The problem with success and fame is that it makes things a target. Hackers are constantly trying to test its security. Luckily, the makers of WordPress are pretty on the ball and frequently and consistently release patches whenever exploits are discovered. Most of the time, these exploits are used by hackers to spam the blog with search engine optimization related content. Even the simplest webhost can find itself hacked just for black hat search engine techniques.

Couple WordPress’ fame with the fact that it is open source, and you have a field wherein hackers can cause a lot of trouble. Luckily, even automated exploits can be deterred by a simple WordPress upgrade.

For most users, simply consistently updating their WordPress account should be more than enough to handle their security concerns. Others, however, would prefer to have more than just basic security. They want to make sure that their content is protected and that they don’t get hacked into oblivion. Even a day’s worth of downtime might cost them return visitors, if those visitors find the website hacked and filled with spam. There is no exact count of how many blogs are infected with viruses or how many of them have been hacked – what is known is that no one wants to have one of those blogs.

For those who want to make sure that they’ve got extra layers of protection, here are the 5 best plugins for wordpress security. These are all easy to install and easy to use. Even a dedicated hosting service can use more security.

WP Security Scan

WP Security Scan is a program that checks out your installation for any issues or security holes. If it detects any problems, it will make suggestions as to what you can do to shore up your security. It will tell you whether your password is strong enough or not and suggests what you can do to improve it. It will also improve admin security as well as database security. It also hides your WordPress version history to make it more difficult for hackers to exploit any weaknesses in the program. This makes installation a lot safer. Installation is easy. Simply unzip the relevant files into the plugins directory. Future versions claim that it will add the ability to test XSS vulnerabilities.

Secure WordPress

The first thing Secure WordPress does is remove miscellaneous artifacts leftover from the installation process which can make your installation vulnerable to hacking. Just like WP Security Scan it will also hide the installation version, making it more secure. It performs a wide number of security and maintenance functions, such as removing core, plug-in and theme information from those who are not administrators. It also adds a special HTML file to the plug-in directory to make sure that anyone unauthorized can only see a blank page. This can keep a dedicated hosting service safe.

WordPress Database Backup

This is actually the first thing that will be installed after a free installation of WordPress. It makes sure that whatever happens, you have a backup of your data. It lets you choose where to place the data – in an email, on a remote server or in your hard drive. This can allow your blog to recovery quickly from a successful hacker attack or a disastrous server crash. It is relatively easy to install and to use.

Force SSL

This creates a secure SSL connection for your website to use with visitors. Implementation and installation both require an SSL certificate. This basically forces users to connect and access your website using an SSL connection, which is more secure for everyone involved. This makes sure that third-party access is limited, if not impossible. This also makes sure that any information transferred between your site and the user is heavily encrypted, making your site even safer.

Chap Secure Login

For those that don’t have the SSL certification required for a more secure connection, this plug-in can encrypt passwords. It uses the secure Chap protocol to make sure that the passwords remain encrypted while they are being transmitted to the site. In fact, the only thing that isn’t encrypted is your username. This will make sure that a password leak does not become the downfall of your website.

These are only the five best plugins for wordpress security. There are many other security options out there if these aren’t enough. Most of the time, these security options are not mutually exclusive. They can be combined to make your WordPress blog extra secure. This can be extremely important if you are also selling items on that site.

This article has been contributed by WebHostGear, a dedicated hosting service that provides excellent security to keep your webhost and your data safe.