Website Security Audit Middleton

What prompts a security check in Middleton

The request usually comes from outside the business. A larger customer of a distribution firm near the M60 sends a supplier security questionnaire. A cyber insurance renewal asks whether the website runs supported software and uses two-factor logins. A care provider is asked how its enquiry and job application forms protect personal details.

An audit gives you that answer in writing. It is not a clean-up: if your site is already hacked, the right service is malware removal. Nor is it a penetration test, where someone attempts a break-in under agreed rules; we only carry one out when it is scoped and agreed separately. Our approach mirrors the website security audit we run in Manchester.

Remote testing, with a sit-down to go through results

The testing itself is done from our side. You create a temporary administrator account and, where your host allows, a limited hosting login, both of which you delete after the report. Passwords are never sent by plain email.

Reports are easier to act on when talked through. We do that on a video call, or face to face at our office in M8, roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Middleton town centre by car depending on traffic. A visit to your own premises can be arranged too, which helps when several staff hold admin rights.

From scope to report in five stages

What lands in your inbox

• A graded findings report written for owners, not developers
• A version list for core, theme and plugins with known issues noted
• A user and role list marking accounts to remove or downgrade
• Header results covering HSTS, Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options
• Backup status, with a restore trial on staging if you agree
• Wording you can reuse when answering a supplier or insurer questionnaire
• An optional fixed quote to carry out the fixes

Exposures we look for on Middleton trade and care sites

Beyond outdated plugins, what worries us most is detail left visible to anyone who looks:

• Usernames on show Visiting /?author=1 or the REST endpoint /wp-json/wp/v2/users often reveals admin login names, handing attackers half of what they need.
• Stray backup files Copies such as wp-config.php.bak or a zipped site sitting in the web root can expose database passwords.
• Public debug logs A debug.log left readable in wp-content can reveal file paths and plugin errors.
• Forgotten staging sites An old test copy on a subdomain, never updated, is often easier to break into than the live site.
• Forms keeping more than needed Plugins that store every submission in the database, including CVs or health details, for years.
• Scripts loading before consent Third-party tags that fire before a visitor agrees, which our cookie consent setup can put right.

Once the gaps are closed, ongoing WordPress maintenance stops new ones from opening up.

Frequently asked questions

Security checks for Prestwich, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham businesses

We audit sites for firms in Prestwich, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham in the same way, and our city-wide audit page sets out the method in full. For everything else we offer locally, see our Middleton hub.

Want a clear picture of where your site stands? Send us the web address and what the site does, and we will confirm the scope and a fixed quote before any testing begins. Book a security audit, phone 0161 315 1151 or WhatsApp 07737 902425.