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Stop User Enumeration

By fullworks

Security & Privacy / Security Scanning & Malware Protection

Stop User Enumeration Review - In-Depth Analysis

Stop User Enumeration secures your site by detecting and preventing user enumeration attacks. It logs IPs of potential attackers for enhanced security.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.73/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 130+ reviews)

Active Installations

50,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

6 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Stop User Enumeration is a security plugin designed to detect and prevent hackers scanning your site for user login names.

User Enumeration is a type of attack where nefarious parties can probe your website to discover your login name. This is often a pre-cursor to brute-force password attacks. Stop User Enumeration helps block this initial attack and allows you to log IPs launching these attacks to block further attacks in the future.

Tools like WPSCAN are designed for use by ethical hackers and make efforts to find user login names. Ethical hackers ask permission first, this plugin is designed to reduce the tools when used without permission and when used in conjunction with fail2ban can block those attempts at the firewall.

If you are on a VPS or dedicated server, as the attack IP is logged, you can use fail2ban to block the attack directly at your server's firewall, a very powerful solution for VPS owners to stop brute force attacks as well as DDoS attacks.

If you don't have access to install fail2ban, you can still use this plugin.

The plugin can stop the user id being leaked by the oEmbed API call.

Since WordPress 4.5 user data can also be obtained by API calls without logging in, this is a WordPress feature, but if you don't need it to get user data, this plugin will restrict and log that too.

Since WordPress 5.5 sitemaps are generated by core WP which includes a user/author sitemap that exposes the user id. You can enable or disable this in the plugin settings.

This plugin includes an optional email feature for plugin news and updates. When enabled, your email address may be sent for important plugin updates and security notices. This is completely optional and requires your explicit consent via the opt-in form in the plugin settings.

The plugin logs attempted user enumeration attacks locally using WordPress's standard logging system. IP addresses of potential attackers are logged locally for security monitoring. These logs remain on your server and are not transmitted to any external service. Logs can be used with fail2ban or similar tools for enhanced security.

Comparing to Alternatives

Stop User Enumeration is a focused security plugin designed to prevent user enumeration attacks on WordPress sites. Compared to other login security plugins, it offers a lightweight and straightforward solution without additional login lockdown features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Lightweight and minimal impact on site performance
Effectively blocks user enumeration attempts
Easy to configure and use
Compatible with a wide range of WordPress setups

Weaknesses

Does not include broader login security features like brute force protection
Lacks advanced customization options
No premium version with extended features

User Sentiment Analysis

Users appreciate the plugin's simplicity and effectiveness in blocking user enumeration, often highlighting its reliability and ease of use.

Positive highlights

Easy, yet powerful little tool. - meli2024
Used on 250+ sites with excellent functionality and usability. - doffine
Nice plugin. - Wasim Shaikh
Low-footprint and essential for blocking user enumeration. - jeffw203
Does what it should. - alecos2013
I love it. - marliesvaz

Common complaints

Limited to user enumeration blocking only
No additional security features included

Weaknesses

Lacks advanced settings for power users
No premium support or updates beyond the free version

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Website owners and administrators looking for a simple, effective way to block user enumeration without adding extra bulk to their WordPress installation.

Not ideal for

Users seeking comprehensive login security solutions with features like brute force protection, login lockdown, or firewall capabilities should consider more feature-rich plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides complete user enumeration blocking functionality with no cost, making it a valuable tool for basic WordPress security needs.

Final Verdict

Stop User Enumeration is an excellent choice for those who want a straightforward, lightweight plugin to prevent user enumeration attacks without unnecessary complexity.

While it lacks broader security features, its ease of use and reliability make it a recommended addition to any WordPress site focused on minimizing user enumeration risks.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Stop User Enumeration plugin.

User enumeration

Security

Fail2ban

FAQ

Are you logged in? This plugin won’t do anything for logged in users, it only works when you are logged out. This is the way it is designed. A common mistake is to install the plugin and test it, while still logged in as admin.