Firewall, Malware Scanner, Two Factor Auth, and Comprehensive Security Features, powered by our 24-hour team. Make security a priority with Wordfence.
- Installs
- 5+ million
- Rating
- 4.7 (5K)
- Updated
- 31 days ago
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall
WordPress security plugin with malware scanner, IP blocking, audit logs, antivirus scans, firewall, 2FA, brute force login security, and more.
- Active installs
- 80,000+
- #522 of 1,000
- Downloads, all time
- 4.4M
- 4,377,300
- Downloads, 30 days
- 28.3K
- 4.8K in the last 7
- Rating
- 4.8 / 5
- 334 reviews
- Last updated
- 32 days ago
- Sep 29, 2026
- Version
- 6.3.0
- 141 releases
Upkeep and compatibility
| Last updated | September 29, 2026Updated in the last 3 months |
|---|---|
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4Covers WordPress 7.1.4, the current release |
| Needs WordPress | 6.4 or newer |
| Needs PHP | 8.0.0 or newer |
| First published | June 7, 2017 |
| Support, last two months | 4 of 4 threads resolved (100%) |
Reviews
4.8 / 5 from 334 reviews
| 5 stars | 305 |
|---|---|
| 4 stars | 11 |
| 3 stars | 5 |
| 2 stars | 5 |
| 1 star | 8 |
Downloads, last 30 days
What the author says it does
Keep your sites safe from hackers, brute force attacks and malware with Defender, your easy-to-set-up, enterprise-level security plugin. With Defender, you can rely on the protection of a firewall, one-click hardening and 2FA, without having to be a cybersecurity expert.
As hackers continue to evolve, you know you need to stay on top of your site’s security. But you don’t have the time to learn to code, stay abreast of every emerging threat, or apply complicated technical settings.
Defender is here to give you the powerful security tools you need, without the technical headaches. Trusted by over 1 million WordPress users, this plugin works immediately with no confusing setup. Just activate Defender and let it handle the rest!
Trusted by 1+ Million Sites | 4.8/5 Star Rating
Defender makes it easy to:
- Run on-demand malware scans to find suspicious files and code
- Block malicious IPs with a global firewall
- Enforce strong passwords, 2FA, and login limits
- Apply recommended hardening settings in one click
- Get clear reports that show what needs attention
- Protect against compromised passwords before they are used on your site
Free Malware Scanner: Stop security threats before they harm your site
The opening of the plugin's own description. The full text, installation notes and changelog are on its WordPress.org page.
Questions the author answers
Why should I choose Defender over other security plugins?
Defender is built to add all the best hardening and website security recommendations used by the pros without having to become a security expert. This means you get all the most effective and proven protection methods other services provide with fewer settings, one-click hardening and faster setup.
Is installing Defender the only step I need to take for better WordPress security?
Hackers and bot attacks are not the only security threats to your site. No matter what security plugin or service you use, always be prepared with a secure backup stored in a safe location away from your live site. Security does not protect from hosting outages, server errors and accidentally lost or damaged data. We recommend Snapshot. Defender with scheduled managed backups is the best way to keep your site safe.
Does Defender security protect against harmful bots?
Yes! Defender’s Firewall gives you robust site protection and security by allowing you to block bad bot IPs and use geographical IP blocking
Can I use Defender with other security plugins?
You can. Just make sure not to enable the same security features in the third-party plugin that you also have enabled in Defender, as this might cause conflicts, such as malware scanners, firewall, and login security features.
Is Defender’s security compatible with WordPress Multisite?
Yes! All of Defender’s security features are fully compatible with a multisite installation. It can be network enabled and managed from the network admin.
Does Defender offer spam protection and security?
Yes, Defender provides multiple layers of spam protection and security. A large percentage of Trackbacks and Pingbacks are spam, and Defender allows you to easily disable both to reduce spam and improve site security.
Latest changelog entry
- Enhancement: Update malware signatures
- Enhancement: Make Scan settings uneditable while scanning is in progress
- Enhancement: Upgrade node packages
- Enhancement: Display country name tooltip on country flag hover in Firewall Logs
- Enhancement: Reduce the plugin archive size by removing legacy code in some files
- Enhancement: Translation improvements
- Enhancement: Display scan details of issue with a suspicious code with automatic scrolling
- Enhancement: Update support and product roadmap links
- Enhancement: DOM improvements when Pwned/Strong passwords are enabled
Screenshots
Easily configure optimal security settings in just a few clicks. 
Monitor site security status, active threats, firewall, and scan recommendations at a glance. 
Automatically block malicious IPs and safeguard your site against automated attacks. 
One-click security tweaks like disabling XML-RPC and hiding login URLs to lock down your site.
Tagged
Plugins that share its tags
WordPress login security with brute force protection, Two-factor authentication (2FA/MFA), firewall, IP/country blocking, and login monitoring
- Installs
- 1+ million
- Rating
- 4.8 (1.5K)
- Updated
- 38 days ago
#51 by installs
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin
Secure your WordPress site from brute-force attacks, threats, malware, and bots. Free to use and easy to set up.
- Installs
- 1+ million
- Rating
- 4.5 (157)
- Updated
- 17 days ago
#57 by installs
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall
Protect your WordPress site with All-In-One Security (AIOS): easy-to-use login security, a powerful firewall, and much more.
- Installs
- 1+ million
- Rating
- 4.7 (1.7K)
- Updated
- 1 day ago
The Sucuri WordPress Security plugin is a security toolset for security integrity monitoring, malware detection and security hardening.
- Installs
- 600,000+
- Rating
- 4.2 (386)
- Updated
- 17 days ago
A true Web Application Firewall to protect and secure WordPress.
- Installs
- 100,000+
- Rating
- 4.9 (220)
- Updated
- 25 days ago
Where this page's numbers come from
Read from the WordPress.org plugin API on , when WordPress 7.1.4 was the current release. WordPress.org rounds active installs into buckets. These are the directory's figures, not my verdict, and I haven't tested this plugin.