Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall vs Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite

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.

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.