How To Prevent Your WordPress Website From SQL Injection

The WordPress CMS has become a part and parcel of the life of tech-savvy people with business aspirations. Every day, new WordPress websites are built in large numbers all across the world. With WordPress websites, entrepreneurs can easily run a web-based business with low investment and meet their goals. This article explains how to prevent WordPress SQL injection.

With the rapidly increasing use of WordPress, threats and vulnerabilities have also started to loom around WordPress websites. It’s a very surprising fact that most of the website owners always mull over getting their websites ranked in Google’s top 10, but they are reckless about the potential dangers that are looming around their WordPress.

Among different online security threats to WordPress websites, SQL injection is one such problem which gives sleepless nights to the majority of the website owners. So, what exactly is an SQL injection? How does it harm websites? How can you prevent WordPress SQL Injection on your websites? Let’s start the voyage and find the most effective solution to the problem!

Steps to Prevent WordPress SQL Injection

In simple words, SQL injection is a wicked trick used by hardcore website hackers to damage websites. The cybercriminal injects harmful SQL statements in your website database to steal sensitive information or destroy the site completely. The problem may occur frequently if your input data is not validated properly. In other words, poor programming of websites invites hackers to do their dirty job and damage your website partially or fully.

How to Protect Your WordPress Websites from SQL Injections?

1. Prioritize Website Security Right From The Beginning

Due to the availability of lots of themes and plugins, even non-technical geeks can also create and operate WordPress websites. But, WordPress created by non-technical individuals is perhaps the easiest prey for professional hackers because of the ignorance of standard website security procedures such as no HTTPS attachment, lack of security plugins, using outdated software, firewall, etc.

So, if you want to create and operate WordPress websites professionally and successfully, you will have to take care of its security aspect right from the beginning.

WordPress Website Security Steps

The use of the latest version of WordPress: The latest version of WordPress has excellent security features, making it difficult for hackers to use SQL injections for website hacking.

Use recommended WordPress Security Plugins: It protects your website from hackers up to a great extent.

Conduct website security audit from time-to-time: You will be able to find loopholes in your website and patch them ASAP.

2. Keep A Close Eye on Your SQL Server

Just start from the beginning. Always keep in mind that, on several occasions, an SQL injection is caused by a frequent programming error you are not familiar with. So, keep this factor in mind and work in consultation with an experienced programmer if you have difficulties in website coding. Furthermore, hackers can also use your underlying software (database and operating system) to inject SQL malware. So, you must keep a close eye on your SQL server at all times. Whenever you find any problem, be active and eliminate it from the route.

3. Restrict the Use of Dynamic Queries

There are 2 methods to foil SQL injections:

1. Say no to the use of dynamic database queries and
2. Deny user input in queries.

Nevertheless, website designers don’t use these two steps because if they follow that then the site created by them will be static. These days, there is no demand for static websites. So, restrict the use of dynamic queries and reduce the risk of SQL injection up to a great extent.

4. Test the Code You Write

Website security depends on a lot of coding. A website coded by an experienced programmer may have minimal flaws when it is put on the test. On the other hand, inexperienced coders make several mistakes while coding websites. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you are a new coder or experienced one, just test your code from all parameters and ensure it is working perfectly. You can consult an expert coder to test your code manually. There are many automated tools to perform this action also, such as Inject Me Firefox extension.

5. Shun User Input as Far as Possible

Although it is impossible to avoid user input fully, you must try to restrict their use as far as possible. This will lessen the risk of several SQL injection attacks. For example: if you are using PHP for GET and POST, make use of htmlspecialchars() to shun XSS characters and addslashes() while working on the database. You can use easily escape user input from inside your database. For that, you need to check the docs of your database and use the exact syntax.

6. Store Your Website Database Separately

Most website owners heavily rely on hosting companies for site backup. This is totally unfair as the majority of the hosting companies don’t provide 100% website backup services. Therefore, you must store the website database separately using Plugins or third-party tools. This will help you to restore your website easily after an SQL attack.

7. Disable DB functionality You Don’t Need

The website database has several functionalities. Individuals use only a few functionalities that meet their needs. So, you must either remove or disable the unused DB functionalities to reduce the risk of SQL injection. Disable sheets essentially if you are not using it because attackers use it to attack your website with an SQL injection. If you don’t know how to do it, never hesitate to consult a WordPress expert as soon as possible.

Final Words

All live WordPress websites are exposed to various types of online security threats including SQL injections. By following the above-mentioned techniques to successfully thwart SQL attacks on WordPress websites. Use WordPress website development services, offered by IT companies to get a WordPress website with all basic security features. This will help you to start your WordPress journey in the right direction and easily handle the security challenges.

Author Bio

Marie Thomas is a WordPress developer by profession and Writer by hobby. She works for Wordsuccor Ltd., that is one of the best WordPress CMS development company based in the USA. If you need to hire a WordPress developer you can contact them on Facebook and Twitter.