WordPress powers an enviable chunk of the internet, which makes it a massive, blinking target for hackers and opportunistic malware.
If your website is critical to your business, a security breach is catastrophic; Customer data leaks, downtime, and reputational damage can all snowball into real financial loss.
As such, regular WordPress security audits are the price of doing business online. An audit catches vulnerabilities before someone else does, whether it’s outdated plugins, sloppy configurations, or straight-up negligence.
The real debate is whether you handle it yourself or hire someone who knows what they’re doing. DIY audits sound attractive, especially if you’re budget-conscious, but they rely on you having time and technical expertise – both of which are often in short supply. Professional audits go deeper, analyzing your entire stack and uncovering risks you didn’t even know existed.
If you value your business and your sleep, pay for the audit.
“But what exactly does an audit involve?” That’s what we’re covering in this article. Strap in!
Your 7-step WordPress security audit roadmap
A comprehensive WordPress security audit is all about systematically identifying vulnerabilities and closing gaps before they become disasters.
Start by scanning for potential threats, ensuring your site’s files, database, and hosting environment are clean and intact. From there, dig deeper into the integrity of your plugins and themes, often the weakest link in your setup.
Pay close attention to who has access to your site – user permissions can quickly become a backdoor for hackers if poorly managed.
Beyond prevention, test your backup and recovery systems to guarantee you’re prepared for the worst. Finally, review your server configuration and SSL setup, and establish an activity log to track suspicious behavior in real time.
If you need more than a broad overview, here’s exactly how to run a successful WordPress security audit from start to finish:
Step 1: Run automated vulnerability scans
Automated vulnerability scans pinpoint weak spots like outdated plugins, bad configurations, and exploitable vulnerabilities in your setup.
Hosting providers often bundle basic monitoring tools that do the job of identifying surface-level issues, but they’re not always comprehensive enough to catch deeper, more sophisticated threats.
Third-party tools like Wordfence or Shield Security offer significantly more firepower. These plugins are purpose-built for WordPress, providing detailed scans and actionable fixes, not just vague warnings.
Use the results to drive your security decisions further. Leaving vulnerabilities unpatched is essentially inviting problems later.
Whether you stick with hosting tools or go all-in on a third-party plugin, the focus should be on identifying risks and eliminating them as quickly as possible. This step ensures you’re starting with a clear picture of what needs fixing.
Step 2: Verify core file and database integrity
Hackers often target core WordPress files and databases to inject malicious code or create backdoors, and without regular checks, these breaches can go unnoticed.
Compare your WordPress core files to the official versions provided by WordPress.org. Many security plugins, like Shield Security, offer tools to automatically scan for unauthorized changes, making this process faster and more efficient.
Your database is equally important. Check for unexpected changes, such as unfamiliar entries in wp_options or injected code in posts or user data. Tools like phpMyAdmin or dedicated database scanners can help you spot these anomalies.
Regularly backing up your database before making changes ensures you can quickly restore it if something goes wrong.
Finally, lock down permissions and keep both your core files and database updated.
Step 3: Review plugin and theme security
Plugins and themes are the weakest link in most WordPress sites, and ignoring them is a fast track to getting hacked.
First, get rid of plugins and themes you’re not actively using – they’re just vulnerabilities waiting to be exploited. Next, update everything that you do keep. Outdated plugins and themes are a known hacker playground, and failing to update them is essentially giving bad actors an open invitation.
Stop installing random plugins from sketchy sources. Stick to the official WordPress repository or reputable developers with proven track records.
If you’re running a custom plugin, get a dedicated developer to make sure it’s actively maintained. If it’s off-the-shelf but there’s no recent update, assume the developer isn’t fixing vulnerabilities, and replace it with something better.
Go deeper by running security scans on your plugins and themes with your preferred security tools. If something gets flagged, disable it immediately and find a secure alternative.
You can’t afford to be sentimental about poorly maintained software – it’s not worth the risk.
Step 4: Audit user access and permissions
Auditing user access and permissions is about eliminating unnecessary risk. Every account on your WordPress site is a potential vulnerability, so start with the people. Delete inactive accounts immediately – they serve no purpose other than giving hackers another way in.
For active users, check their roles and permissions. If someone doesn’t need admin access don’t give it to them. Be ruthless here: limit permissions to the absolute minimum required for their tasks. A content writer, for example, doesn’t need the same access as a developer.
If you’re using temporary accounts for contractors or collaborators, revoke access the second they’re no longer needed.
Tools like the User Role Editor plugin make it easy to customize roles and ensure nobody has more access than they should.
On top of that, enforce strong passwords across the board and implement two-factor authentication – it’s not optional anymore.
Finally, schedule regular audits of user accounts to catch anything you missed or changes you didn’t authorize.
If you don’t control access, someone else eventually will. Fix it now, before it’s too late.
Step 5: Test backup and recovery systems
Testing your backup and recovery systems is how you survive.
First, stop assuming your backups are working. Check them. Right now. Make sure you’re backing up everything: files, database, and configurations. If your backup only covers part of your site, it’s useless.
Next, test your recovery process. Restore a backup to a staging environment and confirm everything works as it should. If it doesn’t restore neatly – or worse, if the process takes too long – it’s a failure. Fix it or switch to a system that actually works. Backups are only valuable if they’re reliable and fast to restore.
Figure out the frequency. Daily backups should be the bare minimum, but if you’re running an eCommerce or high-traffic site, step it up – hourly backups aren’t excessive when your revenue depends on uptime. Store backups offsite, whether that’s in the cloud or on a separate server. If you’re only storing backups on the same server your site runs on, you’re one crash away from losing everything.
Test, refine, and don’t stop until you’re 100% confident your site can bounce back immediately. If you can’t restore your site, you’re not prepared.
Step 6: Check server and SSL configuration
Check your server. Is it running the latest software? If not, update it now. Outdated server software is a glaring security hole.
Review your hosting setup for unnecessary services or open ports and shut them down. If your host isn’t keeping the server environment secure with regular updates, it’s time to upgrade to one that does.
Next, verify your SSL certificate. If your site isn’t fully encrypted with HTTPS, you’re actively driving users and search engines away. Use tools like SSL Labs to test your SSL setup. Look for red flags like weak protocols (e.g., TLS 1.0) or missing HTTPS enforcement. Fix them immediately. Do it yourself or find an expert to help, but get it done.
Enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to force HTTPS connections and prevent downgrade attacks. Review your Content Security Policy (CSP) to block unauthorized scripts from loading. Don’t assume your hosting provider has handled this – they probably haven’t.
Test everything, then test it again. This is about protecting your users, your data, and your reputation. Half measures here will burn you later.
Step 7: Set up an activity log
An activity log is your first line of defense for knowing what’s happening on your WordPress site. Every login, file change, plugin update, or failed login attempt should be tracked and visible to you. Without a log, you’re essentially blind to what’s going on until it’s too late.
Use your chosen security plugin or a dedicated tool like WP Activity Log.
These track everything from admin changes to unauthorized access attempts, giving you a clear, timestamped record of all actions on your site. Configure the settings to flag critical events, like changes to user roles or unexpected file edits, and set up instant alerts for anything suspicious.
Regularly review the logs and look for patterns: repeated failed logins, unauthorized updates, or anything that doesn’t add up. Use this data to tighten permissions, block suspicious IPs, or address vulnerabilities in real time. If something looks wrong, act immediately.
How often to audit: Creating your security timeline
How often should you audit your WordPress site? The simple answer is more often than you think.
At a minimum, a quarterly audit is the baseline for most sites. But if your website handles sensitive data, processes payments, or is critical to your business, monthly audits should be your default. For high-traffic or eCommerce sites, a weekly audit isn’t excessive. Vulnerabilities emerge constantly through plugin updates, theme changes, and new threats, and waiting too long to catch them is a risk you can’t afford.
You also need to act immediately when something changes. Adding a new plugin? Changing a theme? Spotting unusual activity, like a flood of failed login attempts? These are all flashing neon signs to run a full audit.
The best approach is to build a security timeline. Break audits into actionable steps – scanning for vulnerabilities, verifying user roles, testing backups – and schedule them. Don’t rely entirely on automated tools. Plugins help, but they shouldn’t replace manual reviews of key areas like user permissions and server configurations.
The more often you audit, the fewer surprises you’ll face. Fail to plan, and you’re just waiting to get compromised.
Schedule your professional security audit with Codeable
WordPress security isn’t something you can wing. Regular audits are how you prevent vulnerabilities, outdated plugins, and sloppy configurations from turning into disasters.
Managing this consistently takes time, technical know-how, and a level of focus most businesses just don’t have.
Codeable Retainers addresses this challenge by giving you access to a dedicated WordPress expert who works with you on an ongoing basis, providing much more than routine maintenance services. They build a deep understanding of your site’s specific needs, proactively monitor for vulnerabilities, and handle everything from plugin and theme updates to server optimizations and security audits. Retainers also give you priority access to support, meaning you’re not stuck waiting in line when something urgent comes up.
If your WordPress site is critical to your business, you can’t afford to do this halfway. Codeable ensures you stay ahead of security threats while you focus on growing your business. Submit your project and unlock the peace of mind your competitors can only dream of!
20 000+ businesses of every shape and size have already trusted us to hire WordPress developers and scale their growth.
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