Are you using WordPress? Do you use two-factor authentication (2FA)? To reduce the possibility of the website being hacked, I’m utilising WordPress to write this blog using the 2FA secure login mechanism.
This blog post explains how to secure your WordPress website by integrating the Wordfence plugin and the Google Authenticator app.
About 2FA
What is Two-factor authentication (2FA)?
A security management technique called two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an additional layer of security to an account, protecting it from a variety of potential weaknesses.
How does it work on WordPress?
To access the WordPress dashboard, we often need to enter a username (or email address) and password. But, 2FA will require us to provide an additional 2FA code in order to log in, significantly enhancing the security of the login process.
We need the Google Authenticator app and the Wordfence Security plugin to accomplish this. Google Authenticator will be downloaded onto your authenticator device, such as a smartphone, and Wordfence will be installed as a plugin on WordPress.
Why recommended?
Simply put, having more security is always a good thing. Although 2FA does not completely protect the website, it is better than nothing and does reduce the likelihood of an account being hacked.
I was shocked to learn how many malicious attempts were made repeatedly to log into the account after installing Wordfence. You may start securing your account right away after setting up this extra security measure, which is incredibly simple to do.
How to add & use 2FA on WordPress
- Step1Download Google Authenticator
- Go to Play Store (Android users) or App Store (Apple users)
- Search for “Google Authenticator” and download it.
- Step2Install the Wordfence Security plugin on WordPress
- Go to the WordPress dashboard and install a plugin called “Wordfence Security – Firewall & Malware Scan” and activate it.
Click to View - Step3Download Recovery Codes from Wordfence Login Security
- Go to Login Security.
- Download Recovery Codes. (This is optional but highly recommended as these codes may eventually be necessary if you lose access to your authentication devices such as losing your smartphone or unintentionally uninstalling the 2FA app). Save the code in a secure location after downloading it.
WordPress Dashboard – Wordfence 
Recovery Codes - Step4Enable Google Authenticator & Activate on Wordfence
- Scan the QR code with the Google Authenticator app or enter the key displayed on Wordfence Security.
Wordfence Security on WordPress 
Good Authenticator - Google Authenticator will display a special number on the authenticator device once you have added your account information using the setup key or a QR code. To finish the verification procedure and turn on 2FA for the account, enter the number listed on your Wordfence account.
- Click ACTIVATE.
- Step5Let’s start using it!
Let’s log out of your WordPress account to begin using the 2FA login method since you are presently signed in using simply your username and password (without 2FA).
- Log out from the WordPress account.
- Log in to your WordPress account again by entering your username and password as you always do.
- You will be prompted to enter the 2FA code.
- Open Google Authenticator and enter the number provided by the authenticator within 30 seconds (the number will be re-generated every 30 seconds).
- Click Log In.
- Done!
Regular WordPress Log In 
2FA Code Log In 
Code for 2FA
Final thought
Instead of just using the username/password login method, adding an additional security layer to your WordPress login significantly improves account security. This blog focused on installing the Wordfense plugins to use the 2FA method, but Wordfense itself has many functions to enhance the security of websites created using WordPress, so if you haven’t used any security plugins on your website, I highly recommend using it to secure it.
As was previously demonstrated, adding a 2FA login is not difficult. You can strengthen your website security by being more proactive using Wordfense and Google Authenticator!
Comments
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