BaseCloud Shield vs Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning

BaseCloud Shield is a lightweight yet powerful security plugin that enforces Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your WordPress login page. Unlike other bloat-heavy plugins, BaseCloud Shield focuses on reliability and flexibility in OTP delivery. Key Features: Plug & Play: Works immediately using standard WordPress email delivery. Multi-Recipient System: Send OTPs to the logging-in user, a manager email, or selected users. Multi-Channel Delivery: Choose multiple delivery methods simultaneously (Email, SendGrid, WhatsApp, SMS, Webhook). WhatsApp Integration: Send OTPs directly via WhatsApp using Twilio API. SMS Integration: Deliver OTPs via SMS using Twilio API. SendGrid API V3: Native integration for high-deliverability emails. Webhook Support: Connect to custom webhooks for advanced automation flows. Secure OTPs: 6-digit one-time passwords that expire automatically. Browser Trust: “Remember this device” functionality to reduce friction for authorized users. Advanced Attack Protection (v1.4.2): Credential stuffing detection, progressive delays, username enumeration protection. External Services This plugin may connect to external third-party services depending on your configuration. Below is a detailed explanation of what services are used, what data is sent, and when: SendGrid Email API (Optional) If you select “SendGrid API” as your delivery method in the plugin settings, this plugin will send data to SendGrid’s email service to deliver one-time password (OTP) codes. Service: SendGrid by Twilio What it’s used for: Sending two-factor authentication codes via email with improved deliverability When data is sent: Every time a user attempts to log in and 2FA is enabled Data sent: Recipient email address (user’s email or manager email if configured) Sender email address (configured in plugin settings) Site name Username attempting to log in 6-digit one-time password code Email subject and HTML body API Endpoint: https://api.sendgrid.com/v3/mail/send Terms of Service: https://www.twilio.com/legal/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy Important: You must have a SendGrid account and API key to use this feature. You are responsible for complying with SendGrid’s terms of service and ensuring proper data handling practices. Twilio API for WhatsApp & SMS (Optional) If you select “WhatsApp” or “SMS” as delivery methods, the plugin will send data to Twilio’s API to deliver one-time password codes. Service: Twilio What it’s used for: Sending two-factor authentication codes via WhatsApp and/or SMS When data is sent: Every time a user attempts to log in and 2FA is enabled with WhatsApp/SMS selected Data sent: Recipient phone number (from user meta field ‘billing_phone’) Sender phone number (WhatsApp number or SMS number configured in settings) Site name Username attempting to log in 6-digit one-time password code Message body API Endpoint: https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{AccountSid}/Messages.json Terms of Service: https://www.twilio.com/legal/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy Important: You must have a Twilio account with WhatsApp and/or SMS capabilities enabled. Phone numbers must be stored in user meta (field: ‘billing_phone’). You are responsible for complying with Twilio’s terms of service. Custom Webhook (Optional) If you select “Webhook” as a delivery method, the plugin will send login notification data to a webhook URL you configure. Service: Custom webhook endpoint (configured by you) What it’s used for: Sending login notifications to external systems for custom processing When data is sent: Every time a user attempts to log in and 2FA is enabled Data sent: Site name Username attempting to log in User email address 6-digit one-time password code Recipient information array Timestamp of login attempt Endpoint: User-configured webhook URL Important: When using the webhook option, you are responsible for the security and privacy compliance of the endpoint you configure. Ensure your webhook endpoint uses HTTPS and follows proper data protection practices. Standard WordPress Email (Default) By default, this plugin uses WordPress’s built-in wp_mail() function, which does not involve any external services unless your WordPress installation is configured to use a third-party SMTP service.

Most security plugins hand you a dashboard full of alerts and expect you to know what to do next. Shield works differently. It blocks threats automatically, repairs what it can on its own, and then shows you exactly what still needs your attention — ranked by impact, not volume. Less noise. More action. 🤖 Security That Runs Itself The most powerful thing Shield does is what it handles without you: Automatic IP Blocking — every visitor is quietly scored as they interact with your site. Failed logins, firewall blocks, silentCAPTCHA failures, and other signals accumulate into a reputation score. When a visitor’s score crosses the threshold, Shield blocks them — automatically, without you lifting a finger Automatic File Repair — when a file integrity scan finds a changed WordPress core file, Shield pulls the original from WordPress.org and restores it. Detected and fixed, without waiting for you to act Automatic Bot Recognition — Shield identifies legitimate crawlers (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Apple) and known services (ManageWP, Pingdom, Stripe, CloudFlare) and never blocks them. Your SEO and monitoring tools keep working 🧭 Guided Security, Not Just a Dashboard Shield organises your security into four focused areas so you always know where to look: Queue — things that need your attention, ranked by priority. Not everything at once — just what matters right now Investigate — dig into blocked IPs, security events, and the specific signals that triggered each one Configure — guided setup for each protection area, with clear recommendations matched to your site Reports — a clear view of what Shield has blocked, detected, and repaired over time The goal: guide you quickly towards action, not bury you in data. 🛡️ Free Protection Bot Blocking & Firewall silentCAPTCHA — blocks bad bots on login, registration, lost password, and comment forms using passive signals invisible to real visitors. No CAPTCHA keys. No external requests. No JavaScript that breaks your forms. Everything runs on your server (GDPR friendly). Firewall rules blocking common WordPress attack patterns — SQL injection probes, known exploit signatures, suspicious request parameters XML-RPC protection — disable or restrict entirely, including pingbacks and trackbacks REST API firewall — block unauthenticated requests Fake crawler detection — identifies bots spoofing legitimate search engines Login & Account Security Two-factor authentication (2FA) — email codes, Google Authenticator, or YubiKey OTP for all users Brute force protection with configurable login attempt limits and cooldown Session locking — tie sessions to a browser or IP to stop account theft after a successful login User enumeration blocking — closes off ?author= probes used to harvest usernames before an attack Scanning & Integrity Core file scanning — compares WordPress core against official checksums and repairs changed files automatically Suspicious PHP detection — flags PHP files in locations where they have no business being Abandoned plugin detection — identifies unmaintained plugins most likely to carry unpatched vulnerabilities Visibility & Control Security Admin PIN — lock Shield’s own settings so other administrators cannot quietly weaken your configuration Security activity log — logins, user changes, plugin and theme events, post edits, and suspicious requests: Everything in one clear view IP Rules — automatic & manual block and bypass rules, CIDR range support, full per-IP request history 🤝 CrowdSec Integration Shield is the only WordPress security plugin with a native CrowdSec integration. CrowdSec aggregates threat signals from millions of sites into a shared IP reputation network — your site blocks known attackers before they ever probe you, using intelligence far beyond your own traffic history. ✨ ShieldPRO Passkeys — phishing-resistant, passwordless login for users Backup login codes — emergency 2FA access when a device is lost AI-based malware scanner — detects known and unknown PHP malware Plugin & theme file scanning — compares installed files against WordPress.org originals, flagging unauthorised changes Vulnerability scanning — active checks across all installed plugins and themes Broader spam protection — WooCommerce, EDD, Contact Form 7, Ninja Forms, Elementor, and more Traffic rate limiting — cap request rates per IP to absorb high-volume bot floods User suspension — manual or automatic suspension of idle accounts MainWP integration White Label — rename and rebrand Shield for client sites Who It’s For Shield suits site owners, agencies, and MSPs who want protection that runs itself — not a plugin that demands constant attention to be useful. If you have been burned by security plugins that generate more noise than protection, or dashboards that tell you everything is wrong without telling you what to fix, Shield was built to be the alternative.