I don't always stay on top of my updates and I know I run a massive risk of being hacked. So I wanted to see what options I had.

I was looking around and I saw some people on another forum mention hardening plugins. Now I have no idea what these are or where to even begin looking for them. Can someone explain to me what they are, what they do, and which ones are best? I would like to get one going if possible this weekend.

So these plugins are basically security tools for WordPress. They lock down the website and disable any vulnerable features or other plugins. This stops unauthorized access attempts while enforcing secure configurations that do not require any kind of manual work or coding.

Yes, these are just extra security measures. You can use them along side other security plugins but they mostly act as a safety net if you aren't updating often enough.

They do make a big difference too.

I find it easier to just use security plugins, standard ones, and update my sites. I know this is a back-up measure but I have never made use of them. I find they tend to slow down the site and performance speed too.

I didn't see anyone recommend any so I pulled up a list for you. These are all free as well.

• Sucuri Security: Offers malware scanning, file integrity monitoring, and easy-to-apply security hardening features like hiding the WordPress version and securing the uploads folder.

• WT Hardening: A lightweight, modular plugin that applies hardening measures (such as hiding the WP version, limiting logins, and disabling file editing) without modifying theme or config files.

• SiteLock Security: Provides ready-to-apply WordPress-specific hardening toggles, login hygiene enforcement, and off-server cloud checks via a free account.

• SolidWP Security (formerly iThemes Security): Includes features like forcing strong passwords, hiding the login URL, and disabling XML-RPC to harden the site against intrusion.

WP Hardening was the main one but was discontinued and no longer supported since 2024.