WordPress is the most hacked CMS, receiving over 96.2% of all attacks. The next one is Joomla, which receives only 1.90% of attacks.
Since you are here we presume you want to secure your WordPress admin URL from cybercriminals and hackers. A wise choice because, according to a study, a data breach can cost up to $4.88M in 2024.
Cybersecurity is no joke. It can cost you tons of cash and your brand’s credibility.
In this article, we’ll learn how to find your WordPress admin URL and seven actionable ways to save it using AIO Login.
What is the WordPress Admin URL?
WordPress Admin URL is a web address that one can use to access the administrative dashboard of a website. A dashboard is where you can manage and configure various aspects of your website, such as pages, posts, plugins, themes, etc.
How to Find Your WordPress Admin URL
A WordPress can be accessed by adding /wp-login.php after the website’s URL. For instance, you can access “the test website” by entering “thetestwebsite.com/wp-login.php.”
Some hosting providers hide the default WordPress admin URL. In that case, use the login provided with your purchase. Otherwise, reach out to your hosting provider via their official website.
Why Secure Your WordPress Admin URL
WordPress is an open-source CMS. That allows the flexibility to customize it any way you want. However, this pro is a con as well.
That’s because hackers use this to their advantage. They make sure to exploit any vulnerability and use it to gain unauthorized access or to install malicious software on the individual’s or enterprise’s WordPress website.
Moreover, since accessing a website’s login page is effortless, anyone can easily reach it, where hackers and attackers can easily perform brute force or bot login attacks.
As we discussed, WordPress gets the most attacks of all CMS. If this was scary, then brace yourself because an even scarier fact is on its way.
WordPress gets over 90,000 cyber attacks every minute and 5.4 million every hour.
Is using WordPress obsolete in 2024?
Absolutely not! However, you should take any precautions to safeguard your WordPress admin URL and protect it from hackers and cybercriminals. And we are here to teach you how to do that!
But before that, let’s briefly understand the common ways cybercriminals use to gain unauthorized access to your WordPress website.
02 Common Risks Associated With an Unsecured WordPress Admin URL
With emerging technologies and advanced psychological techniques, cybercriminals create new viruses or malware every day. We can’t protect our WordPress admin URL login from the unknown; however, what we can do is protect our site from the most common attacks.
1. Brute Force Attack
Brute force is one of the most common WordPress attacks. It uses trial and error to crack passwords and login credentials.
WordPress brute force attack happens when a hacker repeatedly uses common passwords to guess a victim’s credential information.
There are several types of brute force attacks:
- Dictionary Attack — A dictionary attack occurs when a hacker performs a detailed check on a target after knowing their username and amends it using complementary characters.
- Hybrid Brute Force Attack — A hybrid brute force attack happens when an attacker combines dictionary attacks with a simple brute force attack and tries different common combinations using symbols, characters, or numbers with the victim’s username, such as Victor123 or Victor2003.
- Reverse Brute Force — The name suggests it’s the opposite of other brute force attacks because this attack focuses on uncovering the username instead of password. In this attack, cybercriminals use stolen or common passwords to search directories to find if someone uses the same password.
2. Credential Stuffing
Attackers also use credentials (usernames and passwords) from previous data breaches to other unrelated services or websites. This practice is known as credential stuffing. Although the success rate is lower, it can still be very deadly for individuals or businesses using the same password for multiple accounts.
Examples of Brute Force Attacks
Dunkin’s Donuts is one of the biggest American coffee companies, experiencing a brute force attack in 2015. The hackers used previously stolen credentials and ran several brute force algorithms to gain access to customers’ accounts.
Unfortunately, the operation was successful, and they gained access to more than 19,700 user accounts and stole tons of reward cash.
Another unfortunate event saw Solarwinds getting hacked because an intern used a weak password, “solarwinds123.”
07 Ways To Secure Your WordPress Admin URL
As we can see, the essence of protecting your WordPress login is prominent, and neglecting WordPress website security in this era is simply not an option. Therefore, here’s what you can do to secure your WordPress admin URL.
First of all, go to your WordPress and install this complete WordPress login security solution: All in One Login.
After completion, activate it. Now, let’s protect your website with this all-in-one solution.
01. Changing the Default Wp-admin Login URL
As discussed earlier, accessing a default admin URL is super easy, and anyone—including cybercriminals and hackers—can easily access your login page.
Therefore, you should change WordPress admin login URL to something uncommon. Simply put, after changing your default WordPress admin login URL, you—or any other individual or bot—will not land on your login page after entering “yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.”
Note: Ensure to back up your website before making any changes to your WordPress. Backing up your website can help you revert any changes in case your site misbehaves or shuts down.
Now that your website is backed up, follow along.
Go to your AIO Login using the left-hand navigation. Now, go on to the second tab, “Login Protection.”
There, you can see the enable button, login URL, and Redirect URL.
Switch the Enable button open and then enter your login URL.
Fill the “Redirect URL” box with the destination where you want the visitor to land if they try to open your WordPress login URL. It will redirect the user to your home page if left blank.
You can “Save Changes” now and enjoy your secured WordPress login page.
02. Limit Login Attempts
You can also enhance your URL admin WordPress security by limiting login attempts. As we learned earlier, simple brute force attacks can happen by guessing your passwords. Password guessing does not occur in a single try; hackers use hundreds of thousands of variations to crack your password.
Limiting the total number of attempts can completely protect you from simple brute force attacks.
Here’s how to limit login attempts and block hackers out!
Firstly, switch to “Limit Login Attempts.”
Similarly, enable the feature by pushing the button.
The screen shows three more options, such as:
- Maximum Attempts — This is the number of attempts allowed before the user’s IP is temporarily locked. If left blank, the value will be set to 5.
- Timeout — This is the number of minutes an IP will be locked out after 5—or your selected value— attempts. (i.e.,) set this to 60 to block a user for an hour.
- Lockout Message — The message that will be shown to users after the selected number of incorrect passwords.
Configure the settings as you want and press the “Save Changes” button. You are now safe from common brute force attacks.
03. Add reCAPTCHA
reCAPTCHA helps differentiate between bot and human traffic by adding sums and puzzles that are easier for humans but impossible for bots. reCAPTCHA v2 or v3 are advanced versions to prevent bot traffic.
V2 version is the simple check box that says “I am not a robot,” and V3 is the advanced version that tracks the user’s actions on the website and evaluates and returns value using numbers where 0 confirms not a bot and 3 confirms a bot.
You can use these values to your advantage. You can ban confirmed bots and run probable bots through another layer of verification.
Here’s how to add reCAPTCHA to prevent bot traffic.
Navigate to security, and you’ll land on the Google reCAPTCHA tab.
Enable the switch and select your preferred type of Captcha from the drop-down menu.
Now head over to Google Cloud and create a reCAPTCHA. After completion you will be provided your site key and secret key. Follow the official guide for detailed instructions.
After getting your codes, you can move on to the following two options.
Fill in the fields with your Site and Secret Key. Don’t forget to save changes, and now you have a functional reCAPTCHA.
04. Add Two-Factor Authentication
If you do not like the idea of adding reCAPTCHA, try 2FA or two-factor authentication. 2FA prevents hackers from entering your WordPress admin URL even after your password has been cracked!
2FA adds another layer of security to your website. It asks the user to verify using a second factor, which eliminates the chances of hackers getting unauthorized access.
Alternatively, you can mix 2FA with another layer of protection like Captcha, which can go well with 2FA. reCAPTCHA will protect your website from bots, while 2FA will enhance security by preventing hackers.
2FA works with an authenticator app. When enabled, it generates a unique six-digit one-time password (OTP) that refreshes after every 30 or 60 seconds. Upon entry, the user is asked for this OTP along with their password. Hence trapping the hackers who don’t have access to the OTP.
You can add 2FA by staying on the same “Security” tab but switching to the 2FA option.
Once you are there, switch the button. You’ll be prompted with a quick-response (QR) code.
Scan the QR code and select “Next.”
Enter the OTP from your authenticator app and press the “Verify OTP” button. That’s it! That will enable your 2FA.
05. Limit Access to the Admin URL
Limiting exposure to the admin URL can also help reduce the chances of cyberattacks.
Therefore, black or white listing IPs according to geolocation or countries can be a crucial step for protecting your WordPress login page.
You can also eliminate risks by blocklisting custom IPs. This can be super helpful for websites created for a small number of people.
The plugin allows you to do that using “Ban/Whitelist IP Addresses.”
Firstly, enable the switch.
And select your preferred mode from the drop-down menu.
- Whitelist mode: It allows access to specific IPs, locking out all others.
- Blacklist mode: It blocks specific IPs, allowing access to all others.
After choosing the mode, type in the IPs, separated by a new line.
Once done. Write a message to be shown to the blocked users in the following field.
Press the “Save Changes” button to save the configuration.
06. Use a Strong Password
Getting hacked because of a weak password is not uncommon. In fact, we saw earlier how a massive business faced cyber complications because of using a weak password.
Therefore, it’s always wise to double-check your WordPress admin password.
If you are using a weak one, change it right away. Make sure your password checks all the best password practices:
- Your password should be at least 12-14 characters long.
- It should contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
- It should contain a special character, number, or symbol.
- Your password should not be the name of your loved ones, pets, or even your favorite sports team.
- Most importantly, it should be unique, and users shouldn’t use them for multiple accounts.
You can utilize several password managers to save your hard-to-remember passwords. Logging in to your password manager will let you access all your passwords at once. Helping you easily secure your passwords without any fear of having them stolen.
07. Update Your WordPress
A study says 61% of websites attacked in the past years were outdated. Moreover, 52% of WordPress security issues arise from outdated plugins.
Outdated plugins often have known vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access or to inject viruses. Hackers can use public databases to identify known vulnerabilities and target specific versions of plugins.
Hackers also use tools to scan websites for known vulnerabilities. Tools like WPScan can detect outdated plugins and possible vulnerabilities. Hackers then attempt to exploit them.
As the stats suggest, using an outdated WordPress plugin can seriously harm your website. That’s why you should regularly update your WordPress core, plugins, and themes.
Even those plugins that are disabled and may not be in use now can also be a gateway for a hacker. Always delete the plugins that are not in use. And never download a plugin that is very old because that may not be getting security updates.
Final Words
Securing your WordPress URL admin login is crucial for safeguarding your website from cyber threats. As we learned, WordPress gets the most attacks, and hackers make no mistake in finding vulnerabilities.
Moreover, remember that cybersecurity is not a checklist that you can check. It’s a process that requires regular reviews. With new malware being created daily, it’s essential to be well-informed about incoming threats and meet modern security measures so you can neutralize every incoming threat your way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I change my WordPress Admin URL?
ttacks like brute force and credential stuffing can be performed on the login page. Therefore, you should change wp admin URL because it is easily accessible and vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Will changing my Admin URL affect my WordPress functionality?
No! Changing the admin URL makes no difference on your WordPress except for making it more secure.
How to securely share admin access to your WordPress website?
You can securely share your WordPress admin access using AIO Login’s temporary access feature. Create a new temporary link, select its lifespan and usage limit, and then share the link. The link will stop working after the set time or usage limit.
Why is my WordPress admin not secure?
Your WordPress admin may not be secure because you are using WordPress’s default login slug and not implementing the best practices for saving the WordPress login page, such as adding reCAPTCHA and 2FA.
What additional security measures should I take after changing the Admin URL?
Add reCAPTCHA and 2FA and limit login attempts to prevent brute force attacks. Always use strong passwords and update your plugins and themes in a timely manner. Install SSL certificates and regularly check and patch security issues on your website.