Guard Dog vs Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security

Guard Dog is a focused WordPress security plugin for the login door, authentication, sessions, and practical access workflows. With custom login URLs, two-factor authentication, passkeys, CAPTCHA providers, access control, and activity logging, Guard Dog helps site owners tighten the parts of WordPress that get bothered most. Key Features: Custom Login URLs – Hide your wp-admin and wp-login.php from attackers Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – TOTP-based authentication with recovery codes Social Login (OAuth) – Sign in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple Passkeys – Use device-based biometric authentication like Face ID, Touch ID or Windows Hello Multiple CAPTCHA Providers – Support for Google reCAPTCHA v2/v3, hCaptcha, and Cloudflare Turnstile Login Attempt Limiting – Prevent brute-force attacks with intelligent lockout Access Control – IP-based whitelist/blacklist protection Activity Monitoring – Comprehensive logging of security events Temporary User Access – Create temporary WordPress users with time-limited, secure access Frontend Account Security – Shortcodes and blocks for login, passkeys, 2FA, and session controls Why Choose Guard Dog? Privacy-Focused – Multiple CAPTCHA options including privacy-first providers WordPress.org Compliant – Built following WordPress coding standards Site-Owned Controls – Protections run inside your WordPress site User-Friendly – Intuitive interface with helpful documentation Regular Updates – Actively maintained and updated Perfect For: Business websites requiring enhanced security WordPress sites handling sensitive data Multi-user sites with complex access requirements Anyone wanting practical login and account protection without a central SaaS dependency Frontend Shortcodes: [guard_dog_login_form] renders a public Guard Dog-managed login form [guard_dog_passkey_login] renders a standalone passkey sign-in button for custom login pages [guard_dog_two_factor] renders logged-in 2FA management [guard_dog_passkeys] renders logged-in passkey management [guard_dog_sessions] renders logged-in active-session management [guard_dog_account_security] renders the composite logged-in account security widget for 2FA, passkeys, and sessions [guard_dog_2fa] remains supported as the legacy alias for the account security widget Block-based themes can use the matching Guard Dog Login Form, Passkey Login, Two-Factor Auth, Passkeys, Sessions, and Account Security blocks. Additional Information Support: For support questions, please use the WordPress.org support forums. Privacy: Guard Dog respects user privacy and offers multiple privacy-focused options. Third-party services are only contacted when you enable features that need them, such as CAPTCHA, email delivery, social login, IP reputation, or geolocation. Security: Guard Dog follows WordPress security best practices. User input is sanitized and output is escaped throughout the plugin. Third-Party Services Guard Dog integrates with the following third-party services to provide CAPTCHA protection. These services are optional and only used when CAPTCHA features are enabled. Google reCAPTCHA (v2 and v3) What it is: Google’s CAPTCHA service that helps protect websites from spam and abuse. What it’s used for: – Verifying that login, registration, and password reset attempts are made by humans – Preventing automated bot attacks on your WordPress forms What data is sent and when: – User interaction data (mouse movements, time spent on page) when CAPTCHA is solved – IP address of the user – Site domain for verification – CAPTCHA response token Privacy and Terms: – Google reCAPTCHA Privacy Policy – Google reCAPTCHA Terms of Service – Google reCAPTCHA Data Usage Cloudflare Turnstile What it is: Cloudflare’s privacy-first CAPTCHA alternative that doesn’t require user interaction. What it’s used for: – Invisible verification of human users during login, registration, and password reset – Privacy-focused protection without tracking or cookies What data is sent and when: – Non-interactive browser signals when forms are submitted – IP address for verification – Site domain for validation Privacy and Terms: – Cloudflare Privacy Policy – Cloudflare Terms of Service – Turnstile Documentation hCaptcha What it is: A privacy-focused CAPTCHA service that doesn’t track users across websites. What it’s used for: – Human verification during login, registration, and password reset forms – Privacy-conscious alternative to Google reCAPTCHA What data is sent and when: – User interaction with CAPTCHA challenge – IP address for verification – Site domain for validation Privacy and Terms: – hCaptcha Privacy Policy – hCaptcha Terms of Service – hCaptcha Data Processing Google OAuth (Social Login) What it is: Google’s OAuth 2.0 service that allows users to sign in using their Google account. What it’s used for: – Authenticating WordPress users via their Google account – Retrieving basic profile information (name, email) to link or create accounts What data is sent and when: – User is redirected to Google’s authorization server when clicking “Sign in with Google” – An authorization code is exchanged for an access token on your server – Basic profile information (name, email, Google user ID) is retrieved from Google’s API – No ongoing data sharing – data is only retrieved during the login process Privacy and Terms: – Google OAuth Privacy Policy – Google OAuth Terms of Service – Google API Services User Data Policy Microsoft Azure AD (Social Login) What it is: Microsoft’s OAuth 2.0 service via Azure Active Directory that allows users to sign in using their Microsoft account. What it’s used for: – Authenticating WordPress users via their personal Microsoft account or organizational (work/school) account – Retrieving basic profile information (name, email) to link or create accounts What data is sent and when: – User is redirected to Microsoft’s authorization server when clicking “Sign in with Microsoft” – An authorization code is exchanged for an access token and ID token (JWT) on your server – Basic profile information (name, email, Azure object ID) is extracted from the ID token – No ongoing data sharing – data is only retrieved during the login process Privacy and Terms: – Microsoft Privacy Statement – Microsoft Services Agreement – Microsoft Identity Platform Documentation Apple Sign In (Social Login) What it is: Apple’s OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect service that allows users to sign in using their Apple ID. What it’s used for: – Authenticating WordPress users via their Apple ID – Retrieving basic profile information (name, email) to link or create accounts What data is sent and when: – User is redirected to Apple’s authorization server when clicking “Sign in with Apple” – An authorization code is exchanged for an access token and ID token (JWT) on your server – Basic profile information (email, user ID) is extracted from the ID token – User’s name is only provided on first authorization; subsequent logins return only the user ID – Apple may provide a private relay email address instead of the user’s real email – No ongoing data sharing – data is only retrieved during the login process Privacy and Terms: – Apple Privacy Policy – Sign in with Apple Guidelines – Apple Developer Program License Agreement TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) Standard What it is: An open standard (RFC 6238) for generating time-based one-time passwords used in two-factor authentication. What it’s used for: – Generating secure, time-limited authentication codes for 2FA – Providing backup authentication when primary 2FA methods are unavailable – Enabling compatibility with popular authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, etc.) What data is sent and when: – No external data transmission – TOTP codes are generated locally using the TOTP algorithm – Secret key generation – A unique secret key is generated locally when 2FA is enabled for a user – QR code generation – QR codes are generated locally for easy setup with authenticator apps – Code verification – Generated codes are verified locally against the stored secret key Privacy and Terms: – RFC 6238 – TOTP Standard – Google Authenticator Privacy Policy (if using Google Authenticator app) – Authy Privacy Policy (if using Authy app) – Microsoft Authenticator Privacy Policy (if using Microsoft Authenticator app) Data Handling Summary When CAPTCHA is disabled: No data is sent to any third-party services. When CAPTCHA is enabled: Only the specific provider you choose receives verification data. Data is not shared between providers or stored by Guard Dog beyond the verification process. When 2FA is disabled: No external data transmission occurs. When 2FA is enabled: – All TOTP operations (code generation, verification) happen locally on your server – No data is transmitted to external services for 2FA functionality – Authenticator apps only receive the initial setup QR code or secret key – Recovery codes are generated locally and stored securely When Social Login is disabled: No data is sent to any OAuth provider. When Social Login is enabled: – Data is only sent to the configured providers (Google, Microsoft, Apple) during the login process – Only basic profile information (name, email, user ID) is retrieved – Social account links are stored locally in your WordPress database – Users can unlink their social accounts from their profile at any time User control: Users can choose which CAPTCHA provider to use, or disable CAPTCHA entirely. 2FA can be enabled/disabled per user, and users can choose their preferred authenticator app. Social login can be enabled/disabled by administrators, and users can manage their linked social accounts. All security features are optional and configurable.

THE MOST POPULAR WORDPRESS FIREWALL & SECURITY SCANNER WordPress security requires a team of dedicated analysts researching the latest malware variants and WordPress exploits, turning them into firewall rules and malware signatures, and releasing those to customers in real-time. Choose the right protection for you: Wordfence Free, Premium, Care or Response Wordfence is widely acknowledged as the number one WordPress security research team in the World. Our plugin provides a comprehensive suite of security features, and our team’s research is what powers our plugin and provides the level of security that we are known for. At Wordfence, WordPress security isn’t a division of our business – WordPress security is all we do. We employ a global 24-hour dedicated incident response team that provides our priority customers with a 1 hour response time for any security incident. The sun never sets on our global security team and we run a sophisticated threat intelligence platform to aggregate, analyze and produce ground breaking security research on the newest security threats. Wordfence Security includes an endpoint firewall, malware scanner, robust login security features, live traffic views, and more. Our Threat Defense Feed arms Wordfence with the newest firewall rules, malware signatures, and malicious IP addresses it needs to keep your website safe. Rounded out by passkeys, 2FA, and a suite of additional features, Wordfence is the most comprehensive WordPress security solution available. 🔥 WORDPRESS FIREWALL Web Application Firewall identifies and blocks malicious traffic. Built and maintained by a large team focused 100% on WordPress security. Real-time firewall rule and malware signature [Premium] updates via the Threat Defense Feed (free version is delayed by 30 days). Real-time IP Blocklist [Premium] blocks all requests from the most malicious IPs, protecting your site while reducing load. Protects your site at the endpoint, enabling deep integration with WordPress. Unlike cloud alternatives, it does not break encryption, cannot be bypassed and cannot leak data. Integrated malware scanner blocks requests that include malicious code or content. Protection from brute force attacks by limiting login attempts. 📡 WORDPRESS SECURITY SCANNER Malware scanner checks core files, themes and plugins for malware, bad URLs, backdoors, SEO spam, malicious redirects and code injections. Real-time malware signature updates [Premium] via the Threat Defense Feed (free version is delayed by 30 days). Compares with WordPress.org repository your core files, themes and plugins, checking their integrity and reporting any changes to you. Repair WordPress core, theme, and plugin files that have changed by overwriting them with a pristine, original version. Delete any files that don’t belong easily within the Wordfence interface. Malware Removal Tools “Delete File” and “Delete All Deletable Files” options allow for efficient malware removal. Remember to investigate the scan results and backup files first! Checks your site for known security vulnerabilities and alerts you to any issues. Also alerts you to potential security issues when a plugin has been closed or abandoned. Checks your content safety by scanning file contents, posts and comments for dangerous URLs and suspicious content. Checks to see if your site or IP have been blocklisted [Premium] for malicious activity, generating spam or other security issues. 🔒 LOGIN SECURITY Passkeys let users sign in with touch, facial recognition, a device password, or a PIN as a simple and secure alternative to a password and two-factor credentials. Two-factor authentication (2FA), one of the most secure forms of remote system authentication available via any TOTP-based authenticator app or service. Login Page CAPTCHA stops bots from logging in. Passkey and 2FA management for WooCommerce and custom integrations allows users to manage credentials on custom account pages. XML-RPC options including disabling or adding 2FA. Password Security: Block logins for administrators using known compromised passwords. 📋 SECURITY AUDIT LOG [Premium] The Audit Log monitors all changes and actions in security-sensitive areas of the site. Remote tamper-proof data storage via Wordfence Central. Monitor events and actions ranging from user creation and editing to plugin/theme installation and updates to post and page changes. Configurable to log all events or significant events only, which includes all authentication, site configuration, and site functionality events. 🌐 WORDFENCE CENTRAL Wordfence Central is a powerful and efficient way to manage the security for multiple sites in one place. Centralized management: Efficiently assess the security status of all your websites in one view. View detailed security findings without leaving Wordfence Central. Powerful templates make configuring Wordfence a breeze. Highly configurable alerts can be delivered via email, SMS or Slack. Improve the signal to noise ratio by leveraging severity level options and a daily digest option. Track and alert on important security events including administrator logins, breached password usage and surges in attack activity. Free to use for unlimited sites. 🛠️ SECURITY TOOLS Live Traffic monitors visits and hack attempts not shown in other analytics packages in real time; including origin, their IP address, the time of day and time spent on your site. Block attackers by IP or build advanced rules based on IP Range, Hostname, User Agent and Referrer. Country blocking available with Wordfence Premium.