For example, WordPress is a great content management system (CMS), but the fact that your site runs on WordPress can advantage an attacker. Or maybe you just want to brand the site in an original manner that doesn’t reflect WordPress. What can you do? You can do a bit of work to easily obfuscate WordPress.

• Why Hide That Your Website is Built on WordPress?
• Change the Default Login URL
• Disable XML-RPC
• Remove WordPress Meta Tags
• Customize Your Theme and Plugins
• Use Security Plugins
• Hide WordPress Core Files
• Additional Security Measures

Why Hide That Your Website is Built on WordPress?

Hiding that your website is built on WordPress can help to:

• Secure the system: Hiding the CMS adds a layer of difficulty for hackers who intend to exploit publicly known WordPress vulnerabilities.
• Maintain brand identity: The company doesn’t want to look like everyone else.
• Avoid targeting: Bots often crawl for WordPress sites to attack, so hiding it lessens the chances of being targeted.

Change the Default Login URL

For instance, the default WordPress login URL (yourwebsite.com/wp-login.php) is widely known, making it an obvious target for a brute force attack. You can enhance security by altering this URL, making it a harder target for those not authorized to access it.

Steps to change the login URL:

1. Install a plugin like WPS Hide Login.
2. Go to the plugin settings and specify a new login URL.
3. Save your changes and use the new URL to access your WordPress dashboard.

Disable XML-RPC

A feature in WordPress called XML-RPC can be used to remotely access your site, but it can also be used to launch DDoS attacks and brute force attacks against your site. Disabling XML-RPC improves your site’s security.

To disable XML-RPC:

1. Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:
2. Alternatively, use a plugin like Disable XML-RPC to turn off this feature without coding.

Remove WordPress Meta Tags

WordPress puts several meta tags into the header of your site that reveal the version. It’s a good idea to get rid of these; they help break the “this is WordPress” loop.

Here’s how you can remove WordPress meta tags:

1. Add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file to remove version numbers:
2. Use a plugin such as Hide My WP to control that plus other security features.

Customize Your Theme and Plugins

Another way to disguise the fact that you’re on WordPress is to customize your theme and plugins. Default themes and plugins typically contain comments that are recognizably recycled.

To customize your theme and plugins:

1. Remove or modify comments in your theme files that indicate they are WordPress themes.
2. Replace default WordPress class names with custom names.
3. Minify CSS and JavaScript files to obscure the code further.

Use Security Plugins

Security plugins can further help you to hide your WordPress site by providing features that can obscure the identity of your WordPress site.

Recommended security plugins:

• Hide My WP: Tells others that you’re running WordPress by changing paths and file names.
• iThemes Security: Has many options, including hiding the login URL and removing meta tags.
• WP Hide & Security Enhancer: This plugin can hide the common WordPress paths, change default URLs, and other tweaks that will help hide the fact that your site uses WordPress.

Hide WordPress Core Files

By hiding the core files of WordPress to the public, such as wp-config.php and .htaccess, you won’t be highly prone to unauthorized access and attacks.

Steps to hide core files:

1. Move the wp-config.php file to a directory above your root directory.
2. Use .htaccess rules to deny access to sensitive files:

Additional Security Measures

Besides the methods described above, the following ones can add extra security to your site:

• Regular updates: Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated to the latest versions.
• Strong passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts associated with your WordPress site.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA for an extra layer of security.
• Backup solutions: Make sure you back up your site so you can restore it should you suffer an attack.

You can conceal the presence of WordPress under the hood with these tips, making it harder to hack, and more professional in appearance. You’ve now taken your first steps towards making WordPress more secure and presentable.