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
XML-RPC Protection: 
* Disable XML-RPC completely 
* 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>) 
* Optionally anonymize the author name in oEmbed responses
Login Security: 
* Generic error messages (no username/password hints) 
* Login honeypot 
* Block unsafe usernames 
* Application Passwords disabled by default 
* IP-based rate limiting with configurable thresholds 
* Security event logging
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) 
* System Status — monitors file permissions, WP_DEBUG, user registration, PHP version, administrator accounts, and database version
<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.

Paul

Shield Security

Most security plugins hand you a dashboard full of alerts and expect you to know what to do next. Shield works differently.
It blocks threats automatically, repairs what it can on its own, and then shows you exactly what still needs your attention — ranked by impact, not volume. Less noise. More action.
<h4>🤖 Security That Runs Itself</h4>
The most powerful thing Shield does is what it handles without you:
<ul>
<li>Automatic IP Blocking — every visitor is quietly scored as they interact with your site. Failed logins, firewall blocks, silentCAPTCHA failures, and other signals accumulate into a reputation score. When a visitor’s score crosses the threshold, Shield blocks them — automatically, without you lifting a finger</li>
<li>Automatic File Repair — when a file integrity scan finds a changed WordPress core file, Shield pulls the original from WordPress.org and restores it. Detected and fixed, without waiting for you to act</li>
<li>Automatic Bot Recognition — Shield identifies legitimate crawlers (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Apple) and known services (ManageWP, Pingdom, Stripe, CloudFlare) and never blocks them. Your SEO and monitoring tools keep working</li>
</ul>
<h4>🧭 Guided Security, Not Just a Dashboard</h4>
Shield organises your security into four focused areas so you always know where to look:
<ul>
<li>Queue — things that need your attention, ranked by priority. Not everything at once — just what matters right now</li>
<li>Investigate — dig into blocked IPs, security events, and the specific signals that triggered each one</li>
<li>Configure — guided setup for each protection area, with clear recommendations matched to your site</li>
<li>Reports — a clear view of what Shield has blocked, detected, and repaired over time</li>
</ul>
The goal: guide you quickly towards action, not bury you in data.
<h4>🛡️ Free Protection</h4>
Bot Blocking & Firewall
<ul>
<li><code>silentCAPTCHA</code> — blocks bad bots on login, registration, lost password, and comment forms using passive signals invisible to real visitors. No CAPTCHA keys. No external requests. No JavaScript that breaks your forms. Everything runs on your server (GDPR friendly).</li>
<li>Firewall rules blocking common WordPress attack patterns — SQL injection probes, known exploit signatures, suspicious request parameters</li>
<li>XML-RPC protection — disable or restrict entirely, including pingbacks and trackbacks</li>
<li>REST API firewall — block unauthenticated requests</li>
<li>Fake crawler detection — identifies bots spoofing legitimate search engines</li>
</ul>
Login & Account Security
<ul>
<li>Two-factor authentication (2FA) — email codes, Google Authenticator, or YubiKey OTP for all users</li>
<li>Brute force protection with configurable login attempt limits and cooldown</li>
<li>Session locking — tie sessions to a browser or IP to stop account theft after a successful login</li>
<li>User enumeration blocking — closes off <code>?author=</code> probes used to harvest usernames before an attack</li>
</ul>
Scanning & Integrity
<ul>
<li>Core file scanning — compares WordPress core against official checksums and repairs changed files automatically</li>
<li>Suspicious PHP detection — flags PHP files in locations where they have no business being</li>
<li>Abandoned plugin detection — identifies unmaintained plugins most likely to carry unpatched vulnerabilities</li>
</ul>
Visibility & Control
<ul>
<li>Security Admin PIN — lock Shield’s own settings so other administrators cannot quietly weaken your configuration</li>
<li>Security activity log — logins, user changes, plugin and theme events, post edits, and suspicious requests: Everything in one clear view</li>
<li>IP Rules — automatic & manual block and bypass rules, CIDR range support, full per-IP request history</li>
</ul>
<h4>🤝 CrowdSec Integration</h4>
Shield is the only WordPress security plugin with a native CrowdSec integration. CrowdSec aggregates threat signals from millions of sites into a shared IP reputation network — your site blocks known attackers before they ever probe you, using intelligence far beyond your own traffic history.
<h4>✨ ShieldPRO</h4>
<ul>
<li>Passkeys — phishing-resistant, passwordless login for users</li>
<li>Backup login codes — emergency 2FA access when a device is lost</li>
<li>AI-based malware scanner — detects known and unknown PHP malware</li>
<li>Plugin & theme file scanning — compares installed files against WordPress.org originals, flagging unauthorised changes</li>
<li>Vulnerability scanning — active checks across all installed plugins and themes</li>
<li>Broader spam protection — WooCommerce, EDD, Contact Form 7, Ninja Forms, Elementor, and more</li>
<li>Traffic rate limiting — cap request rates per IP to absorb high-volume bot floods</li>
<li>User suspension — manual or automatic suspension of idle accounts</li>
<li>MainWP integration</li>
<li>White Label — rename and rebrand Shield for client sites</li>
</ul>
<h4>Who It’s For</h4>
Shield suits site owners, agencies, and MSPs who want protection that runs itself — not a plugin that demands constant attention to be useful.
If you have been burned by security plugins that generate more noise than protection, or dashboards that tell you everything is wrong without telling you what to fix, Shield was built to be the alternative.

Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning

Smart WordPress security that blocks bots automatically, guides you to what matters, and repairs problems — without drowning you in noise.

Security Hardener vs Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning