Defender Security, Monitoring, and Hack Protection

Protect WordPress from hackers with security tweaks, code scans, IP lockouts, and monitoring.

Author:	WPMU DEV (profile at wordpress.org)
WordPress version required:	5.2
WordPress version tested:	6.5
Plugin version:	4.6.0
Added to WordPress repository:	07-06-2017
Last updated:	25-03-2024
Rating, %:	96
Rated by:	290
Plugin URI:	https://wpmudev.com/project/wp-defender/
Total downloads:	2 529 202
Active installs:	90 000+
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Defender adds the best in WordPress plugin security to your website with just a few clicks, including malware scanner, firewall, and login security features. Stop brute force login attacks, SQL injections, cross-site scripting XSS, and other WordPress vulnerabilities and hacks with Defender’s malware scanner, providing antivirus scans, IP blocking, firewall, activity log, security log, and two-factor authentication (2FA) login security.

No more complex security settings, Defender’s malware scanner, firewall, and login security features add all the hardening and security you need.

Security Recommendations

Defender’s one-click hardening recommendations instantly adds layers of protection and security to your site.

Block hackers at every level:

Malware scanner – scan WordPress core files for modifications and unexpected changes which may be caused by malware. Scan for malware and tighten up the security of your files
WordPress Security Firewall – block or allowlist IPs, implement IP blocking, and Geo IP blocking, user agent banning and protect against brute force attacks
Two-factor authentication (2FA) – Easily set up better security with 2FA to prevent most login attacks such as brute force, App verification, backup codes, lost device email, WooCommerce 2FA, and Web Authentication
Login masking – change the location of WordPress’s default login area to improve login security
Login lockout – failed login attempts lockout
User Agent Banning – Block bad bots and user agents from accessing your site
Security Headers – Add an extra layer of defense security and protect against common attacks like: XSS, code injection, and more
404 Detection – automated block of bot IPs
Configs – Create your ideal Defender security settings and export / import saved configs to any other site
Geolocation IP lockout – block users based on location and country (IP blocking)
Disable trackbacks and pingbacks – spam prevention
Core and server update recommendations – stay on top of your system
Antivirus scan – scan for active security threats, viruses, and other malware
Disable file editor – if they get in, they won’t get far
Hide error reporting – don’t reveal your security issues
Update security keys – reset on-demand
Prevent information disclosure – why tell them what you have?
Prevent PHP execution – because it’s daaaangerous!
Resolve security recommendations and issues in bulk
Google reCAPTCHA – easy to add, stop fraud and abuse – including BuddyPress and WooCommerce.
Pwned Password Check – Protect against compromised passwords.
Force Password Reset – Force users with selected roles to reset passwords.

Learn The Ropes With These Hands-On Defender Security Tutorials

WordPress Security Scans

Defender’s malware scanner checks for suspicious code and malware. It also compares your WordPress install with the WP directory master copy, and reports any changes so you can restore the original file with a click.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Easily add an extra layer of protection to your WordPress sites with Defender’s two-factor authentication (2FA) features. Including: mobile app verification (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy), backup code generation, lost device emails, WooCommerce 2FA, Biometric Authentication (fingerprint/facial recognition), and Hardware Key Authentication (USB security keys). Easily prevent brute force attacks and login security vulnerabilities.

Login Protection

Brute force attacks are no match for Defender. Limit login attempts so hackers can’t guess passwords. Permanently ban IPs or trigger a timed lockout after a set number of failed login attempts. Use Geo IP blocking to ban users from specific countries or locations.

Firewall and IP Manager

Improve your website security with Defender’s IP manager and firewall. Manually block specific IPs, import a list of banned IPs, and set automated timed and permanent lockouts. Defender makes it easy to block and unblock specific locations quickly thanks to its advanced firewall (WAF) offering Geographical IP blocking.

User Agent Banning

Add user agents to the block or allowlist and stop bad bots from spamming and scraping your site. All major search engines and special network bots are allow-listed out of the box. Easy to set up, Defender’s user agent banning tool does all the security work, with no editing of the .htaccess file required.

Google reCAPTCHA Integration

Add reCAPTCHA to your login / registration pages, lost password forms, and post comments in a couple of steps to up security and help protect from fraud and abuse. Select reCAPTCHA type, language, location, and style to suit. As well as Google, Defender also supports the following reCAPTCHA types:

BuddyPress reCAPTCHA
WooCommerce reCAPTCHA

Login Screen Masking

Defender makes it easy to move your login screen to a custom URL. Not only does login screen masking improve security, but it also lets you white label your login user experience and improves branding.

Force Password Reset

Force all users with selected roles to reset their password at any time. Especially helpful if you suspect a possible data breach on your site.

Security Headers

Protect your site against common attacks, such as: XSS, code injection, cross site scripting, and more. Enable the following headers:

X-Frame-Options
X-XSS-Protection
X-Content-Type-Options
Strict Transport
Referrer Policy
Permissions-Policy

404 Limiter

Detect when bots are being used to scan your site for vulnerabilities and shut them down. The 404 limiter lets you stop the scan by detecting when a bot keeps visiting pages that do not exist, which can also save you from a giant strain on your site’s performance.

Notifications and Reports

Defender runs surveillance and sends security notifications with information that matters. All activity and notifications are recorded in the activity log to let you see at a glance the website security actions that have been taken by the Defender security plugin.

Reduce Setup Time With Saved Configs

Save your Defender configurations and reapply them to your other sites in just a few clicks. You can create and save an unlimited number of security configurations.

Pwned Password Check

Entered passwords are checked against public database breach records. If a password is identified as compromised, the user will be asked to change it.

Global IP Block/Allowlists

Create your IP block/allow list once, then apply and automatically sync it to all your other sites with just a single click. Save hours by not having to manually add IPs to each individual site. *Note: a [free WPMU DEV account] (https://wpmudev.com/register) is required to access this feature.

What Do People Say About Defender?

★★★★★
“I found other pro security plugins a bit too fiddly for my taste…I’m delighted with Defender” – KeithADV

★★★★★
“Thank you for bringing back a free and easy to use 2-Factor Authentication after Clef! Defender helps keep me aware of my site’s security.” – awijasa

★★★★★
“Defender’s interface is very intuitive with warnings that are very helpful” – djohns

★★★★★
“Defender Recently blocked over 3000 attacks in one week without any noticeable impact on the website. WPMUDEV knocking it out of the park on this one.” – David Oswald

Secure Websites, More Trust, Better Profit

If you’re running a business website or eCommerce store, privacy, security, uptime and trust are essential.

The Defender security plugin is here to help you: it’s a one of a kind WordPress security plugin that makes web security easy for anyone, for free!

Malware scanner
Google two-factor authentication (2FA)
Web Authentication
Firewall setup and configuration
One-click site hardening and security tweaking
WordPress core file scanning and repair
Ongoing firewall protection
Google reCAPTCHA
Security headers
One-click configs
Login Screen Masking
Pwned Password Check
IP Blocklist manager and logging
Geo IP blocking
User agent banning
Unlimited file scans
Timed Lockout brute force login attack shield for login protection
404 limiter for blocking vulnerability scans
IP lockout notifications and reports

All the above is free and will secure WordPress for you. If you need extra security for your WordPress site, you should get a WPMU DEV Membership.

Our Membership gives you access to Defender Pro – which features automated scanning, scheduled malware scans for Core, themes, plugins and other files, audit logs, firewall protection, Safe Repair, Blocklist monitoring – alongside Snapshot Pro cloud backups, the Hub with automated plugin, theme and core updates and safe-upgrade scans, all our premium WordPress plugins, 24/7 WordPress support and if your sites already been hacked our team of security experts will clean it up at no additional cost.

It’s an incredible deal, and you can find out more here.

About Us

WPMU DEV is a premium supplier of quality WordPress plugins and themes. For premium support with any WordPress-related issues you can join us here:
https://wpmudev.com/

Don’t forget to stay up to date on everything WordPress from the Internet’s number one resource:
WPMU DEV Blog

Hey, one more thing… we hope you enjoy our free offerings as much as we’ve loved making them for you!

Screenshots
FAQ

Why should I choose Defender over other security plugins?

Defender is built to add all the best hardening and website security recommendations used by the pros without having to become a security expert. This means you get all the most effective and proven protection methods other services provide with fewer settings, on-click hardening and faster setup.

Is Defender the only step I need to take in securing my WordPress site?

Hackers and bot attacks are not the only threat to your site. No matter what security plugin or service you use, always be prepared with a secure backup stored in a safe location away from your live site. Security does not protect from hosting outages, server errors and accidentally lost or damaged data. We recommend Snapshot. Defender with scheduled managed backups is the best way to keep your site safe.

Does Defender protect against harmful bots?

Yes! Defender’s Firewall gives you robust site protection and security by allowing you to block bad bot IPs and use geographical IP blocking

Can I use Defender with other security plugins?

You can. Just make sure not to enable the same security features in the third-party plugin that you also have enabled in Defender, as this might cause conflicts, such as malware scanners, firewall, and login security features.

Is Defender compatible with WordPress Multisite?

Yes! The plugin is fully compatible with a multisite installation. It can be network enabled and managed from the network admin.

Does Defender offer spam protection?

A high percentage of Trackbacks and Pingbacks are spam. Defender allows you to easily disable both, giving you added security and protection.

Will my site be protected from DDoS attacks?

Yes. Defender’s IP banning, IP lockouts, and 404 detections can identify DDoS attacks and block bad IPs.

I’ve locked myself out of my admin panel, what can I do?

Add the code below to your theme’s function.php file, which you’ll find in the main directory of an active theme. Replace “YOUR IP HERE” with your IP address. Use a site like whatsmyip to get your IP.

add_filter( 'ip_lockout_default_whitelist_ip', function ( $ips ) {
  $ip    = 'YOUR IP HERE';
  $ips[] = $ip;
  return $ips;
} );

Help! I was already hacked. What should I do?

WPMU DEV’s expert support can advise you on how to clean up your site if it’s been hacked. Create a new thread in our support forum, or Defender Pro gives you access to 24/7 live support.

How can I report security issues or bugs?

We take plugin security incredibly seriously; if you have a bug or vulnerability to report, you can do so through the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program. It’s fast, easy, and you will be notified when the issue is fixed. Report a vulnerability.

I have another question, where’s the best place to get help?

Please open a new thread in Defender’s support forum. Our support team is always happy to help!

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