Securing your website requires several steps, as attackers and malicious users can find their way to your WordPress through a variety of methods. For example, keeping your WordPress installation, as well as themes and plugins updated is one of the most basic steps in security. A good number of websites are compromised due to obsolete or out of date themes and plugins.
Another common method by which your website might be compromised is brute force attacks. By relying on brute force attacks, malicious hackers can gain access to your WordPress admin panel, and eventually, take control of your website.
Using a strong password is definitely the key here. However, many users tend to also rely on two-factor authentication for added security. Basically, two-factor authentication, as the name suggests, lets you log in as a two-step process. First, you authenticate yourself using your username and password. But in addition to that, you also authenticate yourself by means of a secondary medium, such as a text message sent to your phone with a one-time authentication code, or an email link, and so on.
Naturally, this provides an added layer of security, as even if a malicious user can crack your username and password, they may still not be able to login to your WordPress admin panel on account of two-factor authentication.
Two-Factor Authentication Plugins For WordPress
There are several two-factor authentication plugins out there for WordPress users. In this article, I have put together some of the best ones.
Two-Factor Authentication By Mini Orange
Two-Factor Authentication plugin lets you set up two-factor authentication for your website with ease. It supports authentication by means of Google Authenticator, SMS, push messages, device ID, or even QR codes.
The original Google Authenticator plugin has not been updated in over two years, so if you wish to use Google Authenticator as the solution for your website, this particular plugin might be a better choice for you.
Clef Two-Factor Authentication
Clef Two-Factor Authentication is by far one of the most popular plugins in its genre, with over 700,000 active installations. It works differently in the sense that it requires you to rely on the Clef mobile app for authentication.
Basically, you set up and sync your mobile with Clef Wave, and thereafter, you can login by means of security keys, rather than traditional option of entering username and password. This rules out security threats such as brute force attacks, as well as cases of your passwords being compromised or your email account being hacked.
Rublon Two-Factor Authentication
Rublon Two-Factor Authentication works by letting you first confirm your identity on a device. After that, when you login from the same device using the same browser, you just need to use your WordPress credentials, that is, no further step is involved. However, for each new device, you need to either rely on the email link or use the Rublon mobile app.
Naturally, the mode of operation for this plugin is different and is a good fit if you rely heavily on a specific set of devices for accessing your websites. However, if you use multiple devices or public computers, Rublon’s security strategy relies either on your email or its mobile app, and if your email is compromised, or your phone gets stolen, your website might be in jeopardy.
Duo Two-Factor Authentication
Duo Two-Factor Authentication plugin lets you add an extra layer of security to your site. Other than regular username and password combo, you can set up two-factor authentication using this plugin, such that users need to enter one-time passcodes generated by Duo in order to access WordPress admin panel.
You can have the passcodes sent to mobile devices by means of SMS, or even automated calls to landlines and other phones, or rely on hardware tokens.
OpenID
OpenID is not purely two-factor authentication per se, but it can add an extra login option for your WordPress website. In a nutshell, OpenID is an open standard that lets you login across different services without having to create multiple accounts or passwords. This plugin, therefore, lets you make use of OpenID in order to log in to WordPress accounts on your site.
The features are mutual, and as a result, your users can login across other OpenID-enabled websites using their WordPress accounts as well.
What do you think of these two-factor authentication plugins for your website? Share your views in the comments below!
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