AgilePress

Tag: WP 2FA

  • The Security Illusion: Why We Banned Wordfence and AIOS

    When a site owner fears getting hacked, their knee-jerk reaction is usually to install the “biggest” security plugin they can find.

    Names like Wordfence, All In One Security (AIOS), or Solid Security dominate the market. They are the “Norton Antivirus” of WordPress.

    At AgilePress, we do not use them.

    In fact, we often remove them to instantly improve a client’s server response time.

    Security is not measured by how many settings your plugin has. It is measured by where you stop the attack. Here is why we shift the weight to the server and use minimalist tools inside WordPress.

    The Problem with “The Giants” (Wordfence, AIOS, Sucuri)

    These popular plugins operate on a flawed premise: Application-Level Security.

    They run inside WordPress. This means that for the plugin to block a malicious bot, WordPress has to load first. The PHP engine has to spin up, connect to the database, and execute the plugin’s code.

    The “PHP Trap”: Imagine 1,000 bots attack your login page simultaneously.

    • With Wordfence: Your server has to execute WordPress 1,000 times just to say “Access Denied.” This consumes CPU and RAM, often crashing the server (a self-inflicted DDoS) even if the hackers don’t get in.
    • Database Bloat: These plugins log every failed attempt in your database. We have seen wp_options tables bloated by gigabytes of security logs, slowing down the entire site.

    The AgilePress Strategy: Defense in Depth

    We believe that malicious traffic should be stopped as far away from your WordPress installation as possible.

    Layer 1: The Edge (CDN & Cloudflare)

    The best request is the one that never hits your server. We use Cloudflare (or your hosting’s edge firewall) to block geographical threats and known botnets.

    • Cost to your server: Zero.
    • Speed impact: Positive.

    Layer 2: The Server (Hardening & Imunify)

    This is where most people undervalue their hosting. If you use a quality provider with cPanel or Plesk, you already have enterprise-grade tools that operate at the root level, far more efficiently than any plugin.

    • Native Hardening: We configure the server to apply strict rules (like disabling PHP execution in upload folders) directly from the control panel.
    • Imunify360 / ImunifyAV: Many modern servers come with Imunify built-in. This tool scans files and blocks malware at the Linux OS level. It runs in the background without slowing down your WordPress and without writing junk logs to your database.
    • The Reality: If your server has Imunify, installing Wordfence is redundant and harmful to performance.

    Layer 3: The Application (The AgilePress Stack)

    Once traffic passes the Edge and the Server, it reaches WordPress. Here, we need a lightweight goalkeeper, not an army.

    1. The Firewall: NinjaFirewall (The “True” WAF)

    Unlike Wordfence, NinjaFirewall is a stand-alone Web Application Firewall.

    Why we choose it: It hooks into PHP (via php.ini or .user.ini) before WordPress loads.

    • It filters requests before the WordPress database connection is established.
    • If a request is malicious, it is killed instantly. WordPress never wakes up.
    • It saves massive amounts of CPU compared to standard plugins.

    2. The Identity Guard: WP 2FA (by Melapress)

    A firewall protects the perimeter; 2FA protects the user. We use WP 2FA because it adheres to the Unix philosophy: “Do one thing and do it well.” It doesn’t scan files, it doesn’t check IPs. It just provides a rock-solid, lightweight Two-Factor Authentication.

    3. The Anti-Bot Shield: Cloudflare Turnstile (Goodbye reCAPTCHA)

    Spam and brute-force attacks are usually automated. Traditionally, developers stopped this with Google reCAPTCHA, which forces users to “click on traffic lights” and loads heavy scripts that spy on your visitors.

    At AgilePress, we use Cloudflare Turnstile.

    • Invisible: It verifies if the visitor is human without forcing them to solve puzzles (Zero Friction).
    • Lightweight: It is far more privacy-respecting and lighter than Google’s solution.
    • Effective: It stops bots at your login and contact forms without punishing your real customers.

    Conclusion: Engineering vs. Fear

    The “Big Security Plugins” sell peace of mind through complexity. They want you to see a dashboard with 50 checkboxes and a map of blocked attacks so you feel like the plugin is “working.”

    In reality, that dashboard is slowing you down.

    At AgilePress, we build secure sites by design. We block at the Edge, harden the Server with Imunify, filter with NinjaFirewall, and verify with Turnstile.

    Maximum Security. Minimal Footprint.