There are over 2 million vulnerable sites on WordPress, as it has become a go-to platform for website developers worldwide. This popularity makes these sites a target for hackers mainly because of the user traffic and content available. No website is entirely safe from an attack, and there is no particular pattern or reason for a site to be targeted and hacked. We recommend that developers should check every site for vulnerabilities. The best way to do this is by using vulnerability scanners.
What are Vulnerability Scanners?
Among many tools available for WordPress, vulnerability scanners are one of the most important. They thoroughly scan your website and identify all the weak points that might lead to an attack. You can use this feature to check and prevent possible attacks on your website.
Since there are many types of websites, many vulnerability scanners are available to match the requirements. You must have a vulnerability scanner that identifies entry points for hackers, as it’s just a matter of choosing the right one for your website. In today’s article, we will discuss the top vulnerability scanners available on WordPress and help you choose the right one.
WP Scan is a free-to-use vulnerability scanner and is one of the most resorted options by security teams and content publishers. You can use it to check your website’s codes for suspicious activity and other data leaks, and the scanner also scans your website for plugins, themes, and the latest updates.
It is a very easy-to-use tool and will provide a list of vulnerabilities once the scan is complete. In addition, WP Scan maintains a vulnerability database and constantly updates the list with new threats found. The free version has limited features and will be sufficient for smaller websites.
Notable Features
• Performs quick and automated scans
• Uses deep scan technology to scrub your website
• Provides advanced reports to help understand the issue
• This scanner is easy to install and use
• Option to send push notifications to alert any threat detection
Site check is a recommended vulnerability scanner developed by Sucuri. It runs a scan to identify unauthorized injections, alterations, and suspicious codes in your database. In addition, it provides a safe browsing platform by checking various domains by scanning the links available on your website.
Once you provide the URL, the scanner automatically scans for possible malware installations, coding errors, blacklists, and software that needs to be updated. It provides all the details about the website, like its CMS, CDN, TLS certificate, and the server it runs on, along with a security risk meter indicating how secure your website is.
Notable Features
• Updates the website for malware and unauthorized entry
• Activates a firewall to protect your site from hackers
• Increases the performance of your site by restricting access to suspicious users
• A detailed report of the website’s current status and the changes needed
The Safe Browsing vulnerability scanner is yet another valuable product from the house of Google. It is an excellent option to scan your website for weak spots. This scanner looks through all the possible domains on your website for any malware that could cause harm.
Safe Browsing will mark websites with malicious content or malware as unsafe to warn users from accessing them. This certificate helps gain more trust between you and your user. Safe Browsing has the highest number of websites in its list that warns users.
Notable Features
• Runs a thorough scan for malware
• Identifies any unwanted software on your database
• Verifies domain’s safety from the list of harmful sites that can be linked
• Provides support for browsers and other platforms like android as well
The WP Security Activity Log vulnerability scanner is comparatively easy to install than run. However, it has a place on our list due to its efficiency. It provides you with all the activity done on your site in one report. This log makes it easier for you to track changes and identify the point of entry.
This log provides details about the other plugins installed and their changes so that you can quickly identify changes done. These details will be beneficial for users who have multiple plugins installed on their site.
Notable Features
• Makes a note of every single change from the core to third-party plugins
• Previous data can be rid of automatically if they are no longer required
• Sends out notifications whenever suspicious or unauthorized changes are made to the website
It is one of the most basic vulnerability scanners available for WordPress sites. However, it is favored on the list as it provides more than just basic features. This scanner helps keep your WordPress site updated, verifying details with Google’s safe browsing index while looking after various plugins.
Developers can use it to verify the SSL certificates, detect malware and identify network infrastructure. The reports are very detailed with importance for things that require immediate attention. In addition, WPRecon will highlight all the outdated plugins along with information on the latest version available.
Notable Features
• Automatically verify the WordPress and other plugin versions
• Detect threats in the site’s infrastructure
• Scan and report any malware present
You can use Jetpack plugins to provide overall security to your website. Using Jetpack as a vulnerability scanner would be a wise choice. Unlike many other scanners, Jetpack provides just more than a vulnerability report. It has the solutions to overcome the identified threat to your WordPress site.
It provides a free version with limited features to showcase its abilities. You can obtain the paid version with additional storage to back up your data. Improves the performance by providing overall protection to your site.
Notable Features
• Takes up very little space to install and operate
• A very easy-to-use interface that suits beginners
• Complete website protection with customer support
Conclusion
The vulnerability scanners mentioned above will be able to provide an accurate report of security risks for your WordPress site. However, you must choose the most appropriate one that suits your website.
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