Patchstack – WordPress & Plugins Security vs Atomic Edge Security – Firewall, Malware Scan and Login Security

Atomic Edge Security is a WordPress firewall plugin that protects your site with cloud-based WAF rules, malware scanning, 2FA, vulnerability checks, IP blocking, and real-time security logs. It blocks malicious traffic before it reaches WordPress while giving site owners firewall controls directly inside the WordPress admin. WordPress Firewall Protection Atomic Edge includes a cloud-based WordPress firewall that helps block malicious traffic before it reaches your website. The firewall protects against common attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), local file inclusion, remote file inclusion, brute-force login attempts, and suspicious bot activity. Web Application Firewall (WAF) The Atomic Edge WAF uses OWASP Core Rules and WordPress-specific security rules to protect high-risk areas such as wp-login.php, wp-admin, XML-RPC, REST API endpoints, vulnerable plugin paths, and common exploit patterns. Features Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Protect WordPress logins with TOTP authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.) 2FA Enforcement Policies – Require 2FA for specific user roles with configurable grace periods 2FA Audit Logging – Complete security audit trail for all 2FA events Adaptive Defense – AI-powered threat detection that automatically identifies and blocks malicious actors Web Application Firewall (WAF) – Block SQL injection, XSS, and other attacks with OWASP Core Rules Content Delivery Network (CDN) – Serve static assets from global edge servers for faster page loads Real-time Analytics – Monitor traffic, blocked threats, and security events in real-time IP Access Control – Easily whitelist or blacklist IP addresses and CIDR ranges Geographic Blocking – Block or allow access based on visitor country Malware Scanner – Scan WordPress files for modifications and suspicious code patterns Vulnerability Scanner – Check WordPress core, plugins, and themes for known vulnerabilities (requires Atomic Edge connection) WAF Log Viewer – See exactly what threats are being blocked WP-CLI Integration – Run security scans from the command line How It Works Sign up for an Atomic Edge account at atomicedge.io Add your site to Atomic Edge and get your API key Install this plugin and enter your API key Manage your security settings directly from WordPress Vulnerability scanning is available when connected and uses Atomic Edge’s vulnerability data feed. Requirements PHP 7.4 or higher WordPress 5.8 or higher An Atomic Edge account (free tier available) OpenSSL PHP extension External Services This plugin connects to external services provided by Atomic Edge to deliver WAF, CDN, and security features. Below is a detailed explanation of each service, what data is transmitted, and when. Atomic Edge API The primary external service this plugin connects to is the Atomic Edge API at https://dashboard.atomicedge.io/api/v1. What it does: * Manages your site’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) settings * Retrieves real-time analytics and traffic data * Fetches WAF security logs showing blocked threats * Manages IP whitelist/blacklist and geographic access controls * Retrieves CDN configuration and status * Provides vulnerability scanning data for WordPress core, plugins, and themes * Powers the Adaptive Defense AI-powered threat detection system What data is sent: * Your site’s API key (for authentication) * IP addresses you add to whitelist/blacklist * Country codes for geographic blocking rules * CDN optimization settings (asset types, minification preferences) * Site URL and domain information * Adaptive Defense settings and blocked IP information When data is sent: * When you save settings in the plugin admin pages * When you view analytics or WAF logs (to fetch data) * When you run a vulnerability scan * When you manage IP access control rules * When Adaptive Defense checks or updates threat status * Background sync of CDN settings (when CDN is enabled) Service links: * Service website: https://atomicedge.io * Terms of Service: https://atomicedge.io/terms-of-service * Privacy Policy: https://atomicedge.io/privacy-policy Malware Signature API The malware scanner fetches signature patterns from a public API endpoint. What it does: * Provides up-to-date malware detection signatures * Allows scanning without requiring an API key What data is sent: * No personal or site-specific data is sent * Only a GET request to retrieve signature patterns When data is sent: * When you initiate a malware scan (if cached signatures have expired) * Signatures are cached locally for 24 hours Service links: * This service is provided by Atomic Edge (same terms and privacy policy as above) Data Storage All API responses are cached locally using WordPress transients to minimize external requests. Malware signature data is cached for 24 hours. Analytics data is fetched fresh on each page load but displayed quickly via JavaScript pagination.

Patchstack is a powerful tool that helps identify security vulnerabilities within your websites’ plugins, themes, and WordPress core. It is powered by the WordPress ecosystem’s most active community of ethical hackers. Patchstack is trusted by leading WordPress experts such as Pagely, Cloudways, GridPane, Plesk, and others! Patchstack is a security plugin for WordPress that finds WP core, plugin and theme vulnerabilities in your websites. The free version includes up to 48-hour early warning for new vulnerabilities found by our security research community. It also allows you to automatically update vulnerable software, manage updates remotely, and get snapshot reports on your sites’ security status. The paid version includes automatic vulnerability protection. Patchstack deploys highly targeted rules on a per-site basis, only when a specific vulnerability is detected on a site. This prevents vulnerable components from being exploited without modifying website code, or impacting site performance or functionality. Patchstack’s paid version includes access to 12,000+ individual protection rules (vPatches). Patchstack paid version also includes other preventive security features, such as 2 factor authentication, WordPress specific hardening rules, a Community IP blocklist for malicious IP addresses, advanced security settings, and custom protection rules. Post-hack cleanups vs attack prevention in WordPress security Unlike the standard approach to WordPress security (malware scanning and infection cleanups), Patchstack is focused on preventing infections in the first place. Thanks to its big WordPress security research community and partnerships with nearly one thousand plugin vendors and developers, Patchstack is regularly among the first to identify new vulnerabilities. Who is Patchstack’s WordPress security plugin for? Patchstack’s vulnerability management works extremely well for: Agencies with WordPress care/maintenance plans for their customers’ websites WooCommerce websites to protect their revenue and customers from attacks Hosting companies that want to deliver highly targeted vulnerability protection easily and at scale Website owners You don’t have to be highly technical to use it. Install the plugin, connect it with the Patchstack App, and stay safe! What features are included in the Patchstack Personal (Free) plan? Patchstack’s Personal plan is a free security service for WordPress that lets you find and manage vulnerabilities in your websites. It includes access to a central security dashboard via the Patchstack web App for more visibility and control over your sites’ security: Be the first to know about new vulnerabilities. Receive notifications if any installed plugins or themes have security issues. Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins. Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress themes. Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress core. Receive real-time alerts via email if any security vulnerabilities are found. Manage core, plugin and theme updates from a single dashboard. [Optional] Enable automatic updates for vulnerable plugins only. Generate snapshot reports about the security status of your website. What features do Patchstack paid subscriptions have? Patchstack’s paid subscriptions include automatic protection for WordPress vulnerabilities, as well as other protection modules. Virtual patching to prevent vulnerable components from being exploited Advanced hardening module for added WordPress security Remote hardening settings (including .httacess, login protection and reCAPTCHA) Community IP Blocklist of known attacker IP addresses All of these features are included in the Developer and Enterprise plans. Additionally, Developer and Enterprise plan users have access to custom protection rule creation, periodical security reports and report scheduling. Personal (Free) plan users can enable these features on a per-site basis for $5 / site per month. Important Resources Patchstack website Help Center Changelog Patchstack Vulnerability Database See what our customers say about our paid plans: “An excellent and valuable service that’s backed by a company that contributes a significant number of resources and money directly back to the WordPress ecosystem.” – John Blackbourn “Patchstack is like CrowdStrike, but for websites!” – Ryan McCue, HumanMade “The service here is superb! And they are always right on it with the best solution to solve the problem or question at hand. The tool itself speaks for itself. I am very satisfied with this project and the service they offer.” – Daniel Canup “This is a security plugin everyone needs to install. The Patchstack team are incredible at what they do. We have been using them for years and have not been disappointed!” – @craniumstudio “We’ve been with Patchstack for a LONG time (even before they were Patchstack). It has always done its job seamlessly and without fail. Ongoing innovation and updates to the Patchstack product mean this plugin is a winner. 5 stars all the way.” – @guapx (*Comparisons are made by evaluating paid versions.) Sucuri vs. Patchstack Wordfence vs. Patchstack Malcare vs. Patchstack Sitelock vs. Patchstack