Increasing host security is one of the most important activities that we must pay attention to in order to maintain and manage our site. The host where our information is located is the heart of our site, and reducing its security means reducing the security of the website, so increasing the security in web hosting services is one of the main things that we should pay attention to.
We invite you to stay with us until the end of the article to review 13 simple solutions to increase security in hosting…
How can hosting security help our website?
Table of Contents
In fact, it is the hosting that plays a key role in the security of your website with the hosting service it provides on its server. If the hosting company cannot provide the security of its hosting servers well, it can be a big weakness for Your website should be considered because by reducing the security of the web hosting service, your site’s data and information are at risk of being deleted.
Also, if it is possible to break into your host’s control panel, you can almost say that you should assume that your site’s information has been lost! Therefore, carefully choosing a reliable hosting company that pays special attention to the security of its servers is one of the most important things that you should consider when buying a host.
Among the security issues that the hosting company should consider for its servers, the following can be mentioned:
- Full implementation of OS Hardening (operating system security)
- Install all relevant security updates
- Remove all unnecessary services
- Close the necessary ports
- Making some changes in sections such as Group Policy and Registry and…
- Using firewalls and installing appropriate WAF and antivirus on all servers
- ..
Who will increase the security of the host!?
Basically, there are two categories of people who try to damage your site.
The most common and dangerous of them is the information thief. Looking for an opportunity to gather information for their own personal gain, these individuals often operate in secret. They try to go unnoticed for long periods of time to maximize the number of victims they can reach.
Of course, note that not all people who intend to damage your site are trying to steal from you. There is a significant group of hackers who simply seek to cause disruption and enjoy it.
When you fall victim to one of these hackers, it can cripple your site and cause you to lose revenue. They usually try to bring down an organization or business for fun or to prove themselves. They often post graffiti on the site and change the page to let you know they’re there and they’ve done it.
What security matters should be considered to increase the security of the host?
Fortunately, most web hosts are aware that there is a strong demand for security and listen to their customers’ demands. But you should pay attention to two basic points in increasing the security of your Linux host or Windows host. First, you need to be sure that your web host takes care of their servers to provide a secure environment. Next, they must provide the necessary tools to ensure the site’s security and functionality. When looking for a new web host or evaluating your host’s security, there are some things to consider.
Of course, before that, let’s talk about what this means when we intend to increase the security of the host and what is the security of the site.
What is site security?
As mentioned, hackers are always looking to hack your site. Now you may think that they only hack big sites and they don’t care about hacking small sites! But we must say that this idea is completely wrong. Performing methods that protect your site from the risk of being hacked is called site security. Now it can be in the main part of the site or the domain and hosting… Hacking any of these parts will harm your site and threaten your results!
If your site is WordPress, you definitely use plugins to increase the security of your host and website, but are these enough?
The answer to this question is no! In addition to guaranteeing the security of your site, you must also do something to increase the security of the host and its various parts, and note that by following the simple solutions that you will see below, your site will be easily protected from the risk of being hacked. You can act as your own hosting security expert.
Thirteen simple ways to increase security
The first and most important part is to get your hosting from a reputable hosting company and note that hosting security is important for these companies! The fact that the preparation and entry to the host has security steps shows the importance of this matter for this company.
The second important point is not to use simple and guessable passwords!
Please don’t say I’m forgetful and I forget my passwords, I have to choose easy passwords. Of course, choosing simple passwords will do you more harm than making a list and writing down all your important passwords. If you have been using easy passwords, change it now and use passwords with letters and numbers. Also, change it once in a while.
The third thing you need to do to increase the security of the host, and it can almost be said that the security of the host doubles, is to activate two-step verification, which is possible in most hosts, and it is enough to activate this option. Before entering your user account, an eight-digit code will be sent to your mobile phone, and without this code, it will not be possible for others to enter.
The fourth thing that needs to be done to prevent CPanel from being hacked is to use maildirb in Linux systems, which is better than mailbox in terms of security.
The fifth way to increase the security of the host is to strengthen the security of cPanel by installing and configuring clameAV. This control panel has antivirus such as clamAV, which prevents hacking by scanning the host.
The sixth way to create cPanel security is to secure the tmp partition in Linux, which is very important and should not be ignored; This intrusion and attacks are due to the weakness of /tmp folder and you can increase the security of this section with simple php codes.
The seventh solution to increase the security of the host and prevent hackers from entering your site is to try not to use shared systems and mobile phones to enter the user panel of the host because the use of unauthorized and malicious software will threaten your security. .
The eighth factor that helps to increase security is patch management. It means to update the software on time!
Behind the updates that are provided for your programs, there is definitely a fix for a problem in the program. Take these updates seriously and this can lead to the security of your hosting. (such as updating WordPress, templates, plugins, etc.)
The ninth part that plays an essential role in increasing security is firewalls. Here you specify which people will have access to your hosting and other people will not have this access.
The tenth point in increasing the security of the host is to use secure protocols when entering the host.
http and https are the protocols you can use; But http is insecure and it is possible to be hacked, but https will be safe provided there is a valid encryption algorithm. This security is guaranteed by SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer.
SSL provides an encrypted path between the browser and the web server. You can use an SSL certificate by using the locked indicator in the address bar along with using Https:// in the address. If you run an e-commerce site, an SSL certificate is a must. This will help prevent the theft of customer information, credit or debit card numbers, names, addresses, and other personal information, and this information will remain secure. So note that whenever you need to collect personal and sensitive information, an SSL certificate is essential.
The eleventh point that should be considered is the black list! That is, when you don’t want to use a program, you must make sure that it is completely blacklisted and is not allowed to access your content.
The twelfth thing that can be mentioned to increase the security of the host is the use of SFTP.
If you’ve ever uploaded files to your hosting account, you’re probably familiar with FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Previously, in the article “What is FTP”, we fully examined this protocol and saw what applications it can have. But the use of this protocol in increasing the security of the host requires a little precision.
You use an FTP client to drag your files to where you want them to be uploaded and they are published to your account. SFTP is the same concept but more secure. SFTP stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol and provides an additional layer of protection. Although FTP is relatively secure, it is still vulnerable. Files can be intercepted and modified even without any indication. SFTP closes this vulnerability.
The thirteenth point in security is related to backup. Backups should be done regularly to protect your site in the event of a problem or disaster. Most hosts provide a tool in the control panel that allows you to backup your site. This needs to be done and you should not rely on your host for this. However, a host that has sound backup procedures is a plus.
final word
As a final word, we must go to the old proverb that says: “Prevention is better than cure.”
Hurry up before it’s too late and you don’t end up dealing with hackers and the process of increasing security and follow the different parts of your site seriously.
In this article, we tried to share with you all the possible ways to increase the security of the host, so that you can manage your site with ease by doing these simple practical solutions.
CATEGORY:Blog