Further WordPress Admin Access Lockdown

For a long time now our Shield Security plugin has had a unique ability to protect itself from intruders. We called this module ‘Security Admin’.

We’re working on extending this feature so that you may in-fact lock down certain elements of your WordPress site, not just your security plugin, from other Administrators. This in-effect will make the administrator of the security plugin a “Super Administrator”.

What does Security Admin feature do?

The Security Admin feature of our Shield Security plugin is unique among WordPress plugin in that it allows you to not only setup your WordPress site security, but it allows you to secure the very plugin that implements this security.

Think of it like you’ve wrapped a padlock-chain around your website. It’s very secure now, but the padlock is exposed. Admin Access Restriction jams glue into the padlock preventing any one from getting to the lock itself to undo your chains.

We highly recommend you enforce this feature on all sites where you use our plugin.

See here for more information on this feature.

What are the new extensions to the Security Admin feature?

With the first set of extensions to be released, you will be able to lock down plugins, themes, posts, and pages.

When you use the admin access restriction module, you will have the added option to select certain, key actions relating to these areas and prevent any other users, even administrators, from accessing them.

What does this mean?  It means, for example, if you were to restrict plugin updates, no other user except and administrator with the Admin Access Key may perform any actions on your site pertaining to plugin updates.

What exactly can be restricted?

With release 4.8.0 of the Shield Security plugin, the follow areas and associated actions may be restricted:

Plugins

• Activate – restricts plugin activation/deactivation
  Note: Enabling ‘Activate’ restriction will restrict all other plugin actions
• Update – restricts plugin updates
• Install – restricts installation of plugins
• Delete – restricts deletion of plugins

Themes

• Activate – restricts theme activation/deactivation
• Edit Theme Options – restricts editing key Theme options
  Note: Enabling ‘Activate’ and ‘Edit Theme Options’ restrictions will restrict all other plugin actions
• Update – restricts theme updates
• Install – restricts installation of themes
• Delete – restricts deletion of themes

Posts & Pages

• Create / Edit – restricts the creating of drafts and editing of any posts and pages
• Publish – restricts the publishing of any new posts and pages drafts
• Delete – restricts deletion and undelete of posts and pages

How to access this feature

These are extensions to the Security Admin feature and may only be enabled for sites where admin access is active or activated.

Please see the screenshot below for how to access this:

What do you think?

Let us know what you think of this feature in the comments below – we’re keen to here your thoughts on this and what more you’d like to see in the plugin.