Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection vs Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall

Reduce your WordPress website’s risk to nearly zero with Kadence Security Formerly iThemes Security. Looking for iThemes? Learn more here. On average, 30,000 websites are hacked every day.* Cyberattacks in the US increased by 57% in 2022.** Bad actors who want to hack your site, steal your data, and cripple your business are a 24/7/365 threat. You need a proactive, strategic approach to WordPress website security that protects your site from brute force attacks, malware infections, and other cyber threats. Kadence Security shields your site from cyberattacks and prevents security vulnerabilities. It automatically locks out bad users identified by our Brute Force Protection Network that is nearly 1 million sites strong and leverages your own blacklist. It secures and protects your most commonly attacked part of your WordPress website – user login authentication. With Patchstack integration (Pro) protects your site before you even have a chance to address vulnerabilities and before a plugin or theme vendor or developer can even issue a patch. That’s 24/7/365 always-on truly Kadence Security. 🌐 Secure your Website in Minutes The Kadence Security setup and onboarding experience allows anyone to secure their WordPress website in under 10 minutes, regardless of technical acumen. Knowing that you have enabled all the right security settings for your website will leave you feeling like your site has never been more secure. 📚 Security Site Templates to Fit Your Type of Site Enabling the correct security settings based on the type of website you are building or maintaining is essential for proper security. An eCommerce site requires a different level of security than a basic blog. Kadence Security Site Templates make it quick and easy to apply the right security settings for your website. Choose from six different site templates to apply the type of security your site needs: Ecommerce – websites that sell products or services Network – websites that connect people or communities Non-Profit – websites that promote your cause and collect donations Blog – websites that share your thoughts or start a conversation Portfolio – websites that showcase your craft Brochure – simple websites that promote your business ⌚ Real-Time Website Security Dashboard Every day, lots of activity is happening on your website that you can’t see. Many of these activities can be related to your site’s security, so monitoring these events is vital to keeping your site secure. The Kadence Security Pro plugin provides a real-time WordPress security dashboard that monitors security-related events on your site around the clock. The Kadence Security Dashboard is a dynamic dashboard with all your WordPress website’s security activity stats in one place, including brute force attacks, banned users, active lockouts, site scan results, and user security stats (Pro). 🗝️ WordPress Login Security Setting up and maintaining proper WordPress configurations and managing user account access are essential aspects of hardening your site against threats and vulnerabilities. Basic and Pro include features that address both of these factors. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) – Make your WordPress login nearly impenetrable to attack by requiring users to enter a security code along with a password to login. The Kadence Security plugin allows you to add two-factor authentication to your WordPress login with several authentication methods, including mobile apps like Authy and Google Authenticator, email, and backup codes. Password Requirements – Create and enforce a password policy for your users in less than a minute. reCAPTCHA (Pro) – Stop bad bots from engaging in abusive activities on your website, such as attempting to break into your website using compromised passwords, posting spam, or even scraping your content. Passwordless Logins (Pro) – WordPress security made easy. Secure your user accounts with 2fa & strong passwords while allowing real users login with a click of a mouse. Trusted Devices (Pro) – Identify the devices you and other users use to block session hijacking attacks and limit Administrator privileges to Trusted Devices. Automated Vulnerability Patching (Pro) – Kadence Security Pro includes Patchstack which patches vulnerabilities before you have a chance to and applies fixes even before a plugin developer or vendor has issued a patch. Learn more about how passwordless login is the future and how Kadence Security can help you implement it today. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Right Amount of Security for Every User Level Different types of user levels require different levels of security. During the Kadence Security setup process, you can identify your website’s key user groups. Once the different types of users are identified, you can apply the level of security that is just right for each user group. Here are a couple of examples of how User Groups are useful for securing your site: For Clients – Let’s say you are configuring Kadence Security on a client’s website. You will decide whether or not they are required to use two-factor authentication and if they should have access to the Kadence Security settings. For Customers – If you have an eCommerce website, you will decide whether or not you want to protect customer accounts with a password policy. Privilege Escalation (Pro) also adds a safe, secure way to grant temporary admin-level access to your website. 🤖 Block Bad Bots & Ban User Agents with Lockouts Ban Users (Basic and Pro) – Permanently block repeat offenders from accessing your site. Local Brute Force Protection – Automatically identify and stop the most common method of attack on WordPress sites. Local Brute Force Protection (Basic and Pro) – Automatically identify and stop the most common method of attack on WordPress sites. Network Brute Force Protection (Basic and Pro) – The network is the Kadence Security community and is nearly one million websites strong. If someone tries to break into websites in the Kadence Security community, Kadence Security will block them across the network. Magic Links (Pro) – Security shouldn’t get in your way. Magic Links allow you to log in to your WordPress site while your username is locked out by the Kadence Security Local Brute Force Protection feature. 🔍 Monitor Your Site’s Security Health File Change Detection (Basic and Pro) – Kadence Security logs changes made to your website that can help detect malicious activity on your website. Site Scanner (Basic and Pro) – Schedule checks to run four times per day (Basic) or hourly (Pro) for known vulnerabilities of WordPress core file, plugins and themes. Using the Google Safe Browsing API, the Site Scan also checks your Google’s blocklist status and will alert you if Google has found any malware on your website. Patchstack integration (Pro) – Automated virtual patching of some vulnerabilities before you even have a chance to address them yourself, and before a plugin or theme vendor or developer can even issue a patch. Site Scanner (Pro) – Unlock Version Management to automatically apply a patch to vulnerable software detected by the Site Scan when one is available. User Logging (Pro) – Keep a record of user activity in your WordPress security logs, including login/logout, user registration, adding/removing plugins, switching themes, changes to posts and pages, and more. Version Management (Pro) – The Version Management feature in Kadence Security Pro allows you to auto-update WordPress, plugins, and themes. Beyond that, Version Management also has options to harden your website when you are running outdated software and scan for old websites. 🧠 Smarter, More Actionable Vulnerability Prioritization Not all vulnerabilities pose the same level of risk, and the traditional Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score doesn’t always reflect the realities of running a WordPress site. Kadence Security now uses the Patchstack Priority score, which goes beyond CVSS to provide a real-world risk assessment tailored to WordPress. It factors in how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited and its actual impact on your site. With Patchstack Priority, you get a clearer picture of what really matters, helping you focus on the vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk, and worry less about noise from low-impact issues. 🛠️ Website Security Utilities Enforce SSL – Force all connections to the website to be made over SSL/TLS. Database Backups – Create backups of your WordPress database. (Not a complete backup.) Geolocation (Pro) – Improve Trusted Devices by connecting to an external location or mapping API. 🚀 Advanced Security Tools Identify Server IPs – Prevent issues caused by inadvertently locking out your server IPs. Change User ID 1 – Change the user ID for the first WordPress user, potentially preventing attacks that assume the user with ID1 exists and is an administrator. Change Database Prefix – Change the database prefix that WordPress uses, potentially preventing attacks that assume the database prefix is “wp_”. Check File Permission – See the file and directory permissions of key areas of your site. Server Config Rules – View or flush the server security rules generated by Kadence Security. wp-config.php Rules – View or flush the wp-config.php security rules generated by Kadence Security. Change WordPress Salts – Secure your site after a successful attack by changing the WordPress salts used to secure cookies and security tokens. Hide Login URL – change the login URL of your site, making it harder for bots to find your login page and attack it. 🛟 Need Help? Free support may be available with the community’s help in the WordPress.org support forums. Our Kadence Security support team provides top-notch technical support to all our Kadence Security Basic users there. Our Help Center will help you become an iThemes Security expert. Get additional peace of mind with professional support from our expert team and pro features to take your site’s security to the next level with Kadence Security Pro. Recover From a Hacked Site Kadence Security makes regular backups of your WordPress database, allowing you to get back online quickly in the event of a hack or security breach. Use Kadence Security to create and email database backups on a customizable schedule. For complete site backups and the ability to restore or move WordPress to a new host or domain, check out Solid Backups. Solid Central Integration Manage more than one WordPress site? Release lockouts and keep your themes, plugins, and WordPress core up to date from one dashboard with Solid Central. *Zippia. “30 Crucial Cybersecurity Statistics [2023]: Data, Trends And More” Zippia.com. Jun. 15, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/cybersecurity-statistics/ **https://blog.checkpoint.com/2023/01/05/38-increase-in-2022-global-cyberattacks/ License Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

Security Ninja is a lightweight WordPress security plugin that helps protect your site from common attacks and security mistakes – without turning your dashboard into a cockpit. Web Application Firewall (WAF) (based on the 8G ruleset) to block common malicious requests, plus 50+ security checks, a full vulnerability scanner, and a core integrity scanner to spot risky settings and unexpected file changes. Upgrade to Pro for Cloud Firewall, malware scanning/cleanup, login brute-force protection and 2FA, export/webhooks, and scheduled scans. This plugin can be downloaded for free without any paid subscription from the official WordPress repository. Included for free – Basic Firewall (8G-based) – Blocks common malicious requests and bot noise before it becomes a problem. – 50+ Security Tests – Fast audit of common WordPress security misconfigurations. – Vulnerability Scanner – Highlights known issues in plugins/themes so you can patch faster. – Core Scanner – Detect modified or unexpected files in WordPress core folders. – Basic Events Logger – Logs firewall events and login attempts (successful/failed). – AI Security Advisor (WordPress 7) – AI-generated audit summaries and guided follow-ups from your scans, using WordPress AI Connectors (you choose the LLM provider). Optional WordPress Abilities let other AI tools on your site read test summaries, attack activity, and your latest saved report. Pro adds – Cloud Firewall & advanced WAF – Block 600+ million known bad IPs, country blocking, IP management, and stronger firewall controls (free includes the 8G-based firewall). – Advanced Malware Scanner – Detect and clean malicious code and suspicious files. – Login protection & 2FA – Limit failed logins, rename the login URL, and add two-factor authentication. – One-click Fixes – Harden WordPress from the Fixes page (XML-RPC, file editor, headers, and more). – Full Events Logger – Export logs, scheduled email reports, webhooks (e.g. Slack/Discord), and deeper alerting. – Scheduled scans & reporting – Automated security scans and reports. Key Features Security Ninja is a lightweight WordPress firewall plugin and security toolkit designed to help you find misconfigurations, block common attacks, and stay ahead of known vulnerabilities – without slowing your site down. Comprehensive WordPress Security Testing Security Ninja performs 50+ advanced security tests to identify issues before attackers exploit them. This includes: Login and password checks – Audits weak passwords and related settings (Pro adds failed-login limits, rename login, and 2FA). File integrity monitoring – Detects unauthorized changes to WordPress core files, themes, and plugins. Database security checks – Identifies weak database permissions and potential SQL injection threats. User role audits – Ensures no unauthorized administrator accounts exist. Security misconfiguration scans – Identifies and fixes weak settings that could compromise security. Enhanced Vulnerability Scanner Proactively alerts you to known vulnerabilities in plugins and themes so you can patch before they are exploited. Core Scanner – WordPress Installation Integrity Ensures your WordPress installation remains untampered and free of unauthorized files. Full core file integrity check – Scans every file in core WordPress folders for modifications. Unknown file detection – Flags extra or unexpected files in core directories. Built-in file viewer – Review flagged files in the dashboard. Restore or delete – Restore altered core files with one click, or remove suspicious unknowns. Advanced Malware Scanner – Detect & Remove Malware Instantly (PRO) Security Ninja includes a high-performance malware scanner that automatically checks your WordPress core, plugins and themes for: Malicious scripts and backdoors – Identifies hidden malware and harmful injections. Trojan and virus detection – Scans for suspicious PHP and JavaScript entries. One-click malware removal – Instantly quarantine and delete infected files. WordPress Firewall & Real-Time Threat Protection Security Ninja includes a basic firewall for free (8G-based) to block common malicious requests. Upgrade to Pro for more advanced WAF controls. Basic protection (Free) – 8G rules block many common exploit patterns and abusive requests. Advanced protection (Pro) – Cloud Firewall, country blocking, IP lists, and additional intelligence/automation. Login brute-force protection (Pro) – Limit failed logins and harden the login flow (not included in the free firewall). Automatic service whitelisting (Pro) Cloud Firewall (Pro) whitelists known third-party service IPs so remote maintenance, optimization, and monitoring tools are less likely to be blocked. No manual IP entry is required for these built-in lists. WP Compress – image optimization and compression service MonSpark – uptime and website monitoring Modular DS – remote site management WPMU DEV – hosting and management platform Divi Dash – Elegant Themes site management Fastpixel – optimization service Broken Link Checker – link checking service GetTerms – cookie consent scanner (getterms.io) Optional one-click whitelists (Firewall → IP Management; enable per service): – ManageWP – enabled by default on new installs – WP Rocket – caching and optimization – UptimeRobot – uptime monitoring – Uptimia – uptime monitoring You can still add your own IPs and CIDR ranges manually on the IP Management screen. Login Security & Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) (PRO) Your WordPress login page is a primary target for hackers. Security Ninja enhances login security with: Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Requires additional verification for safer logins. Brute-force attack protection – Limits failed login attempts to block unauthorized access. Rename login – Getting a lot of requests to your login form? Hide it for spammers. One-Click Security Fixes & WordPress Hardening (PRO) Manually fixing security issues is time-consuming. Security Ninja provides one-click hardening to: Disable XML-RPC – Blocks common DDoS attacks and brute-force exploits. Restrict file editing – Prevents unauthorized theme and plugin modifications. Hide PHP error messages – Stops hackers from exploiting sensitive error details. And many more fixes to harden your WordPress security! Events Logger / Activity Tracking Security Ninja includes a basic events logger for free so you can see what’s happening on your site. Free: firewall events and login attempts (successful/failed) in the dashboard. Pro: export security logs, scheduled email reports, webhooks (e.g. Slack/Discord), and deeper alerting. Automated Security Scans & Reports (PRO) Security Ninja performs scheduled security scans and sends reports directly to your inbox. Set up daily, weekly, or monthly security scans. Receive email alerts about vulnerabilities and malware infections. Analyze detailed reports to keep your website secure. Block Spam & Malicious Bots Instantly (PRO) Hackers and spammers use bots to exploit WordPress websites. Security Ninja prevents: Fake registrations and spam comments – Stops bots from even getting to your site. Malicious bot attacks – Blocks scripts attempting to hack your site. Unwanted traffic – Reduces server load by preventing unnecessary bot access. AI Security Advisor – from scan results to clear next steps (WordPress 7) Understanding a security scan shouldn’t feel like homework. AI Security Advisor uses your connected LLM (via WordPress 7 AI Connectors) to turn Security Ninja findings into a readable audit: executive summary, prioritized improvements, and suggested follow-up prompts-not an open-ended chatbot. Reports draw on Security Tests, the Vulnerability Scanner, Core Scanner, recent firewall/login events, and on Pro sites Malware Scanner results when available. Saved reports stay on your site until you remove them. What you need AI Security Advisor is included in the free plugin but requires WordPress 7. You connect the AI/LLM provider yourself under Settings → Connectors in WordPress; Security Ninja does not host or supply API keys. WordPress Abilities (optional) On WordPress 7, Security Ninja can register read-only Abilities so other AI tools on the same site can fetch a test summary, 7-day attack activity, or your latest saved audit-useful if you use multiple AI integrations. Report generation and follow-ups on the Security Advisor page work independently of this. Privacy, in everyday language Only non-identifying security context (test results, scan status, event counts-not personal data) is sent to your chosen AI provider to build a report. If you are not on WordPress 7 yet, you will see a notice on the AI Security Advisor screen; the rest of Security Ninja continues to work as usual. Join thousands of satisfied users who trust Security Ninja to keep their websites safe. Start protecting your online presence today. Extensions MainWP – Manage Security Ninja across many sites from one MainWP Dashboard. Security Ninja on each child site includes MainWP integration built in (no extra plugin on child sites). Free addon – Security Ninja for MainWP (WordPress.org): view test results and vulnerabilities per site, trigger remote security scans, and sync fresh results. Works with child sites on free or Pro Security Ninja; data shown matches what each site’s installed version provides. Premium addon – Adds a combined events log across all connected sites, search/filter for security events, and remote white-label control on Pro child sites. Requires Security Ninja Pro on child sites for log and white-label features. Available from your WP Security Ninja account; see MainWP integration for details. https://wordpress.org/plugins/security-ninja-for-mainwp/ Security Ninja Pro adds Cloud Firewall (600+ million known bad IPs), country blocking, advanced WAF controls, Malware Scanner, login protection (failed-login limits, rename login, 2FA), One-click Fixes, full Events Logger (export, webhooks, scheduled reports), and scheduled scans. The free plugin already includes the 8G firewall, 50+ security tests, Vulnerability Scanner, Core Scanner, basic Events Logger, and AI Security Advisor on WordPress 7. An all-in-one security solution for any site. With premium support and continuous updates Security Ninja Pro is a perfect tool to keep your site safe. See what the PRO version offers Automatically block 600+ million bad IPs with one click! Security Ninja Pro Firewall will help you stay one step ahead of bad guys by using the collective know-how of millions of attacked sites, and ban bad guys before they even open your site. Read more about Pro features on the Security Ninja website What others say about the plugin Kinsta Hostinger Cloudways AppSumo Freemius WP Mayor: “Easy-to-Use WordPress Security Plugin” WPMarmite WPExplorer WPLift WP Loop InfluenceWP G2 Tests * The tests include: * brute-force attack on user accounts to test password strength * numerous installation parameters tests * file permissions * version hiding * 0-day exploits tests * debug and auto-update modes tests * database configuration tests * Apache and PHP related tests * WP options tests * security headers and related server response checks The full suite covers 50+ checks across WordPress core/plugins/themes, user accounts and passwords, file permissions, debug modes, database configuration, PHP settings, security headers, and more. Open Security Ninja in your dashboard for the complete list with explanations and fix guidance. License info jQuery Cookie Plugin, Copyright 2013 Klaus Hartl The vulnerability scanner uses data from the National Vulnerability Database – NVD This product includes IP2Location LITE data available from https://lite.ip2location.com. This plugin uses the Persist Admin notice Dismissals by Collins Agbonghama @collizo4sky Firewall rules are based on 8G Firewall by Jeff Starr – https://perishablepress.com/8g-blacklist/ How can I report security bugs? You can report security bugs through the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program. The Patchstack team help validate, triage and handle any security vulnerabilities. Report a security vulnerability.