The Web Application Firewall (WAF) in WordPress is a tool designed to protect the site from application-level security attacks. Such attacks can include data encryption, XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks, CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks, SQL Injection, and more.
Although WordPress is a common and well-known system, it is not immune to attacks and security issues. It is necessary to use a WAF in the system for several reasons:
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Data Protection: WAF can prevent attacks like SQL Injection that can expose or alter data in your database.
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Site Disturbance Protection: WAF can prevent unauthorized disturbances or DDoS (Denial of Service) attacks that aim to disrupt site activity by excessive resource usage.
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Application-Level Attack Protection: WAF can identify and block XSS and CSRF attacks that may enter the system and extract information.
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Monitoring and Learning: WAF tools can learn from previous attacks and adapt their protection over time. The system can identify patterns and behaviors of an application and detect suspicious actions.
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Enhanced Protection: When improving the security of your server, it’s important to install additional security tools like WAF to enhance system protection.
In short, WAF is an important tool for protecting WordPress sites and the information stored in them from application-level attacks.
We recommend using the Wordfence security plugin. This popular security plugin provides advanced protection against online attacks.
Here’s a brief guide on using the plugin:
1. Installation and Setup
- Install the Wordfence plugin like any other plugin in WordPress.
- After installation, go to the Wordfence settings page.
2. Security Scan
- Under the “Scan” tab, perform a security scan on your site.
- Wordfence will check all your files and report any suspicious activity.
3. Personal Security Settings
- Under the “Firewall” tab, configure the options of the built-in Wordfence firewall.
- These settings include options to block specific IP addresses, limit unusual login attempts, and more.
4. Alerts and Reports
- Under the “All Options” tab, select “Email Alert Preferences” to set up email notifications for suspicious activity.
- At the bottom of the settings page, you can view daily reports of activity on your site.
5. Enable Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Under the “Firewall” tab, enable the Wordfence firewall (WAF).
- The WAF acts as a sync between users and the server, filtering and preventing real-time attacks.
6. Separate Scanning for Falcons (Falcon Engine)
- Under the “Performance” tab, if you have the Falcon Engine plugin, you can enable Falcon scanning to improve site performance.
7. Regular Updates
- Ensure that the Wordfence plugin, WordPress, and all other plugins on your site are regularly updated.
Remember, using security plugins is important, but it doesn’t provide complete protection. It should be complemented with a strong security policy, proper backups, and keeping software up-to-date.
