ArkHost

<p>A complete security plugin that’s actually free. No “pro” version, no nag screens, no made-up threat statistics.</p>
<h4>Login Protection</h4>
<ul>
<li>Blocks IPs after failed login attempts</li>
<li>Custom login URL (hides wp-login.php)</li>
<li>Hides wp-admin from logged-out users</li>
<li>Honeypot field for bots</li>
<li>Hides login errors (stops username enumeration)</li>
<li>Email alerts for admin logins from new IPs</li>
<li>Country/IP restrictions on login page</li>
</ul>
<h4>IP Control</h4>
<ul>
<li>Whitelist and blacklist</li>
<li>Auto-blacklist after repeated lockouts</li>
<li>IPv4, IPv6, CIDR supported</li>
</ul>
<h4>Geo Blocking</h4>
<ul>
<li>Block countries</li>
<li>Uses free IP2Location LITE database</li>
<li>One-click download</li>
</ul>
<h4>Hardening</h4>
<ul>
<li>Disable XML-RPC</li>
<li>Disable dashboard file editing</li>
<li>Disable application passwords</li>
<li>Restrict REST API to logged-in users</li>
<li>Remove WordPress version</li>
<li>Block user enumeration (?author=1 and REST API)</li>
<li>Disable pingbacks/trackbacks</li>
</ul>
<h4>Security Headers</h4>
<p>X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, X-XSS-Protection, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy, Content-Security-Policy, HSTS</p>
<h4>Two-Factor Authentication</h4>
<ul>
<li>TOTP (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.)</li>
<li>Backup codes</li>
<li>Enforce for admins</li>
</ul>
<h4>File Integrity Monitoring</h4>
<ul>
<li>Checks WordPress core files against official checksums</li>
<li>Daily scans</li>
<li>Email alerts on changes</li>
</ul>
<h4>Malware Scanner</h4>
<ul>
<li>Scans plugins, themes, uploads</li>
<li>Pattern-based detection</li>
<li>Quarantine suspicious files</li>
<li>Weekly scans</li>
</ul>
<h4>Activity Log</h4>
<ul>
<li>Login attempts, lockouts, blocks</li>
<li>IP, country, username, timestamp</li>
<li>Configurable retention</li>
<li>CSV export</li>
</ul>
<h4>Tools</h4>
<ul>
<li>Export/import settings</li>
<li>Force logout all users</li>
<li>Test email</li>
<li>Delete readme.html/license.txt</li>
</ul>
<h4>Privacy</h4>
<p>No tracking. No analytics. No telemetry.</p>
<p>External connections:<br />
* WordPress.org API (core file checksums)<br />
* IP2Location (database download, only when you click it)</p>
<h3>External services</h3>
<p>This plugin connects to the following external services under specific circumstances:</p>
<h4>WordPress.org Checksums API</h4>
<ul>
<li>Service: api.wordpress.org/core/checksums/1.0/</li>
<li>Used for: Verifying WordPress core file integrity by comparing local files against official checksums</li>
<li>Data sent: WordPress version and locale</li>
<li>When: During daily scheduled file integrity scans and when manually triggered by the admin</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://wordpress.org/about/privacy/</li>
</ul>
<h4>IP Detection Services</h4>
<ul>
<li>Services: api.ipify.org, ifconfig.me, icanhazip.com</li>
<li>Used for: Detecting the server’s public IP address for the “Whitelist My IP” tool</li>
<li>Data sent: Standard HTTP request (no personal data)</li>
<li>When: Only when an admin uses the “Whitelist My IP” feature in the Tools tab</li>
<li>Terms: https://www.ipify.org/ / https://ifconfig.me/ / https://icanhazip.com/</li>
</ul>
<h4>IP2Location</h4>
<ul>
<li>Service: download.ip2location.com</li>
<li>Used for: Downloading the free IP2Location LITE geolocation database for country-based blocking</li>
<li>Data sent: Standard HTTP request (optional: user’s download token if configured)</li>
<li>When: Only when an admin clicks “Download IP2Location Database” in the IP Control tab</li>
<li>Terms of service: https://www.ip2location.com/terms</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://www.ip2location.com/privacy</li>
</ul>


ArkHost Security Pack

WordPress security without the nonsense. No upsells, no premium tier, no fake threat counters.

Jeff Starr

Julio Potier

John H

Aldo Latino

George wp-website-mastery

<blockquote>
<p>🔥 Install, activate, and done!<br />
  🔥 Powerful protection from WP’s <strong>fastest</strong> firewall plugin.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://perishablepress.com/block-bad-queries/" rel="nofollow ugc">BBQ Firewall</a> is a lightweight, blazing-fast firewall plugin that protects your site against a wide range of threats. BBQ checks all incoming traffic and quietly blocks bad requests containing nasty stuff like <code>eval(</code>, <code>base64_</code>, and excessively long request-strings. This is a simple yet solid solution for sites that are unable to use a <a href="https://perishablepress.com/8g-firewall/" rel="nofollow ugc">strong Apache/.htaccess firewall</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>🔥 Adds a strong firewall to ANY WordPress site<br />
  🔥 Works with all WordPress plugins and themes</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Powerful Protection</strong></p>
<p>BBQ protects your site against many threats:</p>
<ul>
<li>SQL injection attacks</li>
<li>Executable file uploads</li>
<li>Directory traversal attacks</li>
<li>Unsafe character requests</li>
<li>Excessively long requests</li>
<li>PHP remote/file execution</li>
<li>XSS, XXE, and related attacks</li>
<li>Protects against bad bots</li>
<li>Protects against bad referrers</li>
<li>Protects against bad POST content</li>
<li>Protects against many other bad requests</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>🔥 Works great with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/blackhole-bad-bots/" rel="ugc">Blackhole for Bad Bots</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/banhammer/" rel="ugc">Banhammer</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Awesome Features</strong></p>
<p>BBQ provides all the best firewall features:</p>
<ul>
<li>Rated <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-bad-queries/#reviews" rel="ugc">5 stars</a> at WordPress.org</li>
<li>100% plug-&-play, zero configuration</li>
<li>100% focused on security and performance</li>
<li>Blocks a wide range of malicious URL requests</li>
<li>Fastest Web Application Firewall (WAF) for WordPress</li>
<li>Based on the <a href="https://perishablepress.com/7g-firewall/" rel="nofollow ugc">7G</a>/<a href="https://perishablepress.com/8g-firewall/" rel="nofollow ugc">8G Firewall</a></li>
<li>Scans all incoming traffic and blocks bad requests</li>
<li>Scans all types of requests: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.</li>
<li>Protects against known bad bots and referrers</li>
<li>Works silently behind the scenes to protect your site</li>
<li>Hassle-free security plugin that’s easy to use</li>
<li>Thoroughly tested, error-free performance</li>
<li>Extremely low rate of false positives</li>
<li>Compatible with other security plugins</li>
<li>Regularly updated and “future proof”</li>
<li>Firewall < 10 kilobytes in size</li>
<li>Lightweight, fast and flexible</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>🔥 For advanced protection and features, check out <a href="https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">BBQ Pro »</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Exclusive Pro Features</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Customize firewall via plugin settings</li>
<li>Easily add or remove firewall patterns</li>
<li>Easily add Jeff Starr’s <a href="https://perishablepress.com/ultimate-ai-block-list/" rel="nofollow ugc">AI Block List</a></li>
<li>Send Email Alerts for blocked requests</li>
<li>Quickly enable/disable firewall rules</li>
<li>Disable firewall for logged-in users</li>
<li>Block excessively long URI requests</li>
<li>Protect against XML-RPC exploits</li>
<li>Block any individual IP address</li>
<li>Block entire ranges of IP addresses</li>
<li>Protect against user-ID phishing</li>
<li>Redirect all blocked requests</li>
<li>Display a custom “blocked” message</li>
<li>Set your own response status code</li>
<li>Complete inline documentation</li>
<li>Statistics for blocked requests</li>
<li>Tools to reset options and patterns</li>
<li>Import and Export firewall patterns</li>
<li>One-click pattern testing</li>
<li>Whitelist IP addresses</li>
</ul>
<p>..plus everything the free version can do and more.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>🔥 Learn more and <a href="https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">get BBQ Pro »</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Privacy</strong></p>
<p>This plugin does not collect or store any user data. It does not set any cookies, and it does not connect to any third-party locations. Thus, this plugin does not affect user privacy in any way.</p>
<p>BBQ Firewall is developed and maintained by <a href="https://x.com/perishable" rel="nofollow ugc">Jeff Starr</a>, 15-year <a href="https://plugin-planet.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress developer</a> and <a href="https://books.perishablepress.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">book author</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>🔥 BBQ = Block Bad Queries</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Support development</strong></p>
<p>I develop and maintain this free plugin with love for the WordPress community. To show support, you can <a href="https://monzillamedia.com/donate.html" rel="nofollow ugc">make a donation</a> or purchase one of my books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wp-tao.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">The Tao of WordPress</a></li>
<li><a href="https://digwp.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Digging into WordPress</a></li>
<li><a href="https://htaccessbook.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">.htaccess made easy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wp-tao.com/wordpress-themes-book/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress Themes In Depth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.perishablepress.com/downloads/wizards-collection-sql-recipes-wordpress/" rel="nofollow ugc">Wizard’s SQL Recipes for WordPress</a></li>
</ul>
<p>And/or purchase one of my premium WordPress plugins:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">BBQ Pro</a> – Blazing fast WordPress firewall</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/blackhole-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Blackhole Pro</a> – Automatically block bad bots</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/banhammer-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Banhammer Pro</a> – Monitor traffic and ban the bad guys</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/ga-google-analytics-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">GA Google Analytics Pro</a> – Connect WordPress to Google Analytics</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/head-meta-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Head Meta Pro</a> – Ultimate Meta Tags for WordPress</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/simple-ajax-chat-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Simple Ajax Chat Pro</a> – Unlimited chat rooms</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/usp-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">USP Pro</a> – Unlimited front-end forms</li>
</ul>
<p>Links, tweets and likes also appreciated. Thank you! 🙂</p>


BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security


I have made a living as a WP developer for close to 20 years and have almost seen it all during that time.  I manage a lot of sites for myself and for clients.  This is one of the most useful plugins that I have come across in the security space.



I liked it so much, I sprung for the Pro version which adds a few extra features.



Certainly, you could get by with .htaccess rules (either yourself, or with what Jeff provides), but this makes it much easier to implement.  I really have made use of the adding custom patterns feature, and the tracking of blocked attempts shows that this is very effective.



It's a simple plugin, really, which is what I like most.  As a WP developer, I could have written my own, but for what Jeff charges for the Pro version, it makes more sense to just buy his.



For the clown who rated it 1 star - that guy didn't really have a clue what he was talking about, and appeared to be someone who thinks he knows what he's talking about but doesn't - that's the most dangerous kind of administrator.  Seriously, this is exactly what a WAF is and is supposed to be, and it works great for what it is.  



Yes, there are other means of intrusion, and this plugin doesn't address those - it's not a "end-all-be-all" which is what I like about it.  Those plugins that try to do it all usually end up being complex, bloated, intrusive, and an all-around a pain to work with.  Instead, Jeff has produced a plugin that does one thing and does it perfectly with clean code and very light overhead.


Great lightweight security


After discovering this plugin, I use it all the time for smaller projects and sometimes for larger projects - doesn't seem to add too much overhead but gives great piece of mind. 


Great plugin - very handy.


BBQ is a lightweight plugin, install it and forget it!


Great plugin and fast support

The fastest firewall plugin for WordPress. Protect against a wide range of threats with minimal performance impact.

ArkHost Security Pack vs BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security