SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security vs Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite

Test it now! You can test SecuPress Free now. YOU MADE IT, WE KEEP IT SAFE! The most advanced WordPress Protection on the market. SecuPress is focused on WordPress attacks and Malwares, not just “usual web protections” like many. Protect your WordPress with malware scans ; block bots & suspicious IPs. Get a complete WordPress security toolkit for free or as a pro plugin. SecuPress is GDPR compliant. What’s the difference between free and pro version? If you are proactive, our free WordPress security plugin is a great choice! No time to activate weekly scans? Then SecuPress pro is the way to go. Our plugin takes care of everything with automated tasks. Here are some of our most popular features: Brute Force Login Protection Password Spraying Protection Firewall features Security alerts (1) Malware Scanner (1) Block country by geolocation (1) We have included some features you won’t find in most WordPress security plugins: Protection of Security Keys Block visits from Bad Bots Vulnerable Plugins & Themes detection (1) Security Reports in PDF format (1) You can check out Frequently Asked Questions or get in touch with our support. Want to know all about SecuPress? You can read our documentation here: docs.secupress.me. How will you know it works? Well, we have a dedicated security scanner that will give you a clear security grade and report for your website. This way, you’ll know exactly what to fix. WordPress Features Security Audit SecuPress is the only plugin with a full scanner able to fix the issues for you. And when it requires a decision from you, it will ask you before proceeding. With this feature, you can check 35 security points in 5 minutes and let us take care of the rest. Once done, you get a security grade that gives you a clear idea of what your security level is. You can export this analysis in PDF format to share with others (clients or colleagues) (1). Users & Login This feature is the easiest way to make sure your users’ data is protected and to keep their accounts from being compromised. With this feature you can limit the number of bad login attempts, ban non-existing usernames login attempts and set a non-login time slot. SecuPress also makes sure you control the sessions of your users. SecuPress also adds a 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) because it’s almost a mandatory feature when it comes to WordPress security! The plugin also gives you greater user and password control as you can set: Password lifetimes for your users. Enforce strong password use. Forbid the use of vague usernames like www or admin. Tired of bots finding your WordPress login page? Finally, don’t let bots find your login page, just move it with the famous Move Login plugin, now included in SecuPress. Plugins and Themes SecuPress helps you detect themes and plugins that are vulnerable or that have been tampered with to include malicious code. If you install one of these, your security module will send out an email alert and give you a warning in WordPress. SecuPress takes security further by limiting plugin activation, deactivation, installation and removal in your production (live) website. Plugin and theme uploads via .zip files will be on lockdown as well to block off this easy hacking route. WordPress Core SecuPress reinforces the WordPress Core to keep it safe. The security plugin optimizes what’s under the hood to secure the config file by setting the proper parameters. Sensitive Data SecuPress secures content in many ways: The plugin secures WordPress Endpoints and APIs by blocking bad requests for XML-RPC or REST API. It blocks bad bots with its Robots Blackhole feature. It provides an anti-hotlink feature to preserve your bandwidth. The plugin packs 7 anti-disclose security modules to make sure no precious information is available to hackers in your PHP or WordPress itself. Profile and SecuPress settings pages are password protected to keep sensitive information away from prying eyes. Firewall SecuPress is one of the most efficient WordPress bouncer you’ll ever see! The plugin blocks malicious incoming requests. It blocks bad User Agents (no bad crawlers allowed). Bad requests methods also get the boot in a single click. URLs are kept in check: no bad URL contents. SQL injection scanners are kept out as well. Brute force attempts are stopped in their tracks. GeoIP Blocking by country gives you more control over your traffic. Malware Scan SecuPress has a unique malware scan developed by our security experts. It hunts down bad files and provides you with an easy step-by-step report that lets you take action. It looks into: Bad files in your FTP. Your uploads folder for dangerous files. Potential phishing attempts via index.php loads. Backups We know firsthand how painful it is to pick up the pieces after an attack damages your WordPress. SecuPress preserves your data to help you avoid lost content or settings if your website comes under attack. The plugin backs up your database and files and lets you download them to guarantee you peace of mind. Anti Spam Did you know that 60% of the traffic on the Internet is generated by bots? Most of them happen to be spam bots. We developed our own anti-spam system that works quietly in the background. Just activate it and enjoy a spam free experience. Alerts Alerts are an essential tool when your website is under attack. When something important happens on your website, SecuPress will send you an alert via email. We’re working on alerts via SMS, Slack & Twitter as well. You also receive a daily report that provides a debrief of the attempted attack and all the activities blocked by SecuPress. Scheduled Security Tasks SecuPress can run 3 separate scheduled tasks for you. It’s like having a security patrol on your WordPress. Scheduled Scanner: SecuPress scans your website to detect any issues. After the scan is complete, you get a report in your inbox outlining any actions you have to take to protect your website. Scheduled Backup: our team knows that everyone at one time or another forgets to back things up. We made it an automatic task to help ensure you always can recover from an attack with your content safe. Scheduled Malware Scan: this security feature scans your website at regular intervals to hunt down any malware that may have gotten into your WordPress. Logs SecuPress will keep a log of important security activities and 404 pages triggered by users, bots or even Chuck Norris. This lets you keep an eye on what’s going on in your WordPress at any time. You can also control banned IPs from this option. (1) Available in the Pro Version. (SecuPress est une extension de sécurité WordPress française) TODO Create a trust score for each non WP file and displays it Create a “suspicious” status for alerts Revamp alerts Revamp logs Add http logs PHP 8.O min replace %s by ###USERNAME### in emails .htaccess scanner login rest disclose scanner give possibility to rename logins target=”_blank” on doc links AI Scanner Improve malware scanner, again

Premium Security. Zero Cost. Vigilant provides enterprise-level WordPress security features completely free. No premium version, no upsells, no hidden features behind paywalls. Protect your site with a complete security suite: firewall, two-factor authentication, brute force protection, security headers, file integrity monitoring, closed plugin detection, malware detection, user management, security audit logging, under attack mode and much more. Once activated, Vigilant immediately applies firewall rules against common attacks (SQL injection, XSS, file inclusion), security headers, login attempt monitoring, XML-RPC blocking, WordPress version hiding and sensitive file protection (.htaccess, wp-config.php), after automatically backing up your existing configuration files. One-Click Security Presets Choose a preset and get protected instantly: Standard – Balanced security suitable for most websites. Enables all modules with sensible defaults that won’t interfere with normal site operation. Maximum Security – Strictest settings for high-security sites. Tighter rate limits, stronger CSP rules, mandatory admin notifications. May require fine-tuning for some setups. You can always customize individual settings after applying a preset. Under Attack Mode Is your site under active attack? Activate Under Attack mode with one click and stop malicious traffic instantly: JavaScript challenge – Every visitor must pass an automatic browser verification before accessing your site. Real browsers solve it in seconds, bots get blocked completely Aggressive rate limiting – Requests limited to 30 per minute with 15-minute blocks for offenders HTTP method restriction – Only GET, POST and HEAD allowed; PUT, DELETE, PATCH, OPTIONS and TRACE are blocked Empty user agent blocking – Requests without a user agent header are rejected Full XML-RPC lockdown during the attack REST API restriction – Only authenticated users can access the REST API Auto-deactivation – Mode turns off after 4 hours so you never forget it’s on Email notifications when the mode activates and deactivates HMAC-signed cookies – Verified visitors get a signed cookie so they only see the challenge once Under Attack mode works independently from your preset configuration. Your regular settings are preserved and restored when the mode deactivates. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Add a second verification step to your WordPress login: Authenticator app (TOTP) – Google Authenticator, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator or any TOTP-compatible app Email codes – One-time 6-digit verification codes sent via email QR code setup directly in user profiles 10 backup codes for emergency access if you lose your device Configurable grace period for users to set up their authenticator app Trusted devices – optionally let users skip 2FA on recognized devices for 30 days Role-based enforcement – require 2FA for administrators, editors or any role Exclude specific users from 2FA requirements Admin tool to reset TOTP for users who lost their authenticator Configurable code expiry, attempt limits and email sender name User notification emails when 2FA is enabled or the method changes Firewall Protection Block malicious requests before they reach WordPress: SQL injection blocking XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attack prevention File inclusion protection (LFI/RFI) Directory traversal blocking Bad query string filtering (catches generic suspicious patterns the specific blockers miss) Bad bot detection and blocking Block requests with empty user agent Rate limiting against DDoS and brute force, with optional progressive lockouts IP whitelist and blacklist management (IPv4 and IPv6, with CIDR ranges and wildcards) User-Agent whitelist and blacklist with partial matching Visitor IP detection control – read the real IP directly from the connection (a spoof-proof default) or from a proxy header when behind Cloudflare, a reverse proxy or a load balancer, with an admin notice if a proxy is detected but not configured HTTP method restriction Server-level file protection via .htaccess: block direct access to wp-config.php, .htaccess, wp-includes/ and sensitive files (.log, .sql, .bak, .ini, debug.log, readme.html, etc.), and optionally wp-cron.php external access Block PHP execution in /uploads (one of the most common post-exploit vectors) Disable directory browsing Login Security Stop unauthorized access attempts: Limit login attempts with configurable thresholds Progressive lockouts – longer blocks for repeat offenders Custom login URL – hide wp-login.php from bots Login URL change notifications to all admin-area users Hide login error messages – don’t reveal valid usernames XML-RPC control: leave it on, block only the pingback methods (recommended, it closes the amplification vector while the mobile app and Jetpack keep working), or disable it completely Application passwords control Email notification when an IP is blocked for exceeding login attempts Admin login notifications via email IP whitelist for trusted locations User Security Comprehensive user account protection: Block insecure usernames (admin, test, root, etc.) on new registrations Warn about existing users with insecure usernames so you can rename or remove them Block author scanning – intercept ?author=N URLs so WordPress doesn’t redirect them to /author/USERNAME/ and leak the login slug Force strong passwords with minimum length Password expiration with configurable intervals Password history – prevent reusing old passwords Force password reset – by specific users, by role, or all users (post-hack recovery) Session limits – control concurrent logins per user Session management – view and revoke active sessions Email verification for new registrations Registration approval workflow – manually approve new users Admin account monitoring – alerts for new admins, email changes, password changes, privilege escalation Display name protection – prevent exposing login username publicly Security Headers Achieve Grade A security ratings: Content Security Policy (CSP) with a WordPress-compatible default policy and Report-Only mode for safe testing before enforcing HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) with includeSubdomains and preload options X-Frame-Options – prevent clickjacking X-Content-Type-Options – prevent MIME sniffing Referrer Policy control Permissions Policy (camera, microphone, geolocation, payment, USB) Cross-Origin policies (COEP, COOP, CORP) HTTPS enforcer with automatic mixed content fix Server fingerprint hiding – the Server: header is neutralized and X-Powered-By and other fingerprinting headers are stripped from responses File Integrity Monitoring Detect unauthorized changes to your files and compromised plugins: WordPress core verification against official checksums Plugin and theme file monitoring with WordPress.org checksums Critical config files (wp-config.php, .htaccess) monitored against baseline, detecting code injection even in files with no official checksum Closed and removed plugins detection – daily check against the WordPress.org repository, flagging any installed plugin closed for malware, security issues or guideline violations, including both explicit closures and silent “removed” takedowns, with per-slug Ignore for legacy plugins you can’t uninstall yet Line-level diff view of changes, with per-file approval workflow Suspicious code scanning for plugins and themes without checksums Extra file detection in plugins and themes (files not in original distribution) Uploads directory scanning for PHP files, double extensions and .htaccess, with smart classification of dangerous rules vs protective ones Root directory scanning for non-core PHP files (common attack vector) String concatenation obfuscation detection Configurable notification levels and an ignore list to dismiss known files Excluded paths and file extensions Scheduled automatic scans (daily, weekly) HTML formatted email alerts with severity sections, including a dedicated section for closed plugins Security Audit Track everything happening on your site: Successful and failed login attempts Two-factor authentication events User account changes (creation, deletion, role changes) Content modifications (posts, pages) Plugin and theme activations/deactivations Security events and blocked threats HTTP request method tracking and filtering (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) Enhanced log detail popup with grouped sections and quick actions One-click add IP or User-Agent to firewall whitelist/blacklist from log entries Direct IP lookup links to AbuseIPDB Configurable retention period, CSV export, and filtering by event type, severity, request method or date Audit Alerts – get an email when the audit log points to something worth your attention, off by default and configured under Security Audit: Immediate alerts the moment a serious event is logged, by minimum severity (a new administrator, a closed plugin or a privilege escalation are all logged as Critical) Threshold alerts when a category spikes – firewall blocks, login failures, user, plugin, file integrity, security, system and content events – over a 30-minute, 1, 6 or 24 hour window, counting only warning and critical events so routine activity never trips them A single anti-repeat cooldown keeps a storm of events down to one notice instead of flooding your inbox Active alerts surface in Settings & Tools, the Dashboard, the Configuration Score and the Security Check “Send test email” button to confirm delivery Security Check On-demand security audit built into the Dashboard. No external services, no accounts, no API keys – everything runs on your server: 40+ checks across 6 categories: SSL/TLS, HTTP Headers, WP Exposure, Access & Auth, Sensitive Files and Internal Checks Single 0-100 score with A-E grade, plus per-category breakdown and explanatory details for every check 15 exclusive internal checks impossible from the outside: PHP end-of-life status, pending updates, inactive plugins, closed or removed plugins, file permissions, default salts detection, wp_ table prefix, admin username, administrators without 2FA enrolled, module status, recent audit errors, last File Integrity scan result and whether audit alerts are configured DNS-only reputation lookup against Spamhaus ZEN, Barracuda BRBL and SpamCop SCBL (informational – listings are flagged but don’t deduct from the score) Two-phase scan: fast local checks appear in under a second, remote checks stream in as they complete Weekly automatic scan with opt-in email alert if the score drops by 10+ points or a new critical check starts failing 30-scan history with sparkline trend and delta chip “Go to setting” fix link on every failing check, jumping straight to the exact Vigilant field that resolves it Smart header diagnostics that report “configured but not being served” when a cache/CDN overrides your headers WordPress Hardening Layered protection at the WordPress level – admin, content, head, feeds and database: Lock down the admin: disable the built-in plugin and theme file editor, block installations and updates from the admin area, and force HTTPS for the admin area. Compatible with any hosting layout, respecting values already in place and never overriding them Disable WordPress’s internal page-view cron when you already have a real server-side cron job configured Dashboard warning when debug mode is left enabled in production, so error output never leaks to visitors Hide your WordPress version everywhere it can leak: from the HTML head, from RSS and Atom feeds, and optionally from every script and style URL on the front-end (stripping only the WordPress version itself, leaving plugin and theme cache busting intact) Automatic daily removal of readme.html, license.txt and licencia.txt from the WordPress root, which otherwise expose your version HTML head cleanup – remove the RSD link, Windows Live Writer manifest, shortlink header and REST API discovery link Database hardening – check for the default wp_ table prefix and one-click rename tool with full backup before the change Comment security – honeypot field against spam bots, force moderation on every new comment, close comments on old posts, disable pingbacks and trackbacks Feed management – completely disable RSS and Atom feeds, or only disable them when the site has no published content REST API Security Control API access to your site: Three access modes: public (default WordPress behavior), authenticated only (closes the API to anonymous visitors), or selective (custom allow/block lists) Block user enumeration via /wp-json/wp/v2/users Protect any list of sensitive endpoints from anonymous access Per-plugin compatibility toggles so authenticated mode doesn’t break the front-end: WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, WPForms, Elementor, Jetpack. oEmbed and Site Health endpoints stay accessible by default Security Tools Utilities included: Database Backup – Download a full or partial database backup as ZIP with table selection Database Prefix Change – Change the default wp_ prefix to a random secure prefix Export/Import Settings – Transfer your configuration between sites Manual Backup – Create backups of .htaccess and wp-config.php on demand Reset to Defaults – Start fresh with one click Safe by Design Your existing .htaccess, wp-config.php and robots.txt are automatically backed up before any modifications. Backups are stored in the WordPress database, never as files under the web root, and verified with MD5 checksums. When you deactivate Vigilant, all security rules are automatically removed and your original configuration files are restored. No leftover code, no broken sites. Why Vigilant? Most WordPress security plugins reserve their best features for paid plans. Vigilant gives you everything upfront – no premium tier, no feature locks, no upsells. Firewall, 2FA with authenticator app, security headers, file integrity scanner, security audit, on-demand Security Check with weekly regression alerts, and more. All free, all maintained, all following WordPress coding standards. We maintain a detailed feature comparison between Vigilant and other popular security plugins (Wordfence, Solid Security, AIOS, Sucuri, SG Security). See what each offers in its free version and where Vigilant fills the gaps. → View the full comparison Support Need private support or custom development? Do you need one-on-one help, priority troubleshooting, or a custom feature, integration, or tweak built specifically for your site? I offer private support and custom development. Just contact me and tell me what you need. Need help or have suggestions? Official website WordPress support forum YouTube channel Documentation and tutorials Love the plugin? Please leave us a 5-star review and help spread the word! About AyudaWP We are specialists in WordPress security, SEO, AI and performance optimization plugins. We create tools that solve real problems for WordPress site owners while maintaining the highest coding standards and accessibility requirements.