by WPMU DEV.
WordPress security plugin with malware scanner, IP blocking, audit logs, antivirus scans, activity logs, firewall, 2FA, brute force login security &am …
Defender adds the best in WordPress plugin security to your website with just a few clicks. Stop brute force login attacks, SQL injections, cross-site scripting XSS, and other WordPress vulnerabilities and hacks with Defender’s malware scanner, antivirus scans, IP blocking, firewall, activity log, security log, and two-factor authentication (2FA) login security.
No longer do you have to go through hideously complex security settings and get a virtual PhD in security. Defender adds all the hardening and security recommendations you need.
Defender starts with a list of one-click hardening techniques that will instantly add layers of protection and security to your site.
Defender’s free malware scanner checks WordPress for suspicious code and malware. The Defender scan tool compares your WordPress install with the master copy in WP directory, reports changes and lets you restore the original file with a click.
Easily add an extra layer of protection to your WordPress sites with Defender’s range of two-factor authentication (2FA) features. Including: mobile app verification (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy), backup code generation, lost device emails, WooCommerce 2FA, Biometric Authentication (fingerprint/facial recognition), and Hardware Key Authentication (USB security keys).
Add reCAPTCHA to your login / registration pages, lost password forms, and post comments in a couple of steps to up security and help protect from fraud and abuse. Select reCAPTCHA type, language, location, and style to suit. As well as Google, Defender also supports the following reCAPTCHA types:
Keep your site safe with Defender’s IP manager and firewall. Manually block specific IPs, import a list of banned IPs and set automated timed and permanent lockouts. Defender makes it easy to block and unblock specific locations quickly thanks to its advanced firewall (WAF).
Brute force login attacks are no match for Defender. Limit login attempts to stop users trying to guess passwords. Permanently ban IPs or trigger a timed lockout after a set number of failed login attempts.
Defender makes it easy to move your login screen to a custom URL. Not only does login screen masking improve security, but it also lets you white label your login user experience and improves branding.
Password Reset enables you to force all users with selected roles to reset their password at any time. Especially helpful if you suspect a possible data breach on your site.
Add user agents to the block or allowlist and stop bad bots from spamming and scraping your site. All major search engines and special network bots are allow-listed out of the box. Easy to set up, Defender does all the security work, no editing of the .htaccess file required.
Security headers protect your site against the most likely types of attacks, such as: XSS, code injection, cross site scripting, and more. You can enable the following headers:
Defender detects when bots are being used to scan your site for vulnerabilities and shuts them down. The 404 limiter lets you stop the scan by detecting when a bot keeps visiting pages that do not exist, which can also save you from a giant strain on your site’s performance.
Defender runs surveillance and sends security notifications with information that matters.
The configs module allows you to save your Defender configurations and reapply them to your other sites in just a few clicks. You can create and save an unlimited number of security configurations.
Protect your site against password leak attacks. Entered passwords are checked against public database breach records. If a password is identified as compromised, the user will be asked to change it.
This is a game-changer if you manage multiple sites. Create your IP block/allowlist once, then apply and automatically sync to all your other sites with a click. You’ll save hours by not having to manually add IPs to each individual site. *Note: a WPMU DEV membership is required to access this feature. Our new and 100% free plan is the best place to start.
★★★★★
“I found other pro security plugins a bit too fiddly for my taste…I’m delighted with Defender” – KeithADV
★★★★★
“Thank you for bringing back a free and easy to use 2-Factor Authentication after Clef! Defender helps keep me aware of my sites security.” – awijasa
★★★★★
“Defender’s interface is very intuitive with warnings that are very helpful” – djohns
★★★★★
“Defender Recently blocked over 3000 attacks in one week without any noticeable impact on the website. WPMUDEV knocking it out of the park on this one.” – David Oswald
Your visitors expect a super-safe extra secure website when deciding whether or not to make a purchase or submit information. If visitors don’t trust your site, they will leave without completing a transaction.
If you’re running a business website or eCommerce store privacy, security, uptime and trust are essential.
Defender is here to help you: it’s a one of a kind WordPress security plugin that makes web security easy for anyone, for free!
Defender is built to make security simple: it makes your WordPress site harder to hack and it’s insanely easy to set up. Run a security scan and implement recommended changes in one-click, for added security in mere minutes.
All the above is free and will secure WordPress for you. If you need extra security for your WordPress site, you should get WPMU DEV Membership.
Our Membership gives you access to Defender Pro – which features automated scanning, scheduled malware scans for Core, themes, plugins and other files, audit logs, firewall protection, Blocklist monitoring – alongside Snapshot Pro cloud backups, the Hub with automated plugin, theme and core updates and safe-upgrade scans, all our premium WordPress plugins, 24/7 WordPress support and if your sites already been hacked our team of security experts will clean it up at no additional cost.
It’s an incredible deal, and you can find out more here.
Hey! This is Defender, your trusted solution for WordPress security and hack prevention. I’m part of the WPMU DEV team, a superhero-suite of WordPress plugins, services, and support. Here are some of our other free plugins:
And if you need ALL our Pro plugins AND 24/7 WordPress support, get WPMU DEV membership! You can try it free for 30 days: wpmudev.com
My superhero friends run the WPMU DEV Blog, your source for the very best WordPress tutorials. If you need to be in the know about WordPress, check it out.
Thanks for looking at Defender, and I look forward to hardening your site and making it safer than ever.
Enjoy, The Defender
WPMU DEV is a premium supplier of quality WordPress plugins and themes. For premium support with any WordPress related issues you can join us here:
https://wpmudev.com/
Don’t forget to stay up to date on everything WordPress from the Internet’s number one resource:
WPMU DEV Blog
Hey, one more thing… we hope you enjoy our free offerings as much as we’ve loved making them for you!
wp-defender plugin to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory.defender menu item in the WordPress dashboard.Defender is built to add all the best hardening and security recommendations used by the pros without having to become a security expert. This means you get all the most effective and proven protection methods other services provide with fewer settings, on-click hardening and faster setup.
Hackers and bot attacks are not the only threat to your site. No matter what security plugin or service you use, always be prepared with a secure backup stored in a safe location away from your live site. Security does not protect from hosting outages, server errors and accidentally lost or damaged data. We recommend Snapshot. Defender with scheduled managed backups is the best way to keep your site safe.
Yes! Defender’s Firewall gives you robust site protection and security by allowing you to block bad bot IPs.
You can. Just make sure not to enable the same security features in the third-party plugin, that you also have enabled in Defender, as this might cause conflicts.
Yes! The plugin is fully compatible with a multisite installation. It can be network enabled and managed from the network admin.
A high percentage of Trackbacks and Pingbacks are spam. Defender allows you to easily disable both, giving you added security and protection.
Yes. Defender’s IP banning, IP lockouts, and 404 detections can identify DDoS attacks and block bad IPs.
Add the code below to your theme’s function.php file, which you’ll find in the main directory of an active theme. Replace “YOUR IP HERE” with your IP address. Use a site like whatsmyip to get your IP.
add_filter( 'ip_lockout_default_whitelist_ip', function ( $ips ) {
$ip = 'YOUR IP HERE';
$ips[] = $ip;
return $ips;
} );
WPMU DEV’s expert support can advise you on how to clean up your site if it’s been hacked. Create a new thread in our support forum, or start a free 7 day trial of Defender Pro to get access to 24/7 live support.
Please open a new thread in Defender’s support forum. Our support team is always happy to help!