Access control discipline: Limiting admin access to only those who genuinely need it, using strong unique passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication closes the most common attack vector — compromised credentials.

Plugin and core update discipline: Keeping WordPress core and plugins updated promptly closes known vulnerabilities before they can be exploited — a large share of WordPress compromises trace back to outdated software with published exploits.

Regular automated backups: Even with strong preventive measures, having reliable backups means a compromise is a recoverable incident rather than a catastrophic data loss event.

Web application firewall: A WAF filters malicious requests before they reach WordPress itself, catching common attack patterns like SQL injection attempts before they can exploit application-level vulnerabilities.

A common mistake is treating security as a one-time configuration task rather than an ongoing practice — plugins need continued updates, access lists need periodic review as team members change, and new vulnerabilities are discovered in previously-safe software regularly. Building a lightweight recurring review habit — even a monthly check of plugin updates and active admin accounts — catches drift before it becomes a real vulnerability.

It’s worth assigning clear ownership for this recurring review, even at a small company. Security tasks that don’t have a specific person responsible tend to get deprioritized indefinitely once the initial setup excitement fades, and the gap between “we should check this” and “someone actually checked this” is where real vulnerabilities accumulate unnoticed.

Documenting the review checklist itself — which plugins to check, who currently has admin access, when the last backup was verified as restorable — turns an abstract good intention into a concrete, repeatable process that survives team turnover and doesn’t rely on one person’s memory.