WooCommerce Security Guide: How Safe Is Your Online Store?

Many of us run an online store, or at least manage one. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or a developer, WooCommerce security is vital to protecting your customers and your business. This guide covers everything you need to know to keep your WooCommerce store safe.

How Secure Is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is open source. On the positive side, having a large global community means that bugs and vulnerabilities are often found and fixed quickly. On the downside, open-source code can also be studied by attackers looking for exploits, especially when store owners neglect updates or use unvetted plugins.

Overall, WooCommerce is a trustworthy eCommerce platform, especially when managed properly. It is used by hundreds of thousands of online stores around the world. However, its reliability depends heavily on many factors.

For sure, no platform is immune to security risks, but WooCommerce offers a strong framework that can be made very secure with the appropriate precautions. The biggest vulnerabilities arise not from the core WooCommerce software but from mismanagement.

Common WooCommerce Security Issues and Vulnerabilities

Plugins and Themes

Developers regularly release updates not only to add features but, critically, to patch security holes discovered in previous versions. One of the biggest security risks for WooCommerce sites comes from running outdated versions of WooCommerce itself, as well as plugins and themes.

Passwords and User Roles

Unfortunately, weak or reused passwords are alarmingly common, making it easier for attackers to break in using brute force or credential stuffing attacks. Once an attacker gains admin access, they can steal customer data, inject malware, or take over the entire site.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

XSS vulnerabilities occur when attackers inject malicious scripts into your website’s pages, which then execute in visitors’ browsers. This can lead to stolen cookies, session hijacking, or redirecting users to phishing sites.

SQL Injection

SQL injection attacks exploit vulnerabilities in input fields to inject malicious database queries. Attackers could steal customer information, alter product prices, or completely corrupt store data.

Brute Force Attacks

Brute force attacks involve automated scripts repeatedly guessing usernames and passwords to gain access to your WooCommerce admin or customer accounts. Luckily, WPX offers Brute-Force Protection to avoid bots/hackers trying to access your accounts.

File Upload Vulnerabilities

Allowing file uploads (e.g., product images, user avatars) without proper security controls can let attackers upload malicious scripts disguised as images or documents.

Advanced WooCommerce Security: 15+ Best Practices to Secure Your WooCommerce Website

Here’s why WooCommerce store owners often approach security advice with skepticism: even when you follow all the recommended best practices, there’s still a risk that something can go wrong. Online stores face constant threats, and keeping your site secure is challenging. Protecting your WooCommerce site requires vigilance, smart strategies, and adapting to new risks.

1. Select a Secure Hosting Provider

A secure hosting provider is one of the most important investments you can make for your WooCommerce store, and if you’re running WordPress as well, it should be your first line of defense.

The best WooCommerce hosts bring essential built-in features like daily automatic backups, firewalls, malware scanning, isolated account environments, and free SSL support. Many also offer staging environments for safe testing and responsive technical support.

You should choose a hosting provider that understands WordPress and WooCommerce security and clearly communicates the measures they take to keep your store safe. If your host understands WooCommerce inside and out, you’re less likely to encounter performance issues or vulnerabilities from misconfigurations.

2. Install and Use an SSL Certificate

When it comes to benefits, SSL helps with more than just security. You’ll get encrypted data transmission, a visible trust signal, and a necessary step toward PCI compliance if you’re processing payments directly. It also gives your site a slight SEO edge, since Google favors secure websites in search rankings.

 All WPX plans include a free auto-renewing SSL certificate.

3. Keep WordPress, WooCommerce, and Plugins Updated

Naturally, keeping WordPress, WooCommerce, and your plugins up to date might seem tedious, but skipping updates is one of the fastest ways to put your store at risk. Hackers actively scan for outdated software, and once a vulnerability is made public, unpatched sites become easy targets.

If you’re managing a WooCommerce store,

• Enable automatic updates for minor WordPress releases and reliable plugins.
• Use a staging site.
• Delete any unused plugins or themes that could still pose a threat. 
• It’s also crucial to stick with plugins and themes from trusted sources.

4. Enforce Strong Password Policies for All Users

It is a must-have for securing your WooCommerce store. Weak passwords remain one of the easiest ways for hackers to break in. Head to a long password with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. 

5. Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

But it’s not just about strong passwords; adding 2FA takes your WooCommerce store’s security to the next level. 

This extra step is very powerful for protecting admin and staff accounts from brute-force attacks, and it dramatically reduces the risk of unauthorized access without creating friction for your team. 

In short, 2FA adds serious security with very little effort. According to Microsoft, 2FA can block up to 99.9% of automated attacks on accounts.

6. Audit and Adjust User Permissions

Permission-wise, managing user roles in WooCommerce is just as important as securing your passwords or enabling 2FA. Over time, your store can accumulate users who no longer need access (past employees or developers), and leaving those accounts untouched can quietly become a security risk.

Make it a habit to review your user list every quarter and adjust roles accordingly. Plugins like WP Activity Log help you track user behavior so you can spot anything suspicious early. And if someone leaves the team, revoke their access immediately – don’t wait for your next audit.

Give each user only the access they need.

7. Protect Your Site Against Brute Force Login Attempts

Don’t be fooled by how simple a login page might seem; protecting it is one of the most important steps in securing your WooCommerce store. Brute force attacks are relentless, with bots hammering your login form in an attempt to guess your credentials.

• Use plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded or Wordfence to limit failed login tries and block offending IPs. 
• Rename your default login URL with tools like WPS Hide Login to make your site less obvious. 
• Add CAPTCHA on login and registration pages to stop bots, and use IP blocking to shut down suspicious activity early.

8. Secure Your FTP Access and Settings

FTP transmits your login data in plain text, making it vulnerable to hackers. To secure FTP access: always use SFTP or FTPS for encrypted transfers; limit user access to specific directories; disable FTP if not needed, using your host’s file manager instead; use strong, unique FTP credentials; and regularly audit and remove old or unused FTP accounts.

9. Conduct Regular Malware Scans 

Even the most secure sites can get hit through outdated software or compromised accounts, so scanning for malware is a vital routine. Some hosting providers even include built-in malware scanning and automatic cleanup.

10. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

If you’re looking to boost your WooCommerce store’s security, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) is an excellent investment. Acting as a shield between your site and the internet, a WAF filters out malicious traffic before it reaches your server.

For stores handling payments and customer data, having a WAF in place is strongly recommended. It’s a smart, always-on defense layer that stops many attacks before they even get close to your site.

11. Block Spam

While the volume of spam can clog your database and slow down your store, more importantly, spam links can lead customers to phishing sites or malware, and bots can overwhelm your forms, mimicking denial-of-service attacks.

To keep spam at bay, popular plugins like Akismet can help block unwanted content across comments, registrations, and contact forms. Add Google reCAPTCHA to your forms and login pages to further stop automated bots in their tracks.

12. Maintain an Activity Log to Monitor User Actions

There are plenty of plugins to choose from (eg, WP Activity Log or Simple History). Set your logs to keep data for 30 to 90 days, back them up regularly, and consider exporting them off-site or using real-time alerts.

13. Schedule Consistent Backups of Your Store

You can set up automated backups for your WooCommerce store, scheduling them daily or even in real time. These backups cover both your site files and database, protecting your orders, customer data, and settings. WPX also offers 28 days automatic backups on dedicated backup servers and unlimited on-demand personal backups of all sites whenever needed. 

14. Disable Directory Listing

Directory listing might sound harmless, but if it’s enabled on your server, it can expose a full list of your site’s files to anyone who knows where to look. For WooCommerce stores, this is a major security risk. 

And remember, never upload sensitive files like backups or config data to publicly accessible folders, even with directory listing turned off. 

15. Limit Plugin and Theme Use

Many liked how keeping your WooCommerce site’s plugins and themes to a minimum really helps tighten security. Only add what you need from trusted places like the WordPress repository or WooCommerce Marketplace. Avoid shady “nulled” plugins since they often come with hidden malware. Review and clean out unused plugins regularly to keep things running smoothly and safely.

16. Use Secure Payment Gateways

Using a secure payment gateway is necessary for any WooCommerce store to protect customer data and ensure PCI compliance. Top choices include WooCommerce Payments (Stripe-powered), Stripe, and PayPal. Keep it in mind that WooCommerce doesn’t store credit card data; this is handled by the gateway. Always keep your gateway plugins updated and maintain an active SSL certificate for maximum security.

Security Comparison: WooCommerce vs Other Ecommerce Platforms 

Shopify is a fully hosted, closed-source eCommerce platform, which means Shopify manages the software, servers, and security protocols for you. WooCommerce, being open-source and self-hosted, gives you full control, but also full responsibility. 

Wix offers a hosted eCommerce solution much like Shopify, but it’s more targeted at small businesses or users who want a drag-and-drop website builder with limited technical overhead.

WooCommerce is one of the most popular platforms globally, but depending on your business needs and security concerns, other options may be more suitable. Hosted platforms with built-in security alternatives to WooCommerce include Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, and more. 

Conclusion

Here at WPX, we’re passionate about WooCommerce security because a secure store means happier customers, smoother operations, and better business growth. We understand that not everyone is a security expert by trade. With WPX, get the fastest version of your WooCommerce store, expert migration, and a worry-free setup.