Most hacked WordPress sites are running out-of-date plugins or themes. Keeping things updated is the most important thing you can do to protect your site.
Updating From WordPress
- Log in to your WordPress admin area (yourdomain.com.au/wp-admin)
- Go to Dashboard > Updates
- Update WordPress, then plugins, then themes
Make a backup before big updates. Softaculous can do this for you (see below), and JetBackup keeps daily copies too.
Updating With Softaculous
- In cPanel, open Softaculous Apps Installer
- Click Installations (the box icon at the top)
- Next to your site, click the Backup icon to make a backup first
- If an update is available, click the update icon and follow the steps
Turning On Automatic Updates
In Softaculous, click the pencil icon next to your site in Installations to edit its settings. Under Auto Upgrade, choose to upgrade to minor versions or to any new version, and tick the options for plugins and themes. Click Save Installation Details.
You can also turn on automatic updates for each plugin in WordPress under Plugins, by clicking Enable auto-updates.
Other Good Habits
- Delete plugins and themes you don't use
- Only install plugins from wordpress.org or developers you trust
- Use strong passwords and don't share admin logins
- Give other people their own logins with only the access they need
- Scan your site for malware if anything looks odd
