WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems out there. Content marketers all over the world use it for their businesses and independent bloggers are able to redesign the way they present their skills. The tool is considered to be widely useful and currently holds a 33% market share. Its popularity is credited to the fact that it does not require any technical knowledge to set up and maintain your website. However, the system does not come without its errors.
Sometimes while you encounter an issue with your site, you see a WordPress error message appear. If this does not happen, then the screen will go blank. In such instances, there can be a list of common problems that customer support can help you with. But there are some other lesser-known issues that are associated with WordPress that most people are not aware of. Along with some server and database errors, you can encounter other problems that do not readily show themselves.
The Drawbacks of Using WordPress
People have been able to create great websites using WordPress due to its features and added functions. However, despite its massive popularity, it does come with considerable drawbacks. In comparison to the hype, the systems are no longer delivering what was once promised. It is susceptible to many vulnerabilities and is expensive in the long run.
Developers are slowly going away from its use and instead of leaning towards more professionals sites that are made entirely from scratch. This is because most WordPress sites have started to look alike and even if you want to customize your page, you need to have a working knowledge of code. Furthermore, there are constant updates that plague your site since the system is always undergoing maintenance. Some themes or plugins will become unusable and you will have to spend extra hours to make adjustments that just are not worth the trouble.
WordPress Security Issues
To understand the kind of security risk that can come with having a WordPress site, you need to have a working knowledge of all kinds of threats. Once you understand the security problem lurking around the corner, you will be able to communicate it to your system administrators in a more effective way. Since WordPress powers millions of websites, it is open source and therefore susceptible to hacking and intrusions. This visibility that everyone has can prove to be the hubris of this CMS.
Hackers and Security Holes
Issue
Hackers are present all over the internet and have one common goal amongst themselves: to infiltrate as many websites as they can. To do this they have to use a security hole that may have been left by accident. These can be found on the individual plugins that WordPress comes with or just the original software of the site itself. If one security hole is uncovered, all pages linked to can be polluted and your control over your own website will be taken away. Once these turn into automated attacks, it can be hard to recover your site.
Solution
This is the reason why developers and service providers need to keep an eye out for zero-day security holes in any installed system, especially with open-source software like WordPress. Once this is linked and fixed, it will be quite difficult for hackers to control a range of websites and will protect your pages all at once.
Malicious Codes
Issue
WordPress sites can easily fall prey to malicious codes. Malware code has the ability to remain hidden for long periods of time and it is common to ignore scanning every once in a while. This allows the unwanted code to build up and potentially use your site without your knowledge. Most beginners and early-stage developers make the mistake of not scanning their sites unless the code starts to glitch, but by then it is already too late.
Solution
The least complicated way to prevent this is to install a WordPress security scanner as soon as your site is live. You can find free and paid tools online which can thoroughly scan your site to ensure there is no harmful code in hiding, waiting to strike. These do not require any technical skills and can be downloaded by anyone with a WordPress website. Users can use this multiple times as a security check to make sure that there is nothing suspicious going on in the code.
CSS Animated Images
Issue
There can be common cross-browser problems that come with CSS code. These problems can be hard to pinpoint but are easily fixable if located. CSS prefixes, linting code, and polyfill support will all be negatively affected now that SVGWG has made the announcement to deprecate SMIL. Although this does come into the favor of CSS and better web animations in SVG2, it will not be without its own issues. Content creators and developers will find that XSS attacks are prevented since scripts are not carried out within the IMG tag. Therefore, adding a video animation should be easy and safe. But if the images or icons are not within the tags, a huge security risk is posed.
Solution
Most websites do consider this problem and WordPress plugins are usually there to contradict it. However, the use of animations becomes very limited and the practice is considered to be widely impractical. All the ways developers can use CSS currently have been plagued by threats that still do not have concrete solutions.
SQL Injections
Issue
Running on a database is part of WordPress and its features. PHP server-side scripts are also used to deliver content in a faster way. Although this does help in maintaining a WYSIWYG environment, there are more chances of your site becoming liable and open to insertions. Hackers use malicious commands embedded within URLs so that your database illustrates a response. This causes sensitive information to be revealed to these hackers that allows them to modify or delete the content present on your WordPress site. There are many ways to avoid SQL injections into your site.
Solution
The vulnerability to these hacks stems from either using a previous update. If your site is not using the latest version of WordPress then it is more likely to be exposed and used by hackers. Furthermore, to ensure full security, you can use a security scan made for WordPress to locate and points of entry in your site. This will not only fix the basic vulnerabilities present but will also identify it and keep it in memory. The basic scans are usually free but you can use a paid service each month to look for any hidden threats that may not have shown their existence yet. You can even use the latest PHP allowed on your server and update any plugins you are using.
Conclusion
Since WordPress acts as a foundation for the majority of sites on the internet, it is an easy target for hackers and other kinds of threats. If vulnerabilities are uncovered, millions of sites are affected. This issue is not exclusive to WordPress but it is very visible to a large audience. Other content management systems come with their issues as well and the security of your site depends on developers and service providers.
