WP Author Security vs WPScan – WordPress — WordPress

WP Author Security vs WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner

Name: WP Author Security
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points

WP Author Security

5.0·2reviews·400+installs

wordpress

Change

1. Listing metadata

Field-level data

	WP Author Security	WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner
Tagline	—	—
Description	2714 / 5000 chars54% used	2347 / 5000 chars47% used
Screenshots	—	—
Languages
Platforms	WordPress	WordPress
Developer	mgm security partners GmbH	ethicalhack3r
Listed	—	—
Last updated	—	—

2. Categories & rankings

Shared categories on the same row · in-category position inline

WP Author Security

WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner

At a glance

4 metrics · auto-computed

Feature comparison between WP Author Security and WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner
Metric	WP Author Security	WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner
Rating	★ 5.0 ★	3.8 ★
Total reviews	2	★ 28
Active installs	400+	8,000+
Free plan	—	—

3. App details

Long-form description · keyword frequency

WP Author Security

WP Author Security is a lightweight but powerful plugin to protect against user enumeration attacks on author pages and other places where valid user names can be obtained. By default, WordPress will display some sensitive information on author pages. The author page is typically called by requesting the URI https://yourdomain.tld/?author= or with permalinks https://yourdomain.tld/author/ . The page will include (depending on your theme) the full name (first and last name) as well as the username of the author which is used to log in to WordPress. In some cases, it is not wanted to expose this information to the public. An attacker is able to brute force valid IDs or valid usernames. This information might be used for further attacks like social engineering attacks or log in brute force attacks with gathered usernames. However, when using the plugin and you disable author pages completely it must be noted that you need to take care that your active theme will not display the author name itself on posts like “Posted by admin” or something like that. This is something the plugin will not handle (at the moment). By using the extension, you are able to disable the author pages either completely or display them only when the author has at least one published post. When the page is disabled the default 404 error page of the active theme is displayed. In addition, the plugin will also protect other locations which are commonly used by attackers to gather valid user names. These are: The REST API for users which will list all users with published posts by default. https://yourdomain.tld/wp-json/wp/v2/users The log in page where different error messages will indicate whether an entered user name or mail address exists or not. The plugin will display a neutral error message independently whether the user exists or not. The password forgotten function will also allow an attacker to check for the existence of a user. As for the log in page the plugin will display a neutral message even when the user does not exists. Requesting the feed endpoint /feed of your blog will also allow others to see the username or display name of the author. The plugin will remove the name from the result list. WordPress supports so-called oEmbeds. This is a technique to embed a reference to a post into another post. However, this reference will also contain the author name and a direct link to the profile page. The plugin will also remove the name and link here. Since WordPress 5.5 a default sitemap can be reached via /wp-sitemap.xml. This sitemap will disclose the usernames of all authors. If this should not be disclosed you are able to disable this feature of WordPress.

Top keywords

author13×2.80%
name8×1.72%
page7×1.51%
user7×1.51%
display6×1.29%
wordpress5×1.08%
attacks4×0.86%
author pages4×0.86%
default4×0.86%
log4×0.86%
pages4×0.86%
valid4×0.86%

WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner

Please note: This plugin is no longer actively supported for non-enterprise customers. We recommend using Jetpack Protect – a free security plugin for WordPress that leverages the extensive database of WPScan. Jetpack Protect scans your site and warns you about vulnerabilities, keeping your site one step ahead of security threats and malware. The WPScan WordPress security plugin is unique in that it uses its own manually curated WPScan WordPress Vulnerability Database. The vulnerability database has been around since 2014 and is updated on a daily basis by dedicated WordPress security specialists and the community at large. The database includes more than 21,000 known security vulnerabilities. The plugin uses this database to scan for WordPress vulnerabilities, plugin vulnerabilities and theme vulnerabilities, and has the options to schedule automated daily scans and to send email notifications. WPScan has a Free API plan that should be suitable for most WordPress websites, however, also has paid plans for users who may need more API calls. To use the WPScan WordPress Security Plugin you will need to use a free API token by registering here. The Free plan allows 25 API requests per day. View the different available API plans. How many API requests do you need? Our WordPress scanner makes one API request for the WordPress version, one request per installed plugin and one request per installed theme. On average, a WordPress website has 22 installed plugins. The Free plan should cover around 50% of all WordPress websites. Security Checks The WPScan WordPress Security Plugin will also check for other security issues, which do not require an API token, such as: Check for debug.log files Check for wp-config.php backup files Check if XML-RPC is enabled Check for code repository files Check if default secret keys are used Check for exported database files Weak passwords HTTPS enabled What does the plugin do? Scans for known WordPress vulnerabilities, plugin vulnerabilities and theme vulnerabilities; Does additional security checks; Shows an icon on the Admin Toolbar with the total number of security vulnerabilities found; Notifies you by mail when new security vulnerabilities are found. Further Reading WPScan WordPress Vulnerability Database WPScan WordPress Security Scanner WPScan Twitter

Top keywords

wordpress15×4.17%
security13×3.61%
vulnerabilities10×2.78%

Frequently asked

Common questions about this comparison

Which has better reviews, WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

WP Author Security has the higher average rating (5.0★ from 2 reviews) compared to WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner (3.8★ from 28 reviews). Both are tracked daily by AppRanks, so the figures here update each refresh cycle.

Should I choose WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

WP Author Security holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 3.8★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.

Which is faster to set up, WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

Both apps are one-click installs from the WordPress Plugin Directory. WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner has the deeper published review base (28 vs 2), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.

Which works better for small vs large WordPress Plugin Directory site owners?

WP Author Security typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (2 reviews). WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (28 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.

Can I migrate data between WP Author Security and WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

Migration support varies by app and category. WP Author Security and WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from WP Author Security" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.

WP Author Security vs WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner

WP Author Security

1. Listing metadata

2. Categories & rankings

WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner

At a glance

AppRanks verdict

3. App details

Frequently asked

Which has better reviews, WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

Should I choose WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

Which is faster to set up, WP Author Security or WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

Which works better for small vs large WordPress Plugin Directory site owners?

Can I migrate data between WP Author Security and WPScan – WordPress Security Scanner?

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