Joomla is one of the most popular open-source content management systems. With over 2.5 million websites using the solution, it’s also an increasingly popular target for scammers, malware, and ransomware attacks.
Fortunately, many security solutions are available to protect your website from these threats. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best Joomla security plugins on the market and provide you with some tips on keeping your website safe.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is a content management system (CMS) that enables you to easily create a website from scratch without previous experience. It’s free and open-source software that web developers prefer due to its flexible framework and countless customizations. This means that you can turn Joomla into practically any kind of project – blog, online shop, community forum, portfolio, etc.
Why Use Joomla?
Joomla is one of the most popular CMSs in the world. Nearly 10% of the top one million websites use the software, many of which are high-profile clients like IKEA, Linux, and Guggenheim.
Some of the Joomla benefits include:
Highly Customizable
Joomla uses a highly customizable framework with a broad range of features and extensions. You can change nearly everything about your website to make it look and work the way you want.
SEO Friendly
Joomla supports Search Engine Friendly (SEF) URLs, helping both humans and search engine crawlers understand the page topic. Your links will clearly show the path to get to the needed page using human-readable characters. As a matter of fact, Joomla is one of the platforms with the most built-in SEO features.
It’s Free!
Joomla software is free and open-source. You can download it, access hundreds of templates and plugins, and use it for as long as you want without paying a cent. The only investment is for a reliable provider to host your CMS.
Easy to Install
Installing Joomla takes mere minutes. You can even do it in just a few clicks using an auto-installer like Softaculous.
PHP Scripting
PHP is a fast, flexible, and pragmatic scripting language that is quick, efficient, and practical – perfect for web developers that want to make some in-depth changes.
Active Community
Joomla has a massive user and developer community that’s been around for ages. As a result, you can find answers to any question by using the search function in the official forum or various community boards.
When Not To Use Joomla?
Still, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the Joomla world, so there are some drawbacks to consider.
The disadvantages to using the popular CMS include:
A Touch too Complex
Joomla is more complex than other CMS platforms because it’s challenging to create custom features without a developer background. This steeper learning curve is compensated by all the available resources that bring you up to speed (provided you have the time).
Some Compatibility Issues
Joomla gets a lot of updates, which is excellent for many reasons like security and optimization. However, if you’re using many different plugins and extensions at once, you could bump into some problems. These compatibility issues tend to resolve themselves as the rest of your software gets its next stable update.
Overall, the downsides to using Joomla are just a few, especially compared to the benefits, making the software a prime solution for many businesses.
Joomla Plugins & Themes
Similar to WordPress, Joomla websites can easily be improved with various add-ons. The CMS supports thousands of plugins and themes that can completely change how your website looks and feels.
For the purpose of this guide, we will focus on your best available solutions when it comes to security.
Best Joomla Security Plugins
There are hundreds of security plugins that offer various protective measures for Joomla. The ScalaHosting team has done extensive research to find the most popular and well-optimized add-ons, so you can save some time searching around:
RS Firewall!
RS Firewall! is exactly what is says on the label – a firewall for your Joomla website. It scans all incoming traffic and blocks malicious activity. You can also configure it to block traffic from specific countries or IP addresses.
RS Firewall! is an excellent option to ensure your website is secure from any attacks.
Watchful
Watchful is one of the most prominent security options for the Joomla content management system. It was created in response to the increasing number of attacks on Joomla websites.
The plugin monitors your site for changes and notifies you via email if any are detected. This allows you to take action and protect your website before it is compromised. Watchful is free to use, and you can install it in minutes.
JomDefender
JomDefender is a Joomla security plugin that helps protect your website against malicious attacks. It does this by checking all the files and folders on your site for any signs of infection and then cleaning them up whenever necessary.
JomDefender also provides several other security features, such as:
- Password protection
- Two-factor authentication
- IP blocking
- Brute force protection
- Email notifications
- Malware scanning
Security Check Pro
Security Check Pro is an online security service that offers a wide range of features to keep your computer and personal information safe. The plugin employs a team of experts who use the latest technologies to protect your Joomla website from online threats.
Some of the hot features offered by Security Check Pro include real-time scanning, malware removal, and a firewall to protect your computer from unauthorized access. The plugin comes with a password manager to help you create and store strong passkeys.
Akeeba Backup
Akeeba Backup is a software that makes it easy for you to create backups of your website. It is one of the most popular backup solutions on the market, with a ton of helpful features under its belt..
Some of the perks that make Akeeba Backup so popular are:
- Easy to use–Even people who have no experience with backups or coding can use Akeeba Backup.
- Secure – Akeeba Backup encrypts your data so that third parties cannot access it.
- Reliable – Akeeba Backup has a very high success rate, meaning your data is very likely to be recovered in a disaster.
Joomla and ScalaHosting
You need a hosting service for your site—so why not get someone specializing in Joomla? (That would be us.) ScalaHosting is the go-to hosting solution for industry-leading VPS packages with advanced security and IT specialists who eat Joomla problems for breakfast.
We offer flexible VPS plans that include a free domain, SPanel, SShield Security, priority support, and guaranteed lightning-speed performance.
Conclusion
All CMS platforms have unique quirks and vulnerabilities, but don’t let that turn you off. Stay safe and operational by using a good security plugin and ensuring its compatibility with your Joomla website themes and modules.
For more information about web hosting and optimizing Joomla, the ScalaHosting team is always ready to help.
FAQs
Q: Is Joomla CMS secure?
A: Yes, Joomla is inherently secure. However, keeping your Joomla installation up-to-date with the latest security patches is vital to ensure that your site remains secure. Our recommendation is to consult a professional so that you never have to worry about security breaches.
Q: How do I protect my Joomla site from hackers?
A: You can do a few things to protect your Joomla site from hackers. You can start by keeping a strong password for your administrator accounts. You can also install a security plugin to help protect your site further. Alternatively, SShield Security from ScalaHosting provides you with your very own 24/7 virtual security guard.
Q: Is Joomla more secure than WordPress?
A: There is no definite answer to this question as it depends on various factors, such as the level of security implemented by each platform and the user’s own security practices. Generally speaking, however, Joomla is considered more secure than WordPress out-the-box.
