WordPress user account management is a crucial aspect of website security that business owners should prioritise. Neglecting this area can leave your online presence vulnerable to potential threats and unauthorized access, which could lead to disastrous consequences for your business.

Having a strong grasp of who has access to your WordPress site, their respective roles, and ensuring robust password practices are essential steps in securing your business website. Failing to implement proper user management measures can expose your site to malicious actors, potentially leading to data breaches, content tampering, or complete site takeover.

It is important to regularly review and audit your WordPress user accounts, removing any inactive or unnecessary users and limiting administrative privileges to only those who absolutely require them. Additionally, enforcing strong password policies and enabling two-factor authentication can significantly enhance the security of your user accounts.

While website management may not be the most exciting aspect of running a business, taking proactive measures to secure your WordPress user accounts is a small investment that can yield significant returns in protecting your online presence, maintaining customer trust, and safeguarding your business’s reputation.

5 tips to help you keep your WordPress user accounts secure

1. Use strong and unique passwords: Create complex passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using common words or personal information that can be easily guessed.

2. Implement two-factor authentication: To add an extra layer of security, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your WordPress user accounts. This requires users to provide a second verification form, such as a code sent to their mobile device, before accessing the admin area.

3. Regularly update WordPress and plugins: Keep your WordPress installation and all installed plugins up-to-date. Outdated software can contain security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.

4. Limit user access: Only grant administrative access to users who truly need it. Assign other users the appropriate roles and permissions based on their responsibilities.

5. Monitor user activity: Regularly review the activity logs of your WordPress user accounts to identify any suspicious behaviour or unauthorized access attempts. This can help you quickly detect and address potential security breaches.

By following these tips, you can significantly improve the security of your WordPress user accounts and protect your small business website from potential threats.

Managing WordPress roles to limit administrative access

Maintaining proper user roles and permissions is an important aspect of WordPress website security for small business owners. By understanding how to change WordPress user roles, you can ensure the right people have the appropriate level of access to your website.

WordPress offers several pre-defined user roles, including Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. Each role has specific capabilities, from publishing and editing any content to viewing public pages. Changing these roles allows you to grant the right permissions to your team members.

For example, you may want to designate an employee as an Editor, giving them the ability to publish and modify posts but not change critical site settings. Or you may have a freelance writer who only needs the Author’s permission to submit new content. Properly configuring these user roles is key to WordPress maintenance and security for small businesses.

By taking the time to understand and manage WordPress user roles, you can keep your website secure while empowering your team to contribute effectively and manage your online presence.

Removing users or roles no longer required

Properly managing your WordPress users is critical to maintaining your business website’s security. Deleting unnecessary or inactive user accounts effectively reduces the risk of unauthorised access and potential data breaches.

Whether you have a freelance content writer, a virtual assistant, or a former employee who no longer requires access, properly removing their user account is a best practice for WordPress maintenance. It’s a simple process

The process of editing or deleting WordPress users is very simple:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.

2. Navigate to the “Users” section, usually found in the left-hand menu.

3. Locate the user account you wish to delete and click on the “Edit” link beneath their username.

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the user profile page and click the “Delete” button. Or change the Role and Save to retain the user with a new level of access.

5. If Deleting, you will be prompted to confirm the deletion. Ensure you select the appropriate option, such as “Delete the user and attribute their posts to another user.” Click the “Confirm Deletion” button to complete the process.

Remember, deleting a user account will remove their access to your WordPress site. If the user has created any content, you’ll need to reassign or delete those posts and pages as part of the process. Following these steps, you can ensure clean and organised user management for your WordPress website.

Monitoring User accounts is just part of the security protocols we use to manage your website through our range of Website Care Plans. We’d love to answer any questions you may have, simply book a call to help understand your requirements and recommend the right plan for your business.