The JSON API will allow for the enumeration of authors (and usernames) for a WordPress site. You can’t turn that off.
To protect yourself you should:
- Use strong passwords (you’re already doing that)
- Leverage two-factor authentication (either with the community-developed Two-Factor or using WordFence’s own support)
- Leverage a plugin like Jetpack that also supports brute force protection
Attackers enumerating users and trying to find a way in will always be a thing you have to face. It’s a matter of bolstering the strength of your server to keep the attackers at bay.
You can also use tools like the WPScan scanner to see both if your sites have vulnerabilities and exactly how the attackers are enumerating users.
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