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How to implement a WordPress security audit log to protect your site and users

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While there’s no doubt that there is a lot of data that flows through your site, it’s users who generate it. As such, human error is just one element that can cause vulnerabilities. This will always be a risk, but you can mitigate it using a dedicated WordPress security audit log.

You can add an activity log to a WordPress website using a plugin and control every aspect from the dashboard. Even better, the options at your disposal can be quite cost-effective. This is especially true for WP Activity Log. It’s one of the most popular options on the market that packs a punch with regard to features and functionality.

For this post, we’re going to look at how to set up a WordPress security audit log using this popular and powerful plugin. First, though, let’s run down exactly what a WordPress security audit log is and why you’d want one.

In this article 📝

What a WordPress security audit log is 🤷🏿

A WordPress security audit log can have many different names. You might read it as an activity log, an audit trail, or a number of other terms. However, it will be a text-based representation of the activity that takes place on your website.

A WordPress activity log file.

WordPress does not offer a log out of the box. Of course, you can enable wp_debug to list errors, and while this debug log is useful in certain situations, it does not offer the same functionality as an activity log. Instead, a dedicated plugin can expand on what data your site collects. For example:

  • User activity, such as logins and logouts complete with timestamps.
  • The details around who creates, edits, and publishes posts.
  • System changes, such as file changes, theme and plugin administration, and much more.
  • If you run a WooCommerce store, an activity log can also collect data about this aspect of your site.

A security audit log can provide you with plenty of information and data, but you still have to know how to use it. The benefits of using a WordPress security audit log will help to explain.

Why a WordPress security audit log is vital for site security 🔐

There are three key positives for using a WordPress security audit log on your site:

  • You can increase your security. You might not always spot a security breach or an undetected hacker. A log can alert you to inconsistent behavior, from which you can begin to resolve the issue.
  • You’re able to troubleshoot issues with greater efficiency. You can use an activity log to look at a detailed list of actions that happened on your site before a problem occurred. This will reduce the time it takes to troubleshoot. We’ll talk more about this later.
  • You can manage users in a better way. If you combine other tactics, such as implementing a robust user role policy, with an activity log, you can maintain a good level of integrity on your site.

With regard to this last point, a WordPress activity audit log can give you the impetus to put user accountability at the top of your priority list. With this in hand, you’re able to bring up sub-optimal actions on your website with users and change your procedures accordingly.

In addition, you can make sure your site is compliant with specific regulations relating to your business. For instance, you’ll need detailed information on user activity if you have to comply with a GDPR request. If you take payments, the PCI DSS specifies that you have to log all of the relevant activity. As you’ll learn later, you can implement PCI DSS on WordPress in a snap.

How a WordPress management service and audit log dovetails 🛠️

Much like any specific WordPress security implementation, an activity log or audit trail is necessary, yet only a piece of the puzzle with regard to your site’s security.

The WP Buffs website

While a good security plugin can be of great help, a WordPress management service gives you an extra pair of hands to clean up once you spot an issue:

  • For example, a company such as WP Buffs can clear out malware quickly and efficiently.
  • You can hand off certain tasks that can reduce the number of users making changes on your site. For instance, you won’t have to carry out theme and plugin installs or core file updates.
  • A good management service can also implement better security on your site so that you can mitigate inconsistent activity at the source.

There’s plenty more that a WordPress management service can offer you; though, if you have a dedicated and quality activity log plugin on hand, it can help you and your partners in immeasurable ways.

The advantages of implementing a security audit log 🔌

WordPress’ logging capabilities are limited to debugging. As such, you’ll need a WordPress plugin to expand its scope. Using a plugin has lots of benefits that go beyond simple feature enhancement, although that is also a plug point:

  • You get to leverage the ability of a knowledgeable WordPress developer who knows how to code for the platform.
  • You’ll often be able to work within the WordPress dashboard rather than a third-party one. This will help you manage whatever extra functionality you add in a more optimal way.
  • The plugin is written with a stellar performance in mind and won’t impact site speeds.

While there are a few plugins on the market that can help you set up a security audit log, only one looks to offer the right blend of features, functionality, and performance to be a part of your core workflow.

Introducing WP Activity Log 🧿

If there’s one way to boost user accountability, productivity, and site security, WP Activity Log is it. With this plugin, you’re able to take control of your WordPress website using comprehensive real-time coverage of its activity.

The WP Activity Log plugin logo.

Here’s what WP Activity Log provides you out of the box:

  • You’re able to keep a detailed log of all on-site activity, such as logins, errors, content editing, and others. This includes third-party plugins such as WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, Gravity Forms, and many more.
  • The plugin will monitor file changes on your site and let you know about any critical changes using configurable email notifications and SMS alerts.
  • You can search the activity log for any keywords you wish. There are also filters to fine-tune those results further.
  • There’s plenty of reporting and analytics to pore over, which will help you gather further insights into how users spend time in the back end of your site.

WP Activity Log comes in both free and premium versions, ensuring everyone can get the functionality they need for their environment. To learn more about available options, visit the WP Activity Log pricing page.

How to install, activate, and set up WP Activity Log👷

If you have experience with installing WordPress plugins, you’ll be able to work with WP Activity Log easily. To install WP Activity Log, head to Plugins > Add New within WordPress, and click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the screen:

The Upload Plugin button on the WordPress dashboard

Here, drag the plugin’s ZIP file into the uploader dialogue, and click to confirm. This will install the plugin for you. From here, you can click the Activate Plugin link if necessary, then enter your license key.

The Activate Plugin link within WordPress.

At this point, you’ll see an onboarding wizard. If you run through this, you’ll be able to configure the activity log detail level, your privileges and policies, and much more.

The WP Activity Log onboarding wizard.

Once you complete the wizard, WP Activity Log will work behind the scenes to record all of the activity on your site. You’re then able to use the plugin to monitor how others use your site.

How to use a WordPress security audit log plugin to spot potential attacks 🔭

It’s a good idea to have a plan of action when it comes to how you use your activity log. The list below isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point for using your log files.

You’ll also find some of these have more importance than others too, but you’ll still want to check each one.

Hunting out abnormal login attempts

One place where human error can hamper your security is the WordPress login page and associated credentials. A weak password can be a primary reason why your site might experience hacks and why hackers look to brute force their way into your site.

While there will always be some natural login failures due to incorrect passwords, a burst of activity here can be a sign that your website security is under threat.

Viewing WordPress user logins within WP Activity Log.

There are a few tell-tale signs to spot within the Log Viewer:

  • Activity Log events and event IDs can give you a clue as to what the outcome of a login is. In WP Activity Log, 1002, 1003, and 1004 all denote failed or blocked logins. Meanwhile, 1010 indicates an attempt to reset the password.
  • Consistency is key too. For instance, you might see a high number of login attempts at a similar time. This might denote a brute-force attack.
  • The situation becomes more severe if you spot that these failed login attempts all come from similar IP addresses or countries.

Knowing about hacking attempts is important, as it lets you begin to work on fixing the issue. A plugin such as WPassword can help keep your website safe by automatically blocking failed login attempts.

Watching WordPress profiles for changes

User profiles can often see a fair few changes. However, context is key to determining whether you are subject to an attack on your WordPress site. For example, the following isn’t always a cause for alarm:

However, if your activity log shows that this is happening a lot relative to the number of registered users, you’ll want to look into it. In some cases, a hacker will change the login details for a user in order to retain access to a site. As such, you’ll want to look at other events to help you deduce the situation.

For instance, any changes to user roles should be something you can investigate within the Log Viewer:

The WP Activity Log Log Viewer showing a list of user role changes.

If you run a subscription website or one that offers public signups, using your activity log to spot hacking attempts is tough. However, by using analytics and reports, you’ll have a good idea of how users access your site. Anything abnormal is an area for investigation.

When to use a security audit log plugin to troubleshoot WordPress 🤔

WP Activity Log can be a great tool to help you spot potential attacks, but it comes in handy when you use it to troubleshoot site issues too.

One of the reasons WordPress user roles are so important is because of how they let some users carry out certain actions others can’t. There should only be one Administrator for each site, for example (or a Super Admin for WordPress Multisite installations.) However, there could be many Contributors who, by default, have fewer permissions.

As such, you’ll be able to track changes to WordPress themes, plugins, and core files fast. If you spot changes to themes and plugins by a user who shouldn’t have access to those resources, you could have a malicious user on your hands that warrants investigation. This is the same for WordPress core files.

As with every other event on your site, WP Activity Log gives you event IDs to help discover what actions happen on your site. From there, you can investigate specific users and find out what the situation is.

In summary 🏁

WordPress website owners are knowledgeable about security measures such as strong passwords, setting up a server-based firewall, and much more. However, a website security audit can help fill in any knowledge gaps and let you implement preventative measures to help mitigate suspicious activity.

WP Activity Log is one of the best ways to set up a security audit log and reduce any security risks your site has. It provides a wealth of features and functionality that centers around an intuitive Log Viewer. From the searchable and filterable log, you can begin to investigate and resolve all manner of site problems, such as brute force attacks, error resolution, and much more.

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