How to Install and Setup Wordfence Security in WordPress (2023)

Wordfence is one of the most popular security plugins available for protecting WordPress sites. With over 3 million active installs, it offers an enterprise-grade web application firewall, malware scanner, and real-timethreat monitoring to keep your site safe.

But getting the most protection takes the right configuration tailored to your site‘s needs.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share expert advice on how to properly install, optimize and customize Wordfence security based on 6+ years of experience securing high-traffic WordPress sites.

Why Carefully Configuring Wordfence Matters

Out-of-the-box, Wordfence offers decent security. But the default settings leave room for improvement to block sophisticated botnets, zero-day exploits and brute force attacks targeting WordPress.

Consider these statistics:

• Over 90% of WordPress sites have serious vulnerabilities [1]
• WordPress sites receive over 6 million attacks per month on average [2]

That‘s why hardening your site with Wordfence is critical – but to get maximum protection, custom configuration tailored to your site‘s needs is a must.

Follow this guide to install and optimize Wordfence like the experts do.

Step 1: Installing Wordfence via the Dashboard

First, install Wordfence via Plugins > Add New:

1. Search for "Wordfence"
2. Click Install Now
3. After installation finishes, click Activate

Once activated, the Wordfence menu appears in your WP dashboard.

Benefit: Using the dashboard allows automatic plugin updates to maintain compatibility with core WordPress and avoid security holes from outdated code.

Step 2: Running an Initial Scan

Before making any configuration changes, I recommend running a comprehensive scan using Wordfence‘s integrated malware tool:

1. Go to Wordfence > Scan
2. Click Start a Wordfence Scan

On average, a complete scan takes 4-8 minutes depending on site size. For reference, here‘s a look at what‘s checked:

Review the line-by-line results including any warnings or threat detections. Remediate any core/plugin updates or malware found before continuing.

Step 3: Optimizing the Firewall for Maximum Protection

Wordfence Firewall is a key component, offering protection at multiple levels:

• Basic Protection (plugin level)
• Extended Protection (web server level)

I strongly recommend enabling Extended Protection so the firewall starts before WordPress and blocks the over 90% of attacks targeting the underlying server.

Here‘s how:

1. Go to Firewall
2. Click Optimize Firewall
3. It will update .htaccess automatically to enable Extended Protection

This runs the firewall at the highest level for max protection based on official Wordfence recommendations [3].

Step 4: Scheduling Regular Scans

While the firewall filters incoming threats, scheduled scans catch malware already on your site:

To schedule scans:

1. Go to Wordfence > Scan
2. Under Scheduling select frequency
3. Save changes

I suggest weekly scans at a minimum. Daily automated scans are best practice for sites with heavy traffic volume.

This catches infections that may have slipped through the firewall so they don‘t linger.

Advanced Tips for Maximum Wordfence Performance

To wrap up, here are a few expert tips for getting max value from a Wordfence installation:

🔑 Enable two-factor authentication under Login Security to prevent unauthorized access in case of a compromised password.

🔎Utilize the Live Traffic View to monitor requests real-time and blacklist suspicious IP patterns you notice.

🛡️Frequently check the Wordfence Options panel enabling/disabling firewall rules to focus on vulnerabilities unique to your site.

Wordfence Premium also offers country blocking, cell phone sign-in, real-time malware signatures and more for enhanced protection.

Let me know if you have any other Wordfence configuration questions!