security checklist Wordpress website development (OWASP)
1. Planning Phase
- Consult relevant regulations (GDPR, PCI-DSS).
- Gather input from stakeholders and team members.
- Document security requirements clearly.
- Prioritize requirements based on risk assessment.
- Ensure alignment with business goals and objectives.
- Conduct a threat modeling session.
- Utilize OWASP Top Ten as a reference.
- Analyze previous security incidents.
- Engage in brainstorming with the team.
- Document identified threats in a risk matrix.
- Draft a comprehensive security policy document.
- Include coding standards and practices.
- Set up guidelines for secure third-party integrations.
- Define roles and responsibilities for security.
- Regularly review and update the policy.
2. Development Environment
- Implement firewalls to block unauthorized access.
- Configure access control lists to limit user permissions.
- Regularly review and update firewall rules.
- Ensure secure configurations for servers and applications.
- Choose a secure version control system (e.g., Git).
- Limit repository access to authorized developers only.
- Enable two-factor authentication for user accounts.
- Regularly audit access permissions for all users.
- Monitor for updates and security patches for tools.
- Schedule regular updates to libraries and dependencies.
- Test updates in a staging environment before deployment.
- Document all updates and changes made to the environment.
3. Secure Coding Practices
- Use built-in WordPress functions like `esc_html()` and `sanitize_text_field()`.
- Validate data type and length for all user inputs.
- Reject inputs that do not conform to expected patterns.
- Regularly update validation techniques to address new threats.
- Utilize the `$wpdb` class for database interactions.
- Employ `prepare()` method to bind parameters safely.
- Avoid concatenating user input directly into SQL queries.
- Review and audit all custom queries regularly.
- Use `try-catch` blocks to handle exceptions gracefully.
- Log errors using `error_log()` for server-side auditing.
- Avoid displaying error details to users.
- Maintain a log file with limited access permissions.
- Customize error messages to be user-friendly and generic.
- Hide stack traces and technical details from users.
- Implement a logging system to monitor errors without exposing data.
- Regularly review and update error handling practices.
4. Authentication and Access Control
- Require a minimum length of 12 characters.
- Include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.
- Enforce password changes every 90 days.
- Prevent reuse of previous passwords.
- Provide feedback on password strength during creation.
- Choose a reliable 2FA method (e.g., SMS, authenticator app).
- Require 2FA for all admin logins.
- Provide clear instructions for users to set up 2FA.
- Regularly audit 2FA settings and user compliance.
- Offer backup codes for account recovery.
- Define user roles clearly and specifically.
- Assign minimum permissions necessary for job functions.
- Regularly review user roles and adjust permissions accordingly.
- Implement access reviews at least quarterly.
- Document all role definitions and changes.
- Set session timeouts to 15 minutes of inactivity.
- Invalidate sessions on password change or logout.
- Use secure cookies with the HttpOnly and Secure flags.
- Implement CSRF tokens in forms.
- Log out users after a predetermined number of failed login attempts.
5. Configuration and Deployment
- Access wp-config.php file.
- Change the default database prefix from 'wp_' to a unique value.
- Review other default settings for security risks.
- Update any related configuration settings.
- Access the WordPress admin dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings > Writing.
- Uncheck the box for XML-RPC.
- Alternatively, use a security plugin to disable it.
- Obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted provider.
- Install the SSL certificate on the web server.
- Update WordPress Address and Site Address to use 'https://'.
- Force HTTPS using a plugin or .htaccess rules.
- Regularly check for updates in the admin dashboard.
- Backup the website before applying updates.
- Apply updates for WordPress core, themes, and plugins promptly.
- Review changelogs for potential security fixes.
6. Security Plugins and Tools
- Research and select reputable security plugins.
- Install plugins via the WordPress dashboard.
- Configure settings for maximum protection.
- Enable features like malware scanning and login protection.
- Regularly update plugins to the latest versions.
- Choose a suitable WAF provider.
- Follow setup instructions for integration with WordPress.
- Configure rules to block malicious traffic.
- Monitor WAF logs for suspicious activities.
- Regularly update WAF rules and settings.
- Select a reliable backup solution or plugin.
- Schedule automatic backups at regular intervals.
- Store backups in a secure offsite location.
- Test backup restoration process periodically.
- Keep multiple backup versions for data recovery.
7. Monitoring and Maintenance
- Implement logging for user activities.
- Set up alerts for unusual login attempts.
- Use security plugins to detect intrusions.
- Regularly review logs for anomalies.
- Establish a response plan for incidents.
- Schedule audits at least quarterly.
- Use automated tools for vulnerability scanning.
- Manually review code for security flaws.
- Engage third-party experts for assessments.
- Document findings and remediation steps.
- Establish a review schedule for policies.
- Incorporate new security threats and best practices.
- Train staff on updated policies.
- Ensure policies align with compliance requirements.
- Communicate changes to all stakeholders.
8. Incident Response
- Identify potential security threats.
- Establish roles and responsibilities.
- Define communication protocols.
- Outline procedures for containment, eradication, and recovery.
- Regularly review and update the plan.
- Conduct regular training sessions.
- Simulate incident scenarios for practice.
- Review roles and responsibilities during incidents.
- Provide resources for further learning.
- Evaluate team performance post-training.
- Record all relevant incident details.
- Analyze the root cause of incidents.
- Identify patterns and recurring issues.
- Generate reports for stakeholders.
- Use findings to update security policies.
9. User Education
- Provide resources on strong password creation.
- Encourage regular updates of software and plugins.
- Promote the use of two-factor authentication.
- Share information about safe browsing habits.
- Discuss the importance of regular data backups.
- Conduct workshops on identifying suspicious emails.
- Simulate phishing attacks to test awareness.
- Explain common social engineering tactics.
- Encourage reporting of suspicious activity.
- Provide guidelines for safe information sharing.
10. Review and Improvement
- Schedule assessments with qualified security professionals.
- Use automated tools for vulnerability scanning.
- Perform manual penetration tests to identify weaknesses.
- Review findings and prioritize remediation efforts.
- Document assessment results for compliance and future reference.
- Create channels for user feedback on security issues.
- Analyze feedback for common vulnerabilities or concerns.
- Implement changes based on priority and feasibility.
- Communicate improvements to stakeholders and users.
- Iterate the process regularly for continuous enhancement.
- Subscribe to relevant security bulletins and newsletters.
- Participate in security forums and communities.
- Attend workshops and training sessions on new threats.
- Update security policies and practices based on new information.
- Conduct regular team meetings to discuss current security trends.
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