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Chapter 04 of 06 · 3 lessons · ~29 min

Speed, Security and Backups

Make your WordPress site fast, protect it from common attacks, and set up backups so you can always recover.

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/ Lessons in this chapter
10
How to Speed Up Your WordPress Site How to measure your site's speed and fix the biggest causes of slow WordPress sites. Coming soon
11
WordPress Security Basics The simple habits that protect a WordPress site from the most common attacks. Coming soon
12
How to Back Up a WordPress Site How to set up automatic backups, store them safely and restore your site when something goes wrong. Coming soon

Chapter practice task

Task: Make your site fast, secure and backed up

  1. Test your site in PageSpeed Insights and note the mobile score.
  2. Set up caching, image optimization and a CDN if available.
  3. Turn on two-factor login, remove unused plugins and set strong passwords.
  4. Set up automatic backups stored off the server.
  5. Restore one backup to a staging or test site to prove it works.

By the end of this chapter

  • Your site loads quickly on phones
  • Common security risks are covered
  • You have tested, automatic backups

Quick answers for this chapter

Does hosting affect speed?

A lot. Good hosting with server caching is the foundation everything else builds on.

Is WordPress secure?

The core software is well maintained. Most hacks come from outdated plugins, weak passwords and nulled themes.

How often should I back up?

Daily for sites that change often (shops, blogs), weekly for simple brochure sites, and always before updates.