I was helping someone get their blog configured the other day and we came to setting up WP-Security-Scan – one of the plugins I do recommend.
It takes you through some pretty straightforward steps that will strengthen your WordPress installation against mass bot hack attacks.
One of the recommendations it makes is to change your login user name from the default ‘admin’ to something else.
Here’s how to do that:
From your hosting control panel click on PHPMyAdmin. You’ll see a screen like this:
Find and click on the ‘Databases’ link (circled above).
The next screen you’ll see is this:
It lists all your databases on the left. I’ve blacked mine out, but trust me – those are your databases!
Click on the database of the blog on which you want to change your login username. You’ll come to this screen:
Look for the users table. Unless you’ve changed your prefix it will be called wp_users. My users table is circled above.
In the users row click on the first icon: browse (2 above). The next screen you’ll see is this one:
If you’re the only person with a login you’ll see just one row there. If you have others on your blog with logins, look for the one that’s called ‘admin’, and click the ‘edit’ icon, 1 above (and circled).
The next screen you’ll see is this one:
In the ‘user_login’ row above look to the right and replace ‘admin’ with a new user name. When you’ve typed a new user name click ‘Go’ at the bottom right of the table (it’s not shown in this screenshot).
After clicking ‘Go’ you’ll be taken back to a screen that displays your new user name in the ‘user_login’ field:
OK, you’re all done in PHPMyAdmin now, so you can log out if that option’s available or just close that window if it’s not.
Next go to your WordPress login screen and login with the new username and your existing password.
Go to your profile screen and you’ll see your new username displaid:
That’s it – you’ve changed your WordPress login username and made your blog more secure as a result.
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Nice one.
Before, I used a plugin to change the admin’s username (that was when I am afraid to tinker with the database).
I didn’t realise there was a plugin to do that! Interesting…
Mind you, I’m on a crusade at the moment to reduce the number of plugins I’m using
I guess with this one, though, you could use the plugin, make the change and then remove the plugin.
Can you let us know which plugin you used, for the benefit of anyone who’d still prefer to go that route?
Cheers,
Martin.
It’s “Change Admin Username”. It is on wordpress repository of plugins.
That’s what I did before.. change the admin user name then remove the plugin.
marvin´s last blog ..Assistance for the Victims of Typhoon Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana)
Thanks Marvin!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I stubled across your blog and wished I found you when I started creating my new business blog! I was using a non-WordPress version for my personal blog and thought I would have no problem. I am sure I will be back often – thank you for making this so much easier! My new business blog is called simplystatedbusiness.com and is all about writing that is simple! When I get it up & running, I’ll be sure to give you a “shout out” as an example of making the difficult simple.
Hi Cathy,
Glad you found this useful and all the very best with your new business blog – let us know when it’s up so we can hop over and take a look
Cheers,
Martin.
uhhh..make that stumbled
or maybe I did stuble–LOL!!
Stuble, stumble – no matter – you got there in the end
Martin.
You bet, Martin! I’ll use spellcheck 1st