Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall vs Jetpack Protect

Keep your sites safe from hackers, brute force attacks and malware with Defender, your easy-to-set-up, enterprise-level security plugin. With Defender, you can rely on the protection of a firewall, one-click hardening and 2FA, without having to be a cybersecurity expert. As hackers continue to evolve, you know you need to stay on top of your site’s security. But you don’t have the time to learn to code, stay abreast of every emerging threat, or apply complicated technical settings. Defender is here to give you the powerful security tools you need, without the technical headaches. Trusted by over 1 million WordPress users, this plugin works immediately with no confusing setup. Just activate Defender and let it handle the rest! Trusted by 1+ Million Sites | 4.8/5 Star Rating Defender makes it easy to: Run on-demand malware scans to find suspicious files and code Block malicious IPs with a global firewall Enforce strong passwords, 2FA, and login limits Apply recommended hardening settings in one click Get clear reports that show what needs attention Protect against compromised passwords before they are used on your site Free Malware Scanner: Stop security threats before they harm your site If your site has been infected by malware, this malicious code can cause a lot of damage before you even realize it’s there. Hackers use malware, often hidden in themes, extensions and plugins, to steal personal data, encrypt files for ransom, or spy on your activity. Defender gives you a highly-effective yet easy-to-use malware scanner that runs deep diagnostics across your entire site, making sure no malware is lurking in the shadows. Defender will scan your site for: Files that have changed unexpectedly: The scan will compare all core files and extensions against the official WordPress repository and flag any modifications or rogue additions instantly. Known vulnerabilities: Defender will check verified exploit registries to catch any security gaps in your active themes, plugins and core version, and help you fix them before they can be targeted. Suspicious code: By continually checking your server files, Defender will spot any potential code injections or backdoors, a common way bad actors try to gain access to your site. Outdated & removed plugins: Plugins that have been delisted from the repository or have not been updated in over two years become a significant risk to your site’s integrity. Defender flags these weak spots before they can cause a problem. AntiBot Global Firewall: Block harmful IPs with data from over 750,000 sites Put the collective threat intelligence of a massive network to work for your site. Powered by real-time threat data from over 750,000+ sites, the free AntiBot Global Firewall automatically blocks harmful traffic and spam bots with a single click. When any site on our network flags a threat, all other sites get protected too. It’s like having a bouncer for your website. If an IP is on the blocklist (updated every 12 hours), they’re not getting in! The most important part is, you’ll be in complete control. User-friendly setup: Defender Pro gives you AntiBot on every site you connect, regardless of where they’re hosted. Just flip the switch and it’ll start working so efficiently you won’t even notice it’s there. Choose your security level: Basic Mode offers balanced, everyday protection, while Strict Mode offers tighter security that blocks even the slightest suspicious activity. Manage IPs in The Hub: Manually block specific IPs, apply blocklists and allowlists across all sites, implement Geo IP blocking and configure everything from one central dashboard. Want to see AntiBot in action? You can click here to get a real-time look at the malicious IPs and suspicious requests it’s detected and blocked in the last 24 hours. Firewall Security & IP Management: Take control over your site’s traffic Defender’s advanced Web Application Firewall (WAF) makes it easy to lock out hackers, scrapers, and malicious bots without touching a single line of code. Advanced IP Lockouts: Manually block specific IPs, import custom blocklists, or set automated timed and permanent lockouts for repeat offenders. Geo IP Blocking: Instantly ban traffic from specific countries or geographic locations with a single click. User Agent Banning: Instantly block spam and scrapers using built-in bad bot presets. We automatically allowlist major search engines to protect your SEO. Malicious Bot Detector: Deploy layered defenses to trap aggressive bots that ignore your robots.txt rules and catch fake crawlers impersonating legitimate search engines. Login Security & 2FA: Prevent unauthorized access Make sure the only users logging into your WordPress site are the ones you actually want. Defender can protect your sites from unauthorized access or brute force attacks with sophisticated login security features. These features keep your site safe from malicious logins, while still ensuring legitimate users can log in easily. Hide Login URL: Change the location of WordPress’s default login area, making it harder for automated bots to find and more convenient for your users. Session Security: Protect your site from session hijacking, preventing attackers from stealing session tokens to impersonate users and gain unauthorized access to your website. Smart Password Rules: Enforce strong passwords for new registrations, automatically block compromised credentials using a public “pwned” passwords database, limit login attempts so hackers can’t guess passwords, and force a site-wide password reset upon the next login if you suspect a security breach. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of protection and security to your WordPress sites to prevent brute force attacks and login security vulnerabilities. Defender’s two-factor authentication (2FA) features include plenty of ways to verify logins, from mobile app verification (Google Authenticator, Authy) to Biometric Authentication (fingerprint/facial recognition) to Hardware Key Authentication (USB security keys.) Plus, built-in backup code generation, lost device emails and WooCommerce 2FA. Security Hardening: Apply recommended settings with a single click WordPress security hardening is all about adding multiple layers of protection to your website, to reduce your risk of attacks and unauthorized access. Defender makes it easy to do this, with 12 recommended hardening settings you can apply with one click. For example, Defender’s hardening settings include: Disabling the file editor to stop internal tampering Updating outdated security keys Hiding PHP error reporting on the frontend Adding advanced security headers (XSS protection, Strict Transport, etc.) Disabling trackbacks and pingbacks to prevent spam Automated Defenses: Protect your entire site, on autopilot You’ve got a lot to handle while running your business, wouldn’t it be nice if security was something you could set and forget? Learn more about Defender Pro. With Defender, you can put your security on autopilot. It’ll be working around the clock with hands-off, automated defenses that run seamlessly in the background to keep intruders out and your data safe. Here’s what Defender will be doing while you work on other things: Performing scheduled scans for issues: Set up regular scans that look for malicious code, suspicious code injections, vulnerabilities, abandoned plugins, and missing hardening recommendations. Creating automated security reports: Stay informed with health updates and immediate threat summaries delivered directly to your inbox. Keeping audit logs: Defender logs key site activity — logins, user changes, plugin and theme updates, content edits, and settings changes — so you can track what happened and when. Why choose Defender? There are plenty of WordPress security plugins out there, but many make it needlessly complicated to protect your site. Defender keeps the essentials simple. You can scan for malware, block harmful traffic, strengthen login security, and harden your site from one plugin, without digging through confusing technical options. It’s built specifically for WordPress, trusted across the WPMU DEV ecosystem, and designed to help you protect your site without slowing down your work. With Defender, you get: Security trusted by over 1 million WordPress users Protection built specifically for WordPress vulnerabilities Regular updates and threat intelligence improvements Malware scanning, firewall protection, and login security in one plugin Support from the award-winning WPMU DEV team So you get serious WordPress security, without the overwhelming setup. Built for speed and security A security plugin should protect your site without getting in the way. Defender is built to stop threats before they waste your server resources, with lightweight protection that runs quietly in the background. With Defender, you can: Detect and limit 404 bots before they drain server resources Run malware scans without overloading your CPU Keep your site protected without adding performance drag So you get the security your site needs, without making visitors wait for it. Works with your existing setup You shouldn’t have to change your plugins, tools or workflow just to secure your site. Defender works smoothly with your current WordPress setup. With Defender, you can: Protect WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and sites built with major page builders Apply saved security configs across multiple sites in a few clicks Enable and configure protection alongside your favorite plugins So you get the security your site needs, without getting in the way of the plugins, tools, and workflows you already rely on. Get started in minutes Defender works as soon as you activate it. Install the plugin, run your first malware scan, enable your firewall, strengthen login security, and apply recommended hardening settings in just a few clicks. Defender shows you what needs attention, so you can lock down your site without editing code or guessing which settings matter. Just install Defender, switch on the protections you need, and let it handle the rest. About Us WPMU DEV is a premium supplier of quality WordPress plugins and themes. For premium support with any WordPress-related issues you can join us here: https://wpmudev.com/ Don’t forget to stay up to date on everything WordPress from the Internet’s number one resource: WPMU DEV Blog Hey, one more thing… we hope you enjoy our free offerings as much as we’ve loved making them for you!

Free daily vulnerability scans & WordPress security, powered by WPScan (an Automattic brand) and its 60,000+ vulnerability database. No setup needed! TOTAL SITE SECURITY FROM WORDPRESS EXPERTS Jetpack Protect is a free and essential WordPress security plugin that scans your site and warns you about vulnerabilities, keeping your site one step ahead of security threats. It’s easy to use; setup requires just a few clicks! By upgrading Protect, you also unlock malware scanning with one-click fixes for most issues and instant notifications when threats are detected. Our automated Web Application Firewall (WAF) also protects your site from bad actors around the clock. Jetpack Protect is created by WordPress experts; our parent company Automattic is behind Jetpack, WordPress.com, WooCommerce, WPScan, and much more. There is no better company to understand the security needs of WordPress sites. WHAT DOES JETPACK PROTECT (FREE) CHECK FOR? Jetpack Protect scans your site on a daily basis and warns you about: – The version of WordPress installed, and any associated vulnerabilities – What plugins are installed, and any related vulnerabilities – What themes are installed, and any associated vulnerabilities What are vulnerabilities? Why do I need to scan my site regularly? Site vulnerabilities are flaws in a website’s code that weaken the site’s overall security. These can be introduced to a site in various ways, in most cases unintentionally. Some of the ways vulnerabilities can be introduced to a site are: – Poorly written site code – Plugin and theme bugs – WordPress version bugs – System misconfigurations If a bad actor detects a vulnerability on your site, they can exploit it to access sensitive information, update your site, and more to damage your business or brand. That’s why it’s essential to use a reputable and reliable vulnerability & malware site scanner like Jetpack Protect to safeguard your site. Can I use Jetpack Scan to fix a site that is already infected? Jetpack Protect (Scan) detects and prevents attacks, but is not designed to fully clean up sites infected before it was active. If your site has malware, take immediate action to clean it up and remove the malicious code. To clean up your site, we suggest using a malware removal tool, or if possible restore from a backup taken before the infection. We recommend using Jetpack VaultPress Backup in conjunction with Jetpack Scan to secure your website. Learn more about cleaning your site BRUTE FORCE ATTACK PROTECTION Jetpack Protect blocks unwanted login attempts from malicious botnets and distributed attacks. Is my site under attack? Brute force attacks are the most common form of hacking — and hackers don’t discriminate. As the most commonly used Content Management System on the web, WordPress sites make an attractive target for hackers looking to exploit code vulnerabilities unique to WordPress. Using large networks of computers known as botnets, hackers can try to gain access to your site by using thousands of different combinations of usernames and passwords until they find the right one. Recently, attackers have found a way to “amplify” these attacks against the WordPress XML-RPC file – making it easier for attackers to try and break into your site. WordPress brute force attacks can: – Slow down your site (or cause it to stop responding) because of repeated server requests. – Allow unauthorized access to your site for hackers to modify your code or insert spammy links. – Put your site content and data at risk. That’s where Jetpack Protect comes in. Our state-of-the-art security tools automatically block these attacks, protecting your WordPress site from unauthorized access. On average, Jetpack blocks 5,193 WordPress brute force attacks over a site’s lifetime. It allows you to protect yourself against both traditional brute force attacks and distributed brute force attacks that use many servers against your site. UPGRADE PROTECT TO REMOVE MALWARE IN ONE CLICK AND BE PROTECTED BY OUR WAF By upgrading Protect, you unlock total site security from WordPress experts: – Automated daily malware scanning in addition to vulnerability checks – One-click fixes for most issues – Web Application Firewall (WAF) with automatic rule updates – Instant email notifications when threats are detected – Priority support from WordPress experts What is malware? Why do I need to protect against it? Malware is malicious code or software that has been created by bad actors to disrupt, damage, or gain access to your site. There are many ways that malware can get onto your WordPress site. The most common method is through attackers using vulnerable plugins or themes to install malware. Similar to the vulnerabilities listed above, bad actors can use malware to capture sensitive information, damage your site, and harm your business or brand. Jetpack Protect instantly notifies you of any threats detected, with one-click fixes for most issues. What is a Web Application Firewall (WAF)? A web application firewall blocks traffic and malicious requests to your site from known bad actors. As threats are detected, new rules are added to Jetpack Protect’s firewall, which provides around-the-clock protection for your WordPress site. OVER 53,500 REGISTERED VULNERABILITIES IN OUR DATABASE WordPress security is something that evolves over time. Jetpack Protect leverages the extensive database of WPScan, an Automattic brand. All vulnerabilities are entered into our database by dedicated WordPress security professionals and updated constantly as new information becomes available. JETPACK PROTECT IS EASY TO SETUP AND USE There’s nothing to configure – the setup process is as easy as: 1. Install and activate the plugin 2. Set up it with one click. After you activate the plugin, Jetpack Protect will run daily automatic malware scans on your WordPress site and update you on vulnerabilities associated with your installed plugins, themes, and WordPress core. WITH 💚 BY JETPACK This is just the start! We are working hard to bring more features and improvements to Jetpack Protect. Let us know your thoughts and ideas! FURTHER READING Jetpack: Security, performance, and growth tools made for WordPress sites by the WordPress experts. You can follow the Jetpack Twitter account to catch up on our latest WordPress security recommendations and updates. WordPress Security: How to Protect Your Site From Hackers Should You Use Jetpack for WordPress Security? Jetpack Acquires WordPress Vulnerability Database WPScan