Marc Armengou

Security Hardener applies WordPress security best practices based on the <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/hardening/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress Advanced Administration / Security / Hardening</a> documentation and widely accepted hardening measures. It uses WordPress core functions and follows best practices without modifying core files.
<h4>Key Features</h4>
File Security: 
* Disable file editor in WordPress admin 
* Optionally disable all file modifications (blocks updates – use with caution)
XML-RPC Protection: 
* Disable XML-RPC completely (enabled by default) 
* Remove pingback methods when XML-RPC is enabled
Pingback Protection: 
* Disable self-pingbacks 
* Remove X-Pingback header 
* Block incoming pingbacks
User Enumeration Protection: 
* Block <code>/?author=N</code> queries (returns 404) 
* Secure REST API user endpoints (require authentication) 
* Remove users from XML sitemaps 
* Prevent canonical redirects that expose usernames 
* Optionally block author feed pages (<code>/author/username/feed/</code>)
Login Security: 
* Generic error messages (no username/password hints) 
* Login honeypot — silently blocks bots before any credential check 
* IP-based rate limiting with configurable thresholds 
* Security event logging (last 100 events) 
* Automatic blocking after failed attempts
Security Headers: 
* <code>X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN</code> (clickjacking protection) 
* <code>X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff</code> (MIME sniffing protection) 
* <code>Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin</code> 
* <code>Permissions-Policy</code> (restricts geolocation, microphone, camera) 
* Optional HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) for HTTPS sites — max-age set to 1 year
Additional Hardening: 
* Hide WordPress version (meta generator tag and asset query strings) 
* Remove obsolete wp_head items (RSD, WLW manifest, shortlink, emoji scripts) 
* Security event logging system 
* Optionally disable Application Passwords for API authentication
<blockquote>
⚠️ Important: Always test security settings in a staging environment first. Some features may affect third-party integrations or plugins.
</blockquote>
Privacy: This plugin does not send data to external services and does not create custom database tables. It stores plugin settings and a security event log in the WordPress options table, and uses transients for temporary login attempt tracking. All data is preserved on uninstall by default and only deleted if the “Delete all data on uninstall” option is explicitly enabled.

Security Hardener

Basic hardening: secure headers, login honeypot, user enumeration blocking, generic login errors, rate limiting, and more.

cybersmartempire

Cyber Smart Defence is a lightweight WordPress security plugin designed to protect your website against unauthorized access, brute-force login attempts, and suspicious request patterns.
The plugin runs quietly in the background and integrates directly with WordPress. It monitors login activity, blocks abusive behavior, and records security-related events for administrative review.
No complex configuration is required. Once activated, protection is enabled automatically.
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Login attempt monitoring</li>
<li>Automatic temporary lockout after multiple failed login attempts</li>
<li>IP-based threat detection</li>
<li>Firewall protection against common malicious request patterns</li>
<li>Secure threat logging for administrators</li>
<li>Lightweight and performance-friendly</li>
</ul>
<h3>External Services</h3>
This plugin connects to an external service provided by Cyber Smart Empire to check IP reputation.
What data is sent 
* IP address of the visitor being checked
When data is sent 
* Only when an IP reputation check is performed
Service provider 
* Cyber Smart Empire
Service URL 
* https://cybersmartempire.com
Privacy Policy 
* https://cybersmartempire.com/privacy
Terms of Service 
* https://cybersmartempire.com/terms/

Cyber Smart Defence

Lightweight WordPress security firewall with login protection and threat monitoring.

Security Hardener vs Cyber Smart Defence