Defender Security Plugin Now Available for Free at WordPress.org

WordPress security shouldn’t just be for those who pay the big bucks for “real” protection. Professional grade security should be easy, free, and available for everyone. That’s why we’re excited to announce our Defender security plugin is now FREE to download at WordPress.org.

We know there’s a heap of worry around keeping WordPress safe, especially for new users. That’s why we wanted to give something back to the community that’s easy to set up and doesn’t require a degree in cyber security to protect your site.

So we partnered our security development experts with our design team to break down the complexities of cyber crime fighting and to create a user experience that anyone can use without mucking around with a bazillion settings.

Now everyone can get all the hardening and security tweaks they need in minutes without complex settings or expensive service fees.

Scan and Protect With Security Tweaks

Defender is the powerhouse security plugin you need and it’s as easy as activate, scan, protect your WordPress site.

So how does it work?

After you install and activate Defender, it will run a code audit and security scan and then provide you with a list of security tweaks for adding layers of protection to your site, with one-click hardening options you can run directly from the plugin.

These hardening options include:

• Disable trackbacks and pingbacks – safety first
• Core and server update recommendations – stay on top of your systems
• Change default database prefix – keep out hackers won’t find this
• Disable file editor – if hackers get in, they won’t get far
• Hide error reporting – don’t reveal your issues
• Update security keys – ultimate security reset
• Prevent information disclosure – why tell hackers what you have?
• Prevent PHP execution – because it’s daaaangerous

Run regular code audits that compare your WordPress install with the official versions available at WordPress.org, find any suspicious changes, and restore the original files with a click.

Keep the Bad Guys out With IP Lockout

This is one of my favorite features, and just like with Defender Pro, the free version of Defender makes it easy to quickly block and unblock specific locations, import a list of banned IPs and set automated timed and permanent lockouts.

Limit login attempts to stop users that are trying to guess your password. Permanently ban the IP or trigger a timed lockout after a set number of failed login attempts.

Use the 404 limiter to detect when bots are being used to scan your site for vulnerabilities and shuts them down. These creepy crawlers will keep trying to access pages that don’t exist and when they do Defender will squash them.

Go Big With Defender Pro!

The free version of Defender is the BIG Kahuna when it comes to security. So why upgrade to pro? If you manage client sites, run a design agency, or have a few passion project websites you oversee, why not invest in a WPMU DEV membership for a small fee each month? We’ll take care of everything you need to automate, protect, and optimize your websites.

Get Defender Pro secure cloud-based audit logs so you can see every change made to your site, plugin and theme code file change detection, and automated scans and reports. And because you’re a WPMU DEV member you can manage all your sites from the Hub.

But that’s really just the beginning! A WPMU DEV membership includes 10GB of secure cloud storage, speed optimization, uptime monitoring, access to the academy and community forums, world-class WordPress support, and so, so, so much more.

If you need simple security use Defender. If you need more, then go pro with a free trial.

If you do give Defender a try we would love your comments, suggestions and feedback. And if you REALLY love Defender go give us 5-stars on WordPress.org!

Tags:

• WordPress Security
• defender
• free plugins