Getting Started with Shield Security Profiles (beta)

When you first activate Shield, it automatically applies a default security profile that provides basic protections against common attacks. While this is a good starting point, we recommend customising your setup for stronger security.

Shield Security is packed with features to protect your site, but this can feel overwhelming for first-time users. To make setup quick and easy, we’ve introduced Security Profiles, a feature that helps both new and experienced users configure security in seconds.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Security Profiles:

Step 1: Access the Security Profiles

You’ll find Security Profiles under the main Tools menu > Guided Setup Wizard section. (see the screenshot below)

This is the starting point to review and apply a profile that suits your site’s needs.

Step 2: Choose a Pre-Made Profile

Shield offers three pre-made profiles to fit different security needs:

Light: Minimal restrictions, ideal for testing or low-risk sites.

Medium: Balanced protection for most sites.

Strong: Maximum restrictions, recommended for high-risk or sensitive sites.

These profiles are designed to suit various scenarios. Choose the one that best fits your site.

Step 3: Fine-Tune Your Setup

Once you’ve applied a profile, you can customise the settings further to match your requirements.

Step 4: Test and Review

Production sites that already have integrations with 3rd party services in-place, this may cause some issues and we recommend you test these integrations and review the WP Activity Log for any issues. Adjust settings as needed to ensure compatibility.

Step 5: Compare Current Configuration

The “Current” profile in the Security Profiles feature shows your site’s current, existing configuration. This helps you compare your setup with the standard profiles and make adjustments where necessary.

With Security Profiles, Shield makes advanced security easy to set up and manage. By following the above steps, you can ensure your site is secure while tailoring the protection to your needs.