Chapter2.Using Admin Tools

Chapter2.Using Admin Tools

Table of Contents

1. The Control Panel
2. The Plugin Params page
3. Fixing the permissions of files and directories
3.1. Configuring the permissions of files and directories
4. Emergency Off-Line Mode
5. Protecting Admin Tools with a password (Master Password)
6. Protect your WordPress administration with a password
7. The .htaccess maker
7.1. Basic Security
7.2. Server protection
7.2.1. How to determine which exceptions are required
7.3. Custom .htaccess rules
7.4. Optimisation and utility
7.5. System configuration
8. Malware Detection (the PHP File Scanner)
8.1. How does it work and what should I know?
8.2. Configuration
8.3. Scanning and administering scans
8.4. Reading the reports
8.5. Automating the scans (CRON jobs)
8.6. Automating the scans (scheduling URL)
9. Web Application Firewall
9.1. How WAF works and optimization
9.2. Configure
9.2.1. Basic Protection Features
9.2.2. Request Filtering
9.2.3. Hardening Options
9.2.4. Cloaking
9.2.5. Project Honeypot
9.2.6. Exceptions
9.2.7. Auto-ban
9.2.8. Logging and reporting
9.2.9. Customisation
9.3. WAF Exceptions
9.4. Administrator IP Whitelist
9.5. Site IP Blacklist
9.6. Anti-spam Bad Words
9.7. Security Exceptions Log
9.7.1. List of blocking reasons
9.8. Auto IP Blocking Administration
9.9. Auto IP Blocking History
9.10. Email templates
10. WordPress tools
10.1. Update WordPress salts
10.2. Password expiration
10.3. Advanced WordPress options
10.3.1. Post settings
10.3.2. System settings
11. Database tools
12. HTTPS Tools
13. URL Redirection
14. Import and Exporting Settings

1.The Control Panel

The main page of the plugin which gives you access to all of its functions is called the Control Panel.

The messages area

At the top of the Control Panel you can see one of several messages.

If there is an update available you will get a notification with a link to update Admin Tools. Clicking on it will take you to the Update page where you can apply the update.

If you are using Admin Tools Professional, our for-a-fee version, but have not yet entered your Download ID you will be given instructions on how to do it. The Download ID is necessary for receiving updates to the Professional version.

If Admin Tools detects that the IP you are currently using has been blocked automatically it will offer you the option to unblock it with the click of a single button.

Other informative messages may also appear in this area. We strongly advise you to read them carefully. We only show you messages when we believe you need to take some action with relevance to your site's security.

The main control panel (buttons) area

The left hand side of the main area of the page contains the main control panel. It consists of several groups of buttons. Each button corresponds to a feature available to Admin Tools. The rest of the documentation will describe each of these features in more detail.

The updates and statistics area

The right had side of the main area of the page contains the updates and statistics area.

Towards its top you can see the Admin Tools version information and the availability of updates. You can also review the changelog of the currently installed Admin Tools version.

Below that you will see the graphs showing the number of logged security exceptions (attacks Admin Tools Professional has protected you against), their distributions by type and a few statistics about them, e.g. how many exceptions have occurred in the last year, month, week, day and so on.