Let’s face it.   From the beginning, the biggest knock on WordPress was its vulnerability to security hacks.

Yes, the coders have been relentless in tracking down those security holes and building a more secure platform.  And , to further the development of a more secure platform, several companies have come up with some pretty amazing plugins — free and paid, that can help keep the bad guys away.

I generally prefer the All-In-One Plugin for all of my cost-conscious clients to others.  But, that’s for another article.

But are there negative side affects of these wonderful plugins?

In a word.  Yes.

1. They can lock you out.

Some of the settings can be sooo secure that you might find yourself accidently locked out of your own site!  It’s easier to do than you can imagine.  Luckily, most of these can be easily overcome by your WebMaster — but still, it’s annoying.

2. They send scary messages

Nothing like getting 500 email messages that people are attacking your website.  I generally turn this setting off.   Does it really help your client to know how often they’re under attack, if the software is frankly, doing its job and keeping them out?

3. You have to have some basic security knowledge to set them up properly.

If you don’t know what you’re doing in this area, it’s best to hire someone who does.  (see my first two reasons above, for my reasoning)

4. They can hurt your SEO

Rather than go into great detail here, suffice to say that you want your site seen by  your potential customers.  Some of the more in-depth settings can keep google bots away — and that’s not necessarily a good thing.