Available on Free
Features · Prevention

WordPress login security, brute-force stops at the door.

/wp-login.php is the single most attacked endpoint on the WordPress internet. Guardian Gaze closes it down with rate-limited lockouts, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA challenges, IP whitelisting for admin paths, and a full audit trail of every authentication event.

Overview

The login page is the biggest attack surface on WordPress.

WordPress site owners typically receive thousands of automated login attempts per month. Most are low-effort credential-stuffing scripts; a small fraction are targeted. Either way, every successful guess is a full site compromise. Login security in Guardian Gaze is layered so even if one defence fails, the next holds.

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Brute-force protection

Configurable lockout threshold (default: 5 failed attempts). After the threshold, the IP is temporarily blocked from the login page. Lockout duration is automatic and enforced per-IP.

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Two-factor authentication

TOTP-based 2FA compatible with Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password and any other TOTP app. Enrolment is per-user; you can require it on admin accounts only or sitewide.

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CAPTCHA

reCAPTCHA v2 or v3 on login, registration and password-reset forms. Stops the automated credential-stuffing scripts that don't bother to solve human challenges.

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Authentication audit trail

Every successful and failed authentication event is logged, IP, user-agent, account, timestamp, outcome. Searchable from the Guardian Gaze dashboard.

Temporary IP blocking

Failed-attempt thresholds with automatic recovery.

When an IP crosses the failed-attempt threshold, it loses access to the login page, not to your whole site. Visitors and customers continue browsing normally; only the attacker's path is closed. After the block window expires, the IP regains access automatically, with the failed-attempt counter reset.

  • Threshold is configurable. Default 5; you can tighten this on high-value sites.
  • Block duration scales with repeat offences. First offence is a short timeout; repeat offenders within a window get progressively longer blocks.
  • Login page only. Blocked IPs can still browse the public site, important for e-commerce, where a blocked customer is a lost sale.
  • Recovery is automatic. No manual unblock needed; the counter resets after the block window.
  • Permanently-block option. For obviously hostile IPs you've seen before, you can promote them to the permanent blocklist via the IP management UI.
Admin whitelisting

Lock admin access to your IPs only.

For higher-stakes sites, you can restrict the WordPress admin login to a specific set of trusted IPs. Anyone else hitting /wp-login.php or /wp-admin/from an unauthorised IP gets a hard rejection; they can't even attempt a login. Whitelisted IPs bypass the failed-attempt lockout rules and continue to log in normally.

How it pairs with 2FA

IP whitelist + 2FA together is the configuration most security-conscious site owners eventually arrive at. The whitelist stops most automated traffic at the door; 2FA is the second factor in case credentials leak. Both together is significantly stronger than either alone.

2FA setup

One-time setup, any authenticator app.

1

Enable 2FA in the Guardian Gaze settings

Site-wide policy: optional · required for administrators · required for all users.

2

Each user enrols at next login

QR code scan with any TOTP app. Backup codes generated for account recovery.

3

Six-digit code at every login

Code refreshes every 30 seconds. Required on every authentication; remember-this-device option for trusted browsers.

4

Account recovery via backup codes

Lost phone? Use a one-time backup code. Or have an admin reset 2FA via the user-management screen.

What gets audited

Every authentication event, permanently logged.

The authentication audit trail is critical for incident response. If something does go wrong, you can see exactly when, from where, and which account was the entry point.

  • Successful logins. Username, IP, user-agent, timestamp, login method (password / 2FA / app password).
  • Failed logins. Username attempted, IP, user-agent, reason for failure (wrong password, locked account, 2FA failed).
  • Lockouts triggered. Which IP, which threshold, when the block expires.
  • 2FA enrolments and resets. Who enrolled, who reset whose 2FA, when.
  • Password resets. Including resets initiated from forgotten-password and from admin panels.
  • Role and capability changes. Especially privilege escalations, a Subscriber promoted to Administrator is a Critical event.
Tier availability

The core is free.

CapabilityFreeProAgency
Brute-force lockout
Two-factor authentication (TOTP)
CAPTCHA on login & registration
Audit trail (last 30 days)
Full audit history
IP whitelisting for admin
Country-level login blocking
IP reputation feed (block known-bad IPs)

Stop the brute-force noise today.

Most sites see a 90%+ reduction in login-related events within the first 24 hours of enabling Guardian Gaze.