Is “Hiding” Your WordPress Login and Common Paths a Smart Security Move?

Source: Dev.to

Security Through Obscurity – What It Really Means

You’ll sometimes see security companies say that hiding parts of WordPress is pointless, or that “security through obscurity” isn’t real security. That statement can be true in a narrow sense, but it’s often misleading.

The practical truth

Changing and protecting the login page and common WordPress entry points is a sensible hardening step, as long as it isn’t your only step. It:

• Reduces automated attacks
• Cuts noise in your logs
• Removes the “default doors” that bots try first

It does not replace updates, strong authentication, or server‑side protections.

What “hiding” really means (and what it does not mean)

When people say “hide WordPress,” they often mix several ideas.

Safe and common hardening

• Use a non‑default login URL.
• Block direct access to the default login file.
• Limit access to admin endpoints.
• Return a normal 404 for common probing requests.
• Reduce predictable paths that bots target.

What it’s not the goal

• Pretending WordPress is “undetectable.”
• Relying on hidden URLs as the only protection.
• Breaking the site by physically renaming core folders on disk.

A serious security approach is not “make WordPress invisible.” It’s “reduce exposure and enforce strong controls everywhere that matters.”

Why changing the login URL helps in the real world

Most attacks against small‑ and mid‑sized sites are automated and scaled.

Bots typically:

• Try the default login URL on millions of sites.
• Run credential‑stuffing attacks (reusing leaked passwords).
• Hammer login endpoints to find weak passwords.
• Flood the login page to waste resources.

If your login page is no longer at the default address and the default endpoint is blocked, a large portion of that automated traffic fails immediately.

Three practical benefits

1. Fewer login attacks reach your site. Bots often don’t adapt; they move on.
2. Less server strain and fewer security alerts. Logs become quieter, and legitimate admin activity is easier to spot.
3. Your real protections become more effective. Rate limiting, lockouts, and 2FA work best when they aren’t hammered nonstop by generic traffic.

This isn’t magic—it’s risk reduction.

Why protecting common “vulnerable paths” can be smart

A big share of real compromises happens through:

• Outdated plugins and themes
• Exposed endpoints that attackers already know how to target
• Automated scanners searching for known weak points

Reducing predictable access to these paths helps because it:

• Lowers automated discovery
• Blocks many commodity scans that rely on default locations
• Reduces the number of direct hits to places attackers expect

Important nuance: This does not “fix” a vulnerable plugin. It merely makes it harder for automated attacks to reach it. You still need updates, patching, and good configuration.

Where the critics are correct

The criticism is valid when someone believes:

• “If my login URL is hidden, I don’t need 2FA.”
• “If bots can’t find my plugin paths, I can ignore updates.”
• “Hiding means I am secure.”

That is wishful thinking, not security. A strong setup is layered and assumes that some attackers will eventually find you—yet they still can’t get in.

The right way to use this technique: one layer in a complete setup

Think in layers, from outside to inside.

Layer 1 – Reduce exposure (low effort, high payoff)

• Use a non‑default login URL.
• Block direct access to the default login endpoint.
• Restrict access to admin endpoints where possible.
• Remove unnecessary public endpoints and features you don’t use.

Layer 2 – Make authentication hard to break

• Enable two‑factor authentication for all admins.
• Use strong, unique passwords (and a password manager).
• Limit login attempts and add sensible lockouts.
• Disable or tightly restrict XML‑RPC if you don’t need it.

Layer 3 – Remove known weaknesses

• Keep WordPress, plugins, and themes updated.
• Remove unused plugins and themes.
• Avoid abandoned plugins with no recent updates.
• Apply the principle of least privilege: give admin access only when truly needed.

Layer 4 – Add server‑side protection and visibility

• Use a firewall or filtering layer to reduce hostile traffic.
• Monitor suspicious login attempts and file changes.
• Keep reliable backups and test restoring them.

Common questions

“If someone really wants to hack me, will hiding stop them?”
A determined attacker can often discover more than a basic bot, so hiding alone won’t stop a targeted attack. However, most compromises are automated; reducing that exposure is still a meaningful win.

“Is this going to break my site?”
It can, if done carelessly or with unsafe methods. The safer approach is URL routing and access control, not physically renaming core folders on disk.

“What is the biggest mistake people make with this?”
Believing it replaces updates and strong authentication. The best security setups are boring and consistent: updates, 2FA, limited access, monitoring, backups, and reduced exposure.

A simple, safe checklist you can follow

If you want the benefits without falling into the “obscurity trap,” aim for this minimum standard:

1. Non‑default login URL.
2. Default login endpoint blocked or restricted.
3. Two‑factor authentication enabled for admins.
4. Strong passwords and limited login attempts.
5. Updates applied promptly.
6. Unused plugins removed.
7. Backups running and restore tested.

Conclusion

The smartest security posture isn’t choosing between “hiding” and “real security.” It uses exposure reduction as a practical first layer, then backs it up with strong authentication, timely updates, server‑side protections, and continuous monitoring. Layered defenses keep your WordPress site resilient against both automated bots and determined attackers.

Application hardening, patching discipline, traffic filtering, and recovery planning.

Used this way, hiding and protecting the login and common entry points is not silly. It is a sensible part of doing WordPress security properly.