPress secure?

WordPress core is reasonably secure. But "WordPress" as most people use it—with plugins, themes, maybe sketchy hosting—has significant security challenges.

The honest answer:

WordPress can be secure if you:

• Use quality hosting

• Keep everything updated

• Use minimal, trusted plugins

• Implement proper security measures

• Stay vigilant

WordPress becomes insecure when you:

• Neglect updates

• Use too many plugins

• Choose cheap hosting

• Use weak passwords

• Ignore security best practices

If you can't commit to the above, consider alternatives that are secure by default.

Related guides:

• Why WordPress Is Slow (And How to Fix It)

• The True Cost of Running a WordPress Site

• JAMstack Explained for WordPress Users

Explore more secure alternatives →