Hello, Friend. In Techcrunch today an important security issue was reported, “Hackers Point Large Botnet At WordPress Sites To Steal Admin Passwords And Gain Server Access”.
“Admin” is the default username of all WordPress websites and is therefore the first username hackers will try when attempting to break into your website. If your WordPress username is “admin”, it’s a good idea to change it now. (Matt, the amazing creator of WordPress, suggests this as well. : ) )
Watch the video above to see step-by-step how to change your username from “admin” to a more unique username. In addition, see how to install the WordPress security plugin, Wordfence.
The steps to change your “admin” username are also outlined below. Enjoy!
1) If “admin” is your username, log in as “admin”.
2) Looking at the Dashboard, click on “Users” in the left sidebar. Next, click “Add New” to create a new user.
3) Give the new user a unique name and a strong password. Also, give the new user “Administrator” privileges (Role: Administrator). Click “Add New User”.
4) Log out as “admin”. Login as the new username/password.
5) Click “Users” in the left sidebar. Delete the “admin” user. Attribute all posts to the new user.
6.) Done – your username has been changed and the “admin” username has been removed.
To provide additional protection of your WordPress website, it’s also a good idea to install WordPress security plugins. Here are some plugin suggestions:
Limit Login Attempts: By default WordPress allows unlimited login attempts either through the login page or by sending special cookies. This allows passwords to be brute-force cracked with relative ease. This plugin does exactly what it says: it limits the number of times anyone can attempt to login to your site. Fully customizable.
WordFence Security: Wordfence Security is a free enterprise class security plugin that includes a firewall and virus scanning. This plugin “includes a firewall to block common security threats like fake Googlebots, malicious scans from hackers and botnets.”
For more tips on WordPress website security, be sure to watch my other video: “Top 10 Must-Do Steps To Protect Your WordPress Website”.
All the best,
