How to Add HTTP Security Headers in WordPress?

Editorial Staff

May 16, 2022

WordPress is the most popular platform for creating a website or blog. Now, WordPress has control of about 43.3% of all websites on the internet. As a result, while surfing we can find one in four websites that are developing in WordPress. Meanwhile, websites and blog owners should know How to Add HTTP Security Headers in WordPress.

When a customer visits your website, They leave their sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, and many more. So, if there is any loophole in your site, the hackers can steal your detail.

Web browsers support various Of HTTP security headers to improve the security of your WordPress website. Therefore, you should use HTTP security headers to protect your visitors from browser attacks such as clickjacking, cross-site scripting, and other attacks.

What is HTTP Security Headers?

HTTP Security Headers are basically a security measure that allows website browsers to prevent common threats that affect your website.

Whenever a user visits your website, a web server needs to send the HTTP header response back to the user’s web browser. Then, the response will tell the browser about cache-control or error codes.

HTTP security headers help to prevent user websites from common threats such as Cross-site scripting, brute force attack, and more.

Here is a glance at what HTTP security headers look like and their way of protecting your website.

HTPP Strict Transport Security(HSTS)

In this security, HTTP Strict Transport Security tells Web browsers to use only HTTPS. So, HTTP should not be in use while loading a website.

When you move your WordPress site from HTTP to HTTPS, the Security header will only allow your website to load on HTTPS. Therefore, it will stop your website from loading on HTTP.

X-XSS Protection

It’s mainly to block an attack called “Cross Site Scripting” loading on your WordPress Website.

X Frame Options

This security header prevents Click jacking or cross domain iframes.

X Content-Type Options

It helps the security header to avoid MIME Type sniffing.

These points help us to know that all HTTP Headers are secure.

Why is HTTP Security Headers important?

HTTP Security Headers are important because they are the fundamental part of our website. In order to make our site secure, you have to add HTTP Security Headers.

Headers help to protect your website from Xss, Code injection, clickjacking, and many more. When a user visits your site, the browser server sends a request, and the server responds with HTTP response headers.

This is a client server-based system to share information as part of the HTTP protocol. Browers behaves as per the header’s communication with the server.

Nowadays, there are many data breaches, and websites are being hacked. As a result, all HTTP security headers protect your site from various attacks.

Methods to add HTTP Security Headers in WordPress

HTTP Security Headers is the best way to configure on your web server or in the Web Application Firewall. Therefore, each request is sent to the server to allow them.

There are some ways to add HTML Security headers.

Add HTTP security headers in WordPress using sucuri
Add HTTP security headers in WordPress using the WordPress plugin
Testing HTTTP security headers

1. Add HTTP security headers in WordPress using Sucuri

Sucuri is the best website firewall service provider for WordPress security. For example, it can provide HTTP security without writing any code.

For using Sucuri, we need to signup for a Sucuri account. Therefore, you need to pay to use this plug, and It comes with a Website firewall, security plugin, CDN, and malware removal.

After completing the signup, you need to install and activate it on your website.

At first, Sucuri Security >>firewall page and enter your Firewall API key.

sucuri WAF API key for Adding HTTP Security Headers

Now, click on the Save button.

When you save your API, a dashboard is seen. After that, click on the setting on the right top and open the security tab.

On this security tab, you can choose your three sets of rules. In addition, you can see the default protection, HSTS, and HSTS full.

Click on “Save Changes in The Additional Headers” to apply the changes.

Now, You have complete Sucuri HTTP security headers in WordPress.

2. Add HTTP security headers in WordPress using the WordPress plugin

As per the method of sucuri, this method is less effective. In other words, it modifies the headers, which only relies on the WordPress plugin.

At first, the user needs to activate and install the Redirection plugin.

After activation, first, go to Tools >> Redirection page and to the Site tab.

Setting site in Redirection Plugin to add HTTP Security Headers

Then, Go to the bottom of the page to the HTTP Headers section.

Now, Select “Add Header.” You will find a drop down menu.

After that, click on the “Add Security Presets” option.

So, click on it again to add options. After that, you can see a preset list of HTTP security headers in the table.

When you are done, click on the update button.

Testing HTTTP security headers

We can check our HTTP Security Headers for a website using various Security Headers tools. You can simply enter your website URL and Scan it.

The Security Headers tool will check HTTP security headers for your website and provide you with a report. In this way, we can check HTTP security Headers online.