Forms make data collection more efficient. You can put them on your website to gather information from your customers.
However, if you don't use the best WordPress form plugins with security features, you'll put your customers at risk. It helps if you know what secure contact form plugin to use.
Your choice of form plugin for your website will affect your customers' information security. Cybercriminals might use an unsecured contact form to steal data, leave behind malicious codes, and bring your website down.
So, how should you ensure a secure WordPress contact form?
Finding the best WordPress form plugins is only the start. It would be best if you do the following to protect your website and its forms.
You can set up an email notification every time a customer completes a contact form. However, the email should not contain the customer's information. Instead, you should redirect the data obtained to a WordPress database.
If you also want to send an email notification to your customers after submitting a form, do it with a Secure Mail Transfer Protocol. It will secure all the emails you send online.
G Suite can channel your emails via a professional-looking email address. Another option is to use other reliable SMTP service providers like Amazon SES or Sendibule for sending multiple emails.
Any customer who comes by your site can fill out and submit your contact form if you don't restrict access to it. Unfortunately, public WordPress forms are vulnerable to hackers and spammers, who might use your site for fraud or cause downtime. But you can look for the best WordPress form plugins with spam-prevention capabilities. These plugins can hide your form fields from spammers and DDoS attackers.
Another way to secure your free WordPress form is to enable Google reCAPTCHA. It will filter spambots from real human users and prevent the former from accessing your form fields.
CAPTCHA requires users to type a few numbers and letters or identify images. Spambots can't read these images, so they can't answer the CAPTCHA questions correctly. However, these can be tough for some users, deterring them from filling out your form. It is why Google introduced reCAPTCHA, which you can use with the best WordPress form plugins.
reCAPTCHA only requires customers to check a box stating, “I'm not a robot.” It hides the checkbox in a code that spambots can't see.
Protecting your WordPress form builder with a CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA makes the cybercriminals' job harder. They have to visit your website to try and break in through the CAPTCHA, making it harder to hack your site.
It is common for forms to have file upload features, usually for banking WordPress forms and job application forms. Hackers can exploit this feature to upload malicious codes to your website. But you can secure your users' file uploads using three methods.
First, require customers to sign up and log in before uploading a form. It will help improve the security of the best WordPress form plugins.
Second, only allow small files to be uploaded, which will force hackers to reduce the size of their malicious code. It might discourage them from trying to break in through your site.
Third, restrict certain file types. If you're asking customers to upload a resume, allow only PDF and DOC files, for instance.
An SSL Certificate can secure your entire website, including the WordPress free form plugin and your users. It encrypts sensitive information as it travels from your customers to your websites and other third parties. You can ask your hosting provider for an SSL Certificate and have it as an add-on to your package.
More customers are now keen on looking for security features in websites before using them. They are worried about their information getting hacked, misused, or stolen. Customers might feel more confident if they see an SSL Certificate indicator on your WordPress site.
Do you want to use the best WordPress form plugins with the proper security features? Check out FormBot and our custom builder form. You can quickly design your form, accept customer data and payments securely, and sync your WordPress forms. Contact FormBot today if you want to create a secure form for free!
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