=== eSherpa Login Guard ===
Contributors: ralfnaumann
Donate link: https://esherpa.ch/donate
Tags: login security, brute force protection, login lockout, progressive lockout, security
Requires at least: 5.6
Tested up to: 6.9
Stable tag: 2.1.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Intelligent login protection with progressive lockout times and clear admin overview.

== Description ==

**eSherpa Login Guard** effectively protects your WordPress site from brute-force attacks – intelligently and user-friendly.

**Key Features:**
– Progressive lockout durations: Time doubles automatically on repeat offenses (e.g., 15 → 30 → 60 minutes).
– Clear countdown display on the login page.
– Early warning: «X attempts remaining» before lockout.
– Admin overview with all blocked IPs and one-click manual unblock.
– Red badge in menu when locks are active.
– Fully multilingual (German, English, French, Italian included).
– Privacy-friendly: IPs stored only as anonymized hashes.

Developed in Switzerland – fast, clean, and without external dependencies.

Compatible with PHP 8.3 and WordPress 6.9.

== Installation ==

1. Search for the plugin in «Plugins → Add New» or upload and activate.
2. Optional: Adjust max failed attempts and base lockout time under «Login Guard» in the admin menu.
3. Done – protection runs automatically.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How are IPs stored? =
Only as anonymized MD5 hashes – no plain-text IPs in the database (GDPR-compliant).

= Can I manually unblock IPs? =
Yes – directly in the admin overview with a single click.

= Does it work with caching plugins? =
Yes – protection hooks early on wp-login.php, before caching.

= What happens on successful login? =
All counters and locks for that IP are cleared.

== Screenshots ==

1. Lockout message with countdown and plugin credit footer
2. Early warning notice on login page with remaining attempts and plugin credit footer
3. Admin overview showing currently blocked IPs with unblock option and red badge
4. Settings section with detailed plugin explanation

== Changelog ==

= 2.1.1 =
* Added full multilingual support (DE/EN/FR/IT)
* Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.9 and PHP 8.3
* Minor optimizations

= 2.0 =
* Introduced progressive lockout times
* Added admin menu with red badge for active locks
* Improved user guidance

= 1.0 =
* Initial stable release

== Upgrade Notice ==

Simply update – all settings are preserved.