Securing your website from threats in the modern digital age is important. iThemes Security is one of the powerful tools that can help you protect your site. This article will explain how to Install and setup the iThemes security plugin, for improving your site’s security.
Table of Contents
What is iThemes Security plugin?
iThemes Security is a WordPress plugin designed to improve the security of WordPress websites. The plugin offers almost all security features in the free version to secure websites, but for more advanced and complete security measures, users are required to purchase the Pro version.
Websites can be protected from common security threats with the help of the iThemes Security plugin WordPress. It is officially known as Better WP Security.
How to Install iThemes security plugin?
The basic instructions on how to install iThemes WordPress security plugin are as follows:
Log in to your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to the Plugins section and Click on “Add New“.
Search for iThemes Security and Install the plugin.
And then Activate the plugin.
How to Setup iThemes security plugin?
Once activated, you’ll notice a new Security entry in your sidebar. Select it to launch an initial Security Check on your website. IThemes Security will automatically enable various modules to protect your site during the check.
Choose a site type
You can first choose from six site types that best represent yours. We will choose the “Blog” template, which best fits our site.
iThemes then asks you to enter the following information:
- For whom are you configuring the plugin
- Do you want to secure your user accounts with a password policy?
Checking “Yes” is a good practice.
Enable security features
In the next step, iThemes gives you the option to activate or deactivate the features of your choice, divided into four sections:
- Login Security
- Lockouts
- Site Check
- Utilities
The free version of iThemes Security offers five features:
- Two-factor, to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) when logging in to the administration interface
- Local brute force, to protect your site against brute force attacks (option is active by default)
- Network brute force, to block users who have tried to break into other sites before attacking yours (option is active by default)
- Site Scan Scheduling, to check your site twice a day for malicious files
- Security Check Pro, to identify IP addresses based on your server configuration by making an API request to iThemes.com servers (active by default)
Set up account groups
Following this, iThemes recommends that you set up “Account Groups.”
You have two options to choose from:
You will then access many settings depending on your user role (administrator, editor, author, contributor, or subscriber).
Set up general settings and notifications
To finish the configuration of your site, iThemes Security will ask you to do the following:
- Add your IP address to the list of allowed accounts
- Choose how the plugin will determine the IP addresses of your visitors
- Join or not it brute force the network (just enter your email address if you want)
- Enter an email address to receive notifications
That’s it. According to iThemes, your website has already seen significant improvements:
- The security of your accounts is enhanced.
- Brute force attacks, malicious bots, and user agents are all banned.
- Malware detection and detection of vulnerable themes and plugins is active.
Conclusion
iThemes Security plugin is a simple and user-friendly option to protect your website from online attacks. You can greatly improve the security of your online presence by using its features and according to easy-setting instructions. We believe this article covers the iThemes Security plugin installation and configuration rather effectively, and it should get you started.
FAQs
Q: Does iThemes Security plugin provide customer support?
A: Yes, customer service is available to premium users of iThemes Security plugin. Priority help and other features not seen in the free version are usually available to premium subscribers.
Q: Does iThemes Security plugin offer malware scanning?
Yes, iThemes Security plugin includes a malware-scanning feature that helps find and remove malicious code or files from your WordPress installation.
Q: How often should I run a security scan with iThemes Security plugin?
A: It’s advised to perform security checks frequently, once a week or more to make sure your WordPress website is safe and secure.
Q: Is iThemes Security plugin compatible with other plugins and themes?
A: It is compatible with a large number of plugins and themes. However, it’s advisable to test compatibility when installing new plugins or themes.
