A 12 Point Web Hosting Security Checklist 2024

Some things require the most attention when it comes to choosing a web host. One of them is "security." Web hosting security can become very complicated. It is a fact that your WordPress web page hosting through Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting or shared hosting servers may be vulnerable to hacker attacks. These hackers do their job by uploading malware or malicious code in other ways to a server.

In fact, things are getting worse. So, as we said, security is a big problem, and the hosting service you choose will depend on it.

Why is web hosting security essential for any site in 2024?

The Internet is borderless, and anyone can access anything. This is the greatest strength of the Internet and its greatest weakness. This free-for-all structure makes websites vulnerable to all sorts of security threats, with data breaches being the most important and common problem.

The Internet has become a much more dangerous place than it was at the very beginning. It is open to all - good and bad and, more importantly, has become a crucial tool for many companies.

Online businesses are a multi-billion dollar common resource for cyber criminals. Unfortunately, this indirectly translates into becoming a threat to owners of small business sites, especially WordPress sites and even individual bloggers, for various reasons.

Even if your site has nothing to do, cyber criminals can exploit your site's resources to launch attacks on other sites.

In addition, let's not forget that the data is the new oil and if, for example, you collect subscriber information on your site, this is also worth the money.

There are also graffiti hackers on the Internet - people who attack and degrade websites just out of fun.

Billions of dollars are traded on the Internet every day, which means there is a target on the most vulnerable WordPress sites. Once a WordPress site is identified as vulnerable, you can be sure that the hackers will be able to bring it down in no time.

Thus, it becomes a privilege for website operators and homeowners to provide the best security possible; this means, choosing a reliable web hosting service is necessary.

Does the location of the web host has any importance in terms of security?

location of web hosting can have several implications for security in the context of web hosting. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Data Sovereignty and Legal Jurisdiction: The physical location of a server determines the legal jurisdiction it falls under. Different countries have different laws and regulations regarding data protection, privacy, and surveillance. Hosting your website in a country with strong data protection laws can offer better security and privacy for the data stored on the server.

Network Latency and Performance: The geographical distance between the server and its users can affect the website's loading speed. While this is more of a performance issue than a security concern, poor performance can indirectly affect security. For instance, slow loading times might lead to improper execution of security protocols or updates.

Risk of Natural Disasters: The physical security of the data center is also crucial. Hosting in a location prone to natural disasters (like earthquakes, floods, etc.) can pose a risk to the physical servers. Choosing a location with minimal risk of natural disasters can enhance the overall security.

Local Infrastructure and Stability: The quality and reliability of the local infrastructure, including power supply, internet connectivity, and political stability, can impact the uptime and reliability of your website. Frequent power outages or internet disruptions can affect server security and maintenance.

Physical Security Measures: The level of physical security measures in the data center (like biometric access, surveillance, fire suppression systems) is also important. Data centers in some locations may have more stringent security measures.

International Data Transfers: If your website caters to users in different countries, you need to consider the implications of international data transfer regulations. For instance, the EU's GDPR imposes strict rules on how personal data is transferred outside the EU.

Network Security and DDoS Protection: The hosting provider's capability to handle security threats like DDoS attacks can vary based on their location. Providers in technologically advanced regions might offer more robust security measures.

Compliance and Certification: Hosting providers in some regions may adhere to international security standards and certifications (like ISO 27001, SOC 2, etc.), which can provide an added layer of security assurance.

With all this in mind, It is worth looking for secure web hosting solutions. Well, stopping a determined attacker is almost impossible, but every little bit counts.

To avoid being a victim of distress like the aforementioned situations, we've compiled a list to help you navigate the process of choosing a web hosting provider to ensure safe web hosting for WordPress site.

So, what do you look for in a web hosting service in terms of security?

WEB HOSTING SECURITY CHECKLIST 2024

Here are a few things to consider...

1. Backups (and restore)

Backups do not just apply to your computers, but also your website. However, you can control many aspects of the backup of your data, but for websites, it often depends on your hosting provider.

Most hosts offer free backups, but there are variations of this theme. For example, some may ask you to perform the backup procedure manually, while others may do so automatically and ask you to contact their support team if you need data recovery services.

Ideally, look for a web hosting provider that performs periodic automated backups and allows you to restore them at any time on your own. This minimizes potential downtime in case of problems with your site.

Host And Protect is a good example of an excellent managed WordPress hosting. They have Daily Backups features - they ensure to keep daily backups of your data so that there’s no loss of your website’s information .

2. Network monitoring

WordPress Websites are usually hosted on a server installed in massive data centers. There are so few staff on the spot. Control is largely automated. It is therefore essential to know if your web host is monitoring network traffic to its servers.

To do this, we usually have control and monitoring tools to detect suspicious traffic or incidents. In this way, anyone wishing to infiltrate malware or conduct an attack can be detected quickly.

Unfortunately, this is not something that many web hosting providers sell, so you may need to ask them for more details. At least you'll have peace of mind knowing how well they protect their servers.

3. Firewalls and DDoS prevention

WordPress DDoS attack is a nightmare. It looks like the gorilla strength of the 300 pound that rushes to your website and is determined to crush it to pieces. Through a DDoS attack, hackers attempt to delete websites by flooding them with so much incoming traffic that site servers are overloaded and shut down.

Your best bet is to go with a managed WordPress web hosting that host at reputable data centers that are equipped with high-end networking hardware and provides an initial level of protection against WordPress DDoS attacks.

These are often mitigated by the use of a good Content Delivery Network (CDN), such as Cloudflare or website firewalls. Some web hosts such as Host And Protect, Site ground include Live Firewall in their hosting packages, while others like InMotion Hosting do not, but let them be used by beginners.

Firewalls are also important because they are the first line of defense against Web intrusions.

4. Antivirus and malicious analysis

On your personal computer, you must run antivirus software. On web servers, you depend entirely on your web hosting service provider to install, run, and monitor them for you. It is important to know at least that they do it and what level of information they can provide you regarding potential problems.

Some web hosts allow you to see their analytics reports, while others run them as part of the package. Some hosts offer more extensive options than others, but the least you can do is restore your site from a previous version that was not infected.

Some web hosting providers offer a unique malware defense system, which complements their hosting plans. It doesn't only look for malware but has an integrated alert and delete tool to protect sites.

5. Secure FTP

If you're new to web hosting, it can sometimes be helpful to transfer large amounts of files to your web host. This is most effectively achieved by using FTP or File Transfer Protocol. SFTP is the secure version of FTP and can protect your data during the transfer.

Although almost all web hosting service providers offer FTP access, not all of them will support SFTP. If you look at our first choice in web hosting, you will notice that many of them offer SFTP access.

6. Spam filtering

This is a gray area, and spam will not technically affect the security of your site. However, if you are suddenly overwhelmed by a huge flood of spam, it could look like a DDoS. If your host offers anti-spam filtering, the attack first goes through its anti-spam filters.

As a bonus, by eliminating spam, these anti-spam filters save you some space in your email folders. Almost all hosts will have spam filters, but some will require a small manual configuration.

Ideally, look for one that offers various anti-spam options which offer different types of spam protection.

7. Internal security

Again, this item is not a part of your hosting package, but many major hosting providers ensure that their servers are protected from attack. This means that they will be constantly updated with the latest patches and security tools.

There are so many web hosting packages available, which has several security measures, such as KernelCare, Auto-Heal Hosting Protection, and Server Hardening. User will know that these security measures protect themselves and the site for greater peace of mind.

8. SSH or SSL Secure Socket Layer

Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, protocol is used daily by system administrators and often also by developers. It has the potential to help us carry out all kinds of tasks on our server.

Establishing an SSH connection is simple, the only tool we will need to do it is one of the terminal or console type, such as the classic Linux and Mac console, or a program like Putty in the case of Windows.

The SSH connection uses three items: a user, a port, and a server. With only these three elements, we can establish a secure connection between the two servers.

This security is achieved through the use of keys and encryption techniques. Each server has its own encryption key, and when establishing a connection for the first time with a server, we will have to add the server to a list of servers in which it is safe to connect. The addition of SSL can help improve user satisfaction, SEO, and branding.

9. SQLi or SQL injection

In principle, every website and web application can be vulnerable to SQL injection. It is enough that the language of the database is SQL. Too often, the manufacturers of the programs do not put in place a sufficient level of security.

The discovered flaws do not stay secret for a long time in the Net world. There are, for example, pages of information that present security holes and immediately reveal to criminals, how to find the Web project through a Google search.

With standard error reports, it can be quickly verified whether the listed references represent a potential attack target. However, some web hosting providers prevent wordpress SQL injections with their security measures.

Besides, they take the help of online wordpress malware scanners, which scans the website for some of the common Wordpress security vulnerabilities, notifies you through email about it and then let their expert personnel eradicate them.

10. Access Restrictions

The host can prevent malicious individuals from hacking your resources by disabling the login privilege and limit access to the site's root level. The IP address restriction should not be used as the sole means of protecting a site and should not be used as a substitute for user authentication.

Client IP addresses are specified in the network packets sent by the client, and this information is easily spoofed. In addition, hackers regularly use attack techniques that hide their real IP address. The IP address restriction can not protect the server from such attacks.

11. Change the password regularly.

One of the easiest ways to protect your web server is to change your password regularly. It would be harder for hackers to find out the password if it changes so often. Choose a strong password that would be difficult for others to guess. The password is one of the main issues that we must keep an eye on when establishing security on your site made with WordPress.

Many times, it is we ourselves who do not take the necessary precautions to put a secure password for our user. However, there are other times, especially when we allow user registration on our site, that it is they who can generate a security hole with Easy to guess passwords.

12. Turn on cPHulk in cPanel.

A comprehensive search key or also known as a brute force attack is the systematic checking of all possible character combinations to obtain the correct password. Even if the data is encrypted, and the search key was successful, unauthorized access can still be made. To prevent WordPress brute force attacks from happening, it is advisable to enable cPHulk in your cPanel.

Your web server must be protected from malicious attacks; this can only happen if you opt for secure web hosting services. Only your secured server can make it possible for Internet users to access your website and learn about your company. Practice these security tips to prevent unauthorized access and infection by a virus on your server.

It is important that you consult your web Hosting provider for the global security measures that are applied at the server level, both to prevent brute force attacks and to mitigate other types of attacks that may affect your Hosting and the websites you host.

It is a sum of your efforts and those of your hosting provider to row together in the same direction, which is none other than to guarantee the stability, security, and uptime of your website at 99.99 %.

My personal experiance with web hosting

As a seasoned tech specialist, I had always been fascinated by the digital world. One day, an idea struck me like a bolt of lightning: to create an Airbnb management website showcasing the unique charm of Toronto's accommodations.

I knew that the success of my airbnb website based in toronto named fullhome hinged on its online presence. It wasn't just about listings; it was about creating a digital space where each property told a story, captivating potential guests. The first critical decision? Choosing the right web hosting location.

As I delved into the world of web hosting, I stumbled upon an intriguing fact ** the location of your web hosting can significantly impact your website's security. T**his was a game-changer for me. I realized that by hosting my website in Toronto Canada, I could ensure better data protection and privacy for my customers, adhering to Canadian laws.

Choosing a web hosting service in Toronto was a strategic move. It drastically reduced the website's latency, offering a seamless experience to my local audience. The stability and physical security of the Toronto-based data center also gave me confidence that "Full Home " was safe from various digital threats.

While "Full Home" was rooted in Toronto, it attracted guests from all over the world. I ensured that my hosting service was compliant with international data transfer laws, especially for my European guests concerned about GDPR.

Finally, the day arrived when "Full Home" went live. It was an instant hit, not just for its beautiful properties but also for its robust, secure user experience. I received accolades from guests globally for the site's performance and security, aspects often overlooked in online platforms.

My decision to focus on the web hosting location sparked a trend in Toronto's digital community. Other businesses began to realize the importance of this choice, leading to increased support for local hosting services and enhancing the city's digital infrastructure.

As "Full Home" flourished, it became more than a business and is seen as the best Airbnb property management company in Toronto; it was a symbol of digital innovation in Toronto. My decision to prioritize the right hosting location was a key factor in this journey, demonstrating how strategic choices can shape the digital landscape.