How to Prevent a WordPress DDoS Attack [4 Easy Steps]

Is your WordPress site running slower than usual? Or are you experiencing frequent crashes or downtime even though your traffic hasn’t significantly increased? If that is the case, your website could be the victim of a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack.

According to recent cybersecurity reports, DDoS attacks are on the rise, with over 15 million attacks recorded in 2023 alone, many of them targeting popular content management systems like WordPress. These attacks can cause significant downtime, loss of revenue, and even permanent damage to your website’s reputation.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify, prevent, and stop a WordPress DDoS attack in just four easy steps. We’ll also discuss the dangers of DDoS attacks and provide actionable tips on how to protect your site from future threats.

What Is a DDoS Attack? —Brief Intro

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack occurs when multiple compromised devices, often called a botnet, flood a website’s server with overwhelming requests. This surge in traffic is intended to exhaust the server’s resources and cause the website to crash or become so slow that it’s essentially unusable.

In the context of WordPress, a DDoS attack can be particularly damaging because WordPress sites often rely on shared hosting environments, where server resources are limited. When an attacker floods your site with malicious traffic, it can cause your web host to throttle your resources or even suspend your account, leading to significant downtime.

For example, you own an online store running on WordPress. Suddenly, thousands of fake users start requesting pages on your site at the same time. Your server becomes overwhelmed, which leads to a complete shutdown.

The worst thing is that during this time, the real customers will not be able to access your site, potentially resulting in lost sales and frustrated clients.

Real-World Examples of DDoS Attacks

While DDoS attacks can target any website, WordPress sites have become frequent targets due to their popularity and widespread usage. Here are a few real-world examples of DDoS attacks that targeted WordPress sites and other services in general:

1. XML-RPC DDoS Attack: A common attack vector for WordPress sites is the XML-RPC feature. It started in 2014 when several high-profile WordPress sites were targeted through this protocol. Attackers used XML-RPC to amplify their DDoS attacks, which caused large-scale disruptions.
2. DDoS attack on Google Cloud: In August 2023, an attacker launched a DDoS attack on Google Cloud, which hit 398 million RPS—over seven times stronger than any prior attack. This rise in attack strength has severely affected businesses worldwide.

Types of DDoS attacks

DDoS attacks come in various forms, each targeting different aspects of your website’s infrastructure. Here are the five most common types of DDoS attacks:

1. Volumetric Attack: This DDoS attack attempts to flood a network with traffic to consume all available bandwidth. Often, this technique includes techniques like DNS amplification or UDP floods, which are often used to overwhelm a server quickly.
2. Application Layer Attack: Targeting specific applications like WordPress, this type of attack exhausts the server’s resources by making seemingly legitimate requests. For example, an HTTP flood sends a large number of HTTP requests to overwhelm the server.
3. Protocol Attack: Hackers use this attack to exploit weaknesses in network protocols, such as TCP/IP. A common example is a SYN flood, where attackers send numerous SYN requests but never complete the handshake, leaving the server waiting and consuming resources.
4. Connection Flood Attack: With this attack, the hacker attempts to exhaust the server’s maximum number of concurrent connections, preventing legitimate users from connecting to the website.
5. Multi-Vector Attack: In this attack, some sophisticated attackers combine multiple DDoS attacks simultaneously, making it difficult to mitigate the attack without specialized security solutions.

Potential Danger of a DDoS Attack on WordPress Site

The main effect of a WordPress DDoS attack is site downtime. On Reddit, one WordPress user reported that his site received 2.5 million DDoS attacks in an hour, causing 17 minutes of downtime.

Below are the most severe dangers associated with a successful attack:

• Website Downtime: The most immediate and visible effect of a DDoS attack is the unavailability of your website, which can last for hours or even days.
• Loss of Revenue: If your website is an e-commerce platform, a DDoS attack can lead to lost sales, frustrated customers, and a damaged reputation.
• Negative Impact on SEO: Extended downtime can harm your SEO rankings. Search engines like Google may penalize websites that are frequently unavailable, leading to reduced visibility.
• Increased Hosting Costs: Many hosting providers charge for additional bandwidth or server resources. A DDoS attack can significantly increase your hosting costs as your site consumes more resources to handle the traffic surge.
• Damage to Brand Reputation: Customers expect websites to be available 24/7. If your site becomes inaccessible due to a DDoS attack, it can damage your brand’s reputation and erode customer trust.
• Data Corruption: Although a DDoS attack doesn’t directly target your data, the stress it puts on your server can potentially lead to data corruption.
• Vulnerability to Other Attacks: A DDoS attack can be used as a smokescreen for other, more dangerous attacks, such as a WordPress SQL Injection Attack or data theft.

How to Identify/Detect a WordPress DDoS Attack

Before you can effectively stop a DDoS attack, it’s important to recognize the signs. High traffic alone doesn’t always indicate an attack, as it could be legitimate.

However, if your website begins to slow down or crashes unexpectedly, this could be a signal that you need to activate your disaster recovery plan (which we’ll discuss later). Watch out for the following most common warning signs to confirm a potential DDoS attack:

• Sudden Traffic Spikes: If you notice a sudden and massive increase in traffic without any corresponding promotional efforts or organic growth, it could be a sign of a DDoS attack.
• Sluggish Website Performance: When your site becomes slow or unresponsive, it may be due to an overwhelming number of requests generated by a DDoS attack.
• Frequent Server Crashes: If your server crashes repeatedly, it may struggle to handle the sheer volume of traffic generated by the attack.
• Unusual Traffic Patterns: A DDoS attack often involves traffic from unfamiliar locations or an excessive number of requests from a single IP address.
• Error Messages in Your Logs: Monitoring your website logs can reveal unusual activity, such as an abnormal number of failed requests or resource depletion.

To properly diagnose a DDoS attack, you can use tools like Google Analytics, server logs, and security plugins that track real-time traffic and user activity. After identifying the attack, you should act immediately to mitigate its effects.

4 Easy Steps to Stop and Prevent a WordPress DDoS Attack

Stopping a WordPress DDoS attack might seem challenging, but by taking the right measures, you can quickly regain control and prevent future incidents.

Here are the steps you need to take to prevent and stop DDoS attacks on your WordPress site:

Step #1: Remove WordPress DDoS Attack Verticals

The first step in defending your WordPress site from DDoS attacks is to minimize the attack surfaces or “verticals” that hackers can exploit. These verticals often include WordPress features like the REST API and XML-RPC, which an attacker can use to launch attacks if left unsecured.

• Disable REST API in WordPress

The WordPress REST API allows developers to interact with your site remotely, but attackers can also exploit it to send malicious requests. To disable the REST API, you can use plugins like Disable REST API or add custom code to your functions.php file to limit access.

• Disable XML-RPC in WordPress

XML-RPC is another feature that allows remote connections to your WordPress site. However, attackers often use it to amplify DDoS attacks.

Disabling XML-RPC can significantly reduce your site’s vulnerability. You can disable it through a plugin called Disable XML-RPC or by adding a simple line of code to your .htaccess file.

Step #2: Install a WAF (Website Application Firewall)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) serves as a protective barrier between your website and the internet. It monitors incoming traffic and filters out malicious requests before they reach your site. Installing a WAF is one of the most effective ways to prevent DDoS attacks.

Several security providers offer WAF services, including Cloudflare, Sucuri, and Wordfence. These services not only protect your site from DDoS attacks but also block other forms of malicious traffic, such as SQL injections and malware.

Step #3: Inform Your Team, Customers, and Hosting Provider

During a DDoS attack, it’s important to keep everyone informed. Alert your hosting provider immediately so they can take necessary measures, such as scaling server resources or blocking suspicious IP addresses.

Inform your team so they can monitor the situation and make sure your customers know about potential downtime.

Remember that communication is key in these situations, and a prompt response can help minimize the impact of the attack on your business.

Step #4: Prevent Your WordPress Website From Future DDoS Attacks

Once the attack is over, it’s time to focus on long-term prevention. Here are some long-term strategies to prevent your WordPress website from future DDoS attacks:

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps distribute your website’s content across multiple servers worldwide. By using a CDN, you can offload traffic from your primary server, making it harder for attackers to overwhelm a single server with requests. Many CDNs also come with built-in security features, including DDoS mitigation.

Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, and Google Cloud CDN are the popular CDNs that provide robust DDoS protection by automatically identifying and blocking malicious traffic before it reaches your WordPress site.

• Limit Login Attempts

One of the most common types of DDoS attacks on WordPress sites is a brute-force attack, which targets your login page by attempting to log in using multiple username and password combinations. Limiting login attempts can prevent attackers from overwhelming your site with these requests.

You can use the All-In-One Login plugin to set a maximum number of failed login attempts before an IP address is temporarily blocked. Or if you want to apply limit login attempts on your password protected screen for WordPress content then install the Password Protected plugin. This will help prevent brute-force DDoS attacks and other unauthorized login attempts.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your WordPress login page. Even if an attacker manages to guess your password, they will still need access to a second factor, such as a one-time code sent to your mobile device, to log in successfully. Implementing 2FA can help protect your site from brute-force DDoS attacks.

Again you can use the All-In-One Login plugin, and Password Protected plugin to add two-factor authentication for your WordPress sites.

• Update WordPress and Plugins Regularly

Outdated WordPress versions and plugins often contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to launch DDoS attacks. Make sure your WordPress core, themes, and plugins are always updated to the latest versions to minimize security risks.

• Monitor Your Site with Security Plugins

Real-time monitoring can help you detect and prevent DDoS attacks before they cause significant damage. Security plugins like Wordfence and Sucuri offer continuous monitoring of your website for suspicious activity, such as unexpected traffic spikes, failed login attempts, or changes to core files.

DDoS Attack vs Brute Force Attack

Although both DDoS attacks and brute force attacks are designed to disrupt your website, they are fundamentally different in how they operate:

• DDoS Attack: A DDoS attack involves multiple compromised devices sending massive traffic to overwhelm your server. The goal of this attack is to exhaust your server’s resources.
• Brute Force Attack: A WordPress brute force attack specifically targets the login page of your WordPress site. The attacker tries multiple username and password combinations to gain unauthorized access. The goal is to break into your site rather than simply making it unavailable.

Both attacks can be mitigated with strong security practices, such as limiting login attempts, using two-factor authentication, and installing a web application firewall (WAF).

Final Remarks on WordPress DDoS Attack

To stop and prevent WordPress DDoS attacks on your site, you need a proactive approach and the right tools. DDoS attacks are becoming more frequent, sophisticated, and damaging, but with the right measures in place, you can protect your website from these malicious threats.

To summarize, here’s a quick overview of the steps to stop and prevent DDoS attacks on your WordPress site:

1. Remove Attack Verticals by disabling unnecessary features like XML-RPC and the REST API.
2. Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter out malicious traffic before it reaches your server.
3. Communicate with Your Hosting Provider, Team, and Customers during an attack to minimize its impact.
4. Implement Long-Term Security Measures like using a CDN, limiting login attempts, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping WordPress updated, and using security plugins to monitor your site.

If you need any help, feel free to contact us. Our team of WordPress experts is always ready to help you!