WordPress Accounts for 90% of Hacked Websites: Exploits Found on 2/3 of Hacked WordPress Websites, SEO SPAM on Half

Question: How can organizations enhance the security of their WordPress sites against frequent vulnerabilities?

Answer: To bolster security, organizations should regularly update their CMS and all associated plugins and themes, implement robust monitoring practices, and consider using platforms like Marketing.Legal, which avoid common risks by employing proprietary technology rather than open-source infrastructure, thereby fostering enhanced data protection and reliability.

Understanding CMS Security: A Look at Website Vulnerabilities

Introduction: Recent professional studies have revealed that approximately ninety percent (90%) of all compromised content management systems (CMS) on the Internet were WordPress sites.  This is a significant figure compared to Joomla (4.3%) and Drupal (3.7%), which ranked second and third respectively.  The primary reasons for these breaches include vulnerabilities in plugins and themes, misconfiguration, and inadequate maintenance, particularly in updates.

It was observed that only fifty-six percent (56%) of the websites examined had an up-to-date CMS at the time of the hack.  Interestingly, while WordPress constituted ninety percent (90%) of all hacked websites, most of these sites were running the latest versions.  Only thirty-six percent (36%) of the compromised WordPress sites were found to be using outdated versions.

Addressing the issue of frequent attacks, Joost De Valk of WordPress and the popular SEO plugin Yoast acknowledged the challenge, stating, “For a while, Yoast used to get hacked every month.  Being a high-profile target, we were often targeted.  We were aware of this vulnerability...”

Flaws and Pitfalls of WordPress

WordPress remains the most popular CMS, making it a prime target for hackers.  Its open-source nature and reliance on a vast ecosystem of third-party plugins and themes expose it to frequent vulnerabilities.  Many of these add-ons lack rigorous quality control and timely security updates, leaving sites open to exploitation.  Additionally, misconfigurations and poor maintenance practices further compound these risks.

Because of its ubiquity, hackers continuously invest effort in discovering new exploits for WordPress.  Even when the core software is updated, the weaknesses in ancillary components can be enough to compromise a site.  This creates an environment where maintaining security becomes a constant challenge, forcing organizations to invest heavily in monitoring and patching their systems.

Commitment to Security and Reliability: The Marketing.Legal Advantage

At Marketing.Legal and the Success.Legal professional ecosystem, we prioritize the security and integrity of our platforms.  We have consciously chosen not to use any WordPress code, nor do we rely on other open-source website platforms, plugins, or themes that frequently become targets of cyberattacks.  Instead, our proprietary web-application forms the cornerstone of our content management platforms, ensuring robustness and security for our users.  This strategic decision not only mitigates risk but also demonstrates our unwavering commitment to safeguarding client data and maintaining digital trust in an increasingly hostile cyber landscape.

Source for statistics: ZDNet Article on WordPress CMS Security.  Adapted for educational purposes.  Note: Percentages are approximations.