Great free security with good features

  • This is my go to free plugin to greatly improve the security for any WordPress website. The (improved) firewall is easy to set-up and configure and protects very well against brute force attacks. Login security features like 2FA and login screen reCaptcha greatly reduce the chances of unauthorized access. The logs kept by the plugin help me to understand the attacks launched against specific websites and set up preventive measures. The scan feature helps to identify hacks and clean up after, although I’ve rarely have had to use it/see any true positives come through aforementioned security measures. There’s even good support on the free version through the support forums here (shoutout to @wfpeter).

    The Wordfence blog helps to understand current security trends and to respond accordingly on the sites I manage and being able to read them through mail is much appreciated. Wordfence as a company seems to have the heart in the right place.

    Some improvements for Wordfence would be nice to have.

    1) The admin panel has gotten a bit convoluted over the years with parts only accessible after too many clicks in my opinion. The user experience here could be improved upon. Often searching for a certain option in the All Options screen is easiest, but that only works if you know the option name/description.

    2) The block screen could be improved upon as well. My clients encounter this when they are working with wrong credentials or get themselves locked out in another way. Without fail they give me a call as they don’t seem to realize they can use the on-screen instructions to restore their access without my help.

    3) Requiring 2FA with a grace period and myself instructing the client, often leads to them eventually being locked out anyway, because they either can’t manage the setup or aren’t reminded enough. Here, I feel, better interaction design and/or UX could also improve the success rate.

    The paid version is simply too expensive for my small-business clients, even with the bulk discount.

    Keep up the good work!

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