Title: A bit more security
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# A bit more security

 *  [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * (@oweb)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/)
 * Hello,
 * I would like to securise a bit more my website.
    In directories like wp-content,
   there’s a index.php file with “nothing” inside. Do you think (and how to do) 
   it’s possible to add code in this index.php file to generate a 404 error page?

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

 *  [Krishna](https://wordpress.org/support/users/1nexus/)
 * (@1nexus)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079913)
 * Did you edit the index.php file? Try replacing with a fresh copy and see if 404
   pages are generated again.
 * Read: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress)
 *  Thread Starter [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * (@oweb)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079915)
 * This is the orginal code…
 *     ```
       <?php
       // Silence is golden.
       ?>
       ```
   
 *  [Krishna](https://wordpress.org/support/users/1nexus/)
 * (@1nexus)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079917)
 * Site URL?
 *  Thread Starter [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * (@oweb)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079919)
 * [http://www.centon.net](http://www.centon.net)
 *  [OurWebSupport](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ourwebsupport/)
 * (@ourwebsupport)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079922)
 * Why do you want to change this file? having this file in the folder prevents 
   visitors from randomly seeing a list of your files in the folder. Are you experiencing
   a problem with visitors accessing your site?
 *  Thread Starter [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * (@oweb)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079924)
 * It’s easy to understand is based on WP CMS when somenone find a directory wp-
   ABC … so it could be interesting to add a fake 404 error page.
 * **Maybe it’s not the best way, but I would like more security…**
 *  [Krishna](https://wordpress.org/support/users/1nexus/)
 * (@1nexus)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079925)
 * It seems what you reproduced above is the replaced code. Check what you have 
   in your original index.php file after downloading a fresh copy of your theme.
 *  Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/)
 * (@jdembowski)
 * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079928)
 * > I would like to securise a bit more my website.
 * Okay.
 * > Do you think (and how to do) it’s possible to add code in this index.php file
   > to generate a 404 error page?
 * Don’t edit those empty (or small) files that came with WordPress. You’ll lose
   the changes at the next update.
 * You can try to use `.htaccess` redirects to a 404 code with specific URLs you
   can give that a try but that may break things in your WordPress installation.
 * > **Maybe it’s not the best way, but I would like more security…**
 * This comes up often the idea of security via obscurity. It 100% doesn’t work 
   and could make your installation difficult or impossible for you to support.
 * The security is in the code being run and attempting to disguise your installation
   _does not make you any more secure_.
 * It’s like closing _your eyes_ and hoping Bad People™ don’t see you. Same logic.
   😉
 *  Thread Starter [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * (@oweb)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079947)
 * thank you very much for replies!

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

The topic ‘A bit more security’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [directories](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/directories/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 9 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [oweb](https://wordpress.org/support/users/oweb/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-bit-more-security/#post-3079947)
 * Status: not resolved

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