Web hosting servers manage enormous volumes of data, acting as the keeper of priceless information. You rely on web hosting companies to protect your digital assets whether you’re an astute business owner or an enthusiastic hobbyist. Hold on, though! The internet world can be dangerous because there are so many dishonest persons there.
In order to stop hackers and criminals, web hosts have put on their virtual capes and set out on a mission. To protect their servers from danger, they use a variety of cutting-edge security techniques and cunning strategies.
The primary security technologies and strategies that web providers employ to safeguard their servers are described in this article.
CXS
Configserver eXploit Scanner is known as CXS. It is in charge of checking every file on the server for potentially harmful code or other elements. Files are scanned by CXS as they are uploaded to the server, and it periodically checks all of the server’s files to see whether they have changed. In order to prevent hostile attackers from being able to execute a susceptible file, it stores it in the quarantine directory when it discovers one.
Security Mod
An open-source web application firewall known as a WAF is called ModSecurity (also known as ModSec). It actively searches for and blocks requests that fit specific harmful patterns by actively monitoring HTTP traffic. Cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL or JavaScript injection, and other attack types are examples of this.
False positives in ModSecurity rules may cause a website or application to be blocked when being edited. As a result, nothing that the ModSecurity rules deem to be potentially dangerous can be run, resulting in a 403 (forbidden) error. Typically, you may ask your site host to whitelist your false positive action so that it won’t be blocked in the future by getting in touch with them.
Certificate for SSL
Data transferred between clients and servers is encrypted via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, reducing the risk of man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Additionally, it stops user data from being compromised. For websites that take credit card transactions and do e-commerce, SSL certificates are typically of utmost importance.
Recently, there have been some interesting changes to how various browsers (such as Chrome, Safari, and others) handle websites without SSL certificates. All websites now absolutely must have an SSL certificate, especially if you process transactions.
Why, you enquire? Without an SSL certificate, your website visitors will encounter a less-than-pleasant surprise in the form of browser alerts telling them that your site is not safe. And let’s face it, that seriously undermines participation and kills trust.
However, there’s still more! Additionally, search engines are joining the SSL party. Websites that take security seriously and display their SSL are quite popular with them.
Thankfully, free SSL certificates provided by certificate authorities like Let’s Encrypt and Sectigo have made procuring an SSL certificate for your website easier than ever.
Firewall hardware
In front of your servers, a hardware firewall offers an additional level of external security. Its primary job is to filter out potentially dangerous traffic from all traffic delivered to its servers before it reaches your website. The IP address can also be blocked using your hardware firewall.
An external hardware firewall is very useful since it relieves the internal software firewall (CSF/iptables, etc.) on the server of some of its burden.
A less active server can concentrate its resources on performing its primary function. However, it is crucial to provide layered security. This entails having a hardware firewall in addition to a software firewall that is appropriately setup.
Protection against Distributed Denial of Service
In a DDoS assault, a collection of typically compromised systems is used to attack a target server by flooding it with traffic in an effort to overload it and interfere with regular operations. This could be problematic, especially for the company that hosts the website.
Someone who uses one of their web hosting servers to host a certain website that they don’t like can attempt a DDoS assault to take down the website. As a web hosting server with numerous clients, it may affect all other accounts on the same server.
Before they reach the intended server, DDoS Protection may identify attacks and block specific DDoS attacks at the network level. If it functions well, the end user shouldn’t be aware that an attack is occuring.
CloudLinux
Although CloudLinux has a tonne of fantastically useful features, shared web hosting is where it really shines. It contains CageFS software for security purposes. It is in charge of locking each hosting account into its virtual setting, preventing access to or manipulation of other users’ accounts and data. By preventing bad scripts on one account from infecting the entire server, this helps address many of the security issues associated with conventional shared hosting.
Additionally, CloudLinux is in charge of making sure that users don’t use more server resources than they have been given permission to. For instance, CloudLinux can mandate that a given account utilise just 100% of its CPU and 2GB of RAM. This implies that even if the hosting account in question experiences high traffic or malicious activity, the server’s resources won’t be banned, and it won’t have an impact on any other hosting accounts that use the same server.
Practises for Web Hosting Security
To keep your website safe from security threats, it’s critical to practise web security yourself in addition to having a secure hosting provider.
If you want to keep your web hosting secure, keep reading.
Maintain Regular Data Backups
A backup enables you to swiftly repair a website that has been compromised or is experiencing issues. Schedule automatic backups or regularly backup your files manually.
You should store additional backups on your own computer or hard drive as well. If your web provider only keeps backups for a short time, this is very crucial.
Implement SSL Encryption
For secure access to and from your website, SSL is essential. Additionally, it helps safeguard private consumer information. You can buy an SSL certificate from an SSL certificate authority if your web server doesn’t provide them for free. Visitors can check certificate details by clicking on the padlock icon that appears next to the website URL if the website has an SSL certificate.
Eliminate unused programmes
Web application weaknesses including incorrect form validation, faulty design, and misconfigured web servers could make it possible for hackers to access the website. Therefore, it’s crucial to periodically check on applications and get rid of those that are corrupted or outdated. WordPress is safer when old, unneeded plugins and themes are removed.
Regularly change your password
Attackers can quickly crack weak passwords, putting your website and sensitive data at danger. We advise you to change your password at least every three to six months. Use a password manager to create, store, and manage all of your passwords to make the process easier. This aids in avoiding password fatigue and the practise of using the same password for numerous accounts.
Install and set up a firewall for web applications
A web application firewall (WAF) filters and tracks the traffic between your web application and the internet, preventing erroneous or suspicious requests and producing alarms for further examination. It aids in defending web applications from online threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
You might need to buy one individually since not all web hosting providers include a web application firewall as part of their offering. It is simple to activate and comes with a free plan in addition to the security advantages.
Conclusion
To secure your company’s reputation and sensitive information, your web host’s security must be improved.
The first step is to locate a web hosting provider with security protocols such software security, SSL certificates, backups, and DDoS protection. Best practises for web hosting security should also be followed. These include constantly upgrading software, screening for malware, deleting unused applications, changing passwords frequently, and storing up website data.
We hope that this post will assist you in protecting both your company’s website and the websites of your clients.