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How Secure Is a WordPress Site?

Website security is one of the first concerns most people have when they start building — and rightfully so. Your website holds sensitive information, customer data, business details, and often, the heart of your organization’s story. Protecting that information isn’t optional. It’s essential.

There are dozens of content management systems (CMS) available today, but WordPress remains my favorite — and yes, security is one of the reasons why.

It’s easy to find myths online about WordPress being “easily hacked,” but most of those claims leave out one important detail:

WordPress itself is extremely secure.
 Unmaintained WordPress sites are not.

Let’s break down the facts so you can understand how WordPress security works in 2025 — and what you can do to keep your site safe.

1. WordPress Is Secure — and It Has the Numbers to Prove It

WordPress powers over 43% of all websites globally. That scale is unmatched. But with popularity comes attention — both from developers and from hackers.

Here’s what’s true:

✔ WordPress core software is heavily audited and actively maintained.

WordPress is open-source, which means:

  • Thousands of developers contribute to strengthening the platform
  • Code is reviewed publicly
  • Security fixes are rolled out quickly
  • Vulnerabilities are patched faster than most proprietary systems

“Open” doesn’t mean “unprotected.”
It means WordPress has more eyes on its security, not fewer.

✔ Most WordPress security breaches come from user neglect, not from WordPress itself.

Security firms like Sucuri and Patchstack consistently report that the majority of hacked WordPress sites were vulnerable because of:

  • Outdated plugins
  • Outdated themes
  • Weak passwords
  • Unsupported or abandoned add-ons
  • No security monitoring

WordPress is secure.
Unmaintained sites are not.

2. Why WordPress Is a Target — and Why That’s Actually a Good Thing

Because WordPress powers almost half the internet, it’s naturally targeted more often. Hackers go after what is widely used.

But here’s the upside:

✔ The bigger the platform, the bigger the security response.

When vulnerabilities are found:

  • Security teams respond quickly
  • Patches are released rapidly
  • The community distributes fixes globally
  • Hosting providers push automatic updates

If a problem appears, it doesn’t linger.

With smaller website builders, vulnerabilities can go unnoticed for months. With WordPress, they’re addressed within days or hours.

3. Security Depends on Maintenance — Not Just Setup

No website platform is “set and forget.”
Not Shopify. Not Squarespace. Not Wix. And not WordPress.

In WordPress, you have control — which means you also have responsibility.

You must maintain:

  • WordPress core updates
  • Plugin updates
  • Theme updates
  • Backups
  • Security scanning

This is why many of our clients rely on a hosting and maintenance plan — so their sites stay protected without having to monitor everything themselves.

4. The Most Common WordPress Security Risks (and How to Avoid Them)

These risks aren’t unique to WordPress — they’re common across all platforms. The difference is that WordPress gives you more control to fix them.

Here’s what to watch for:

1. Outdated Plugins and Themes

Plugins extend your site’s functionality — but outdated ones can create vulnerabilities.

What to do:

  • Update plugins weekly
  • Remove unused plugins (don’t just deactivate them)
  • Only install tools from reputable developers
  • Avoid “nulled” premium plugins — they almost always contain malware

This is exactly why Graybill Codeworks recommends trusted plugins like:

  • Kadence Pro (themes)
  • Gravity Forms (forms)
  • ACF (content fields)

These are stable, secure, and actively maintained.

2. Weak Passwords

It sounds simple, but weak passwords are one of the biggest ways sites get hacked.

Use:

  • Strong passwords
  • Two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • Password managers

Never reuse login details across services.

3. Lack of Security Monitoring

Monitoring gives early warnings for:

  • Malware
  • Unauthorized logins
  • File changes
  • Suspicious activity

Tools like Wordfence, iThemes Security, Patchstack, and your hosting provider’s scanning protect your site 24/7.

4. No Backups (The Scariest Mistake of All)

Backups are non-negotiable.
You need daily backups stored in two places — your host and offsite.

If anything goes wrong, backups let you restore your site in minutes.

5. What WordPress Already Does to Keep You Safe

People often underestimate just how much WordPress core does for security. It includes:

  • Automatic security updates
  • Secure password hashing
  • Database abstraction
  • REST API security
  • Regular vulnerability patches
  • Encouraged use of HTTPS
  • Trusted plugin repository
  • Extensive documentation for secure development

Most modern WordPress hosts also include:

  • Server-level firewalls
  • Malware scanning
  • DDoS protection
  • Automatic backups
  • Automatic updates

WordPress is not just secure —
it’s actively protected at multiple layers.

6. What You Can Do to Keep Your WordPress Site Secure

Even with strong built-in protections, your actions matter.
Here’s what you can do to take your security from good to excellent.

✔ Make regular backups

Daily, automatic, offsite.

✔ Keep WordPress core updated

Most updates take seconds — but they protect you for years.

✔ Update your plugins and themes weekly

Outdated code is the #1 vulnerability.

✔ Use quality hosting

Avoid cheap hosting providers who skip security layers.

✔ Install a login protection plugin

Limit login attempts and add two-factor authentication.

✔ Run ongoing security scans

Early detection prevents long-term damage.

So… How Secure Is WordPress Really?

With proper maintenance and reputable tools, WordPress is one of the most secure website platforms available.

It is:

  • Actively maintained
  • Widely supported
  • Backed by global security experts
  • Flexible
  • Transparent
  • Scalable
  • Continuously improving

But — like any technology — it requires ongoing care.
That’s where many business owners get stuck, and that’s exactly where we help.

Not Sure Whether Your Site Is Secure?

Let’s take a look.
Schedule a website audit with Graybill Codeworks, and we’ll review your site’s plugins, hosting, theme structure, security setup, and maintenance needs.

You deserve a site you don’t have to worry about.