Alexis Kestler
Hey there! Choosing the right web host is super important for any website owner. Your online home depends entirely on your hosting provider‘s infrastructure and security capabilities.
With cybercriminals and hackers growing more sophisticated every day, you need to be very careful when selecting a host. Don‘t worry though, I‘m here to help!
In this post, I‘ll walk you through the 12 most critical security features your web host should offer. I‘ll also share my tips as a veteran website owner and security geek for picking a provider you can count on. Let‘s dive in!
Why Website Security Matters
Before jumping into the key security traits, it‘s worth covering why web security is so crucial these days. As you probably know, websites face all kinds of cyber threats:
- Malware attacks — Viruses, worms, trojans and more that can steal data or take down sites.
- Brute force attacks — Hackers trying to guess passwords and break into accounts.
- Web vulnerabilities — Flaws like SQLi and XSS that are exploited to access backends.
- DDoS attacks — Floods of traffic intended to overwhelm servers and sites.
These threats are growing more sophisticated and frequent each year. Just look at these stats:
- 70% of websites have critical vulnerabilities (Positive Technologies)
- 40% of SMBs experience a cyber attack each year (Hiscox)
- 31% of breaches target small businesses (Verizon)
Yikes! Unprepared websites make easy targets. But with the right web host, you can reduce your risk substantially.
Now let‘s get into the security capabilities that matter most.
1. Automated Backups
If your site gets hacked or crashes, you need backups to recover and restore everything. Manual backups are risky though – it‘s easy to forget or make errors.
That‘s why your web host should perform automated daily backups for you. The best providers like Kinsta even capture backups in real-time, saving every change instantly.
Automatic backups eliminate the human element and ensure your site can be rolled back if disaster strikes. Look for offsite backups too so data survives even if the main hosting facility fails.
2. Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF acts as the frontline sentry, watching all traffic to your site for suspicious activity. It blocks common hack attempts like:
- SQL injection
- Cross-site scripting
- Cross-site forgery requests
- Local file inclusion
- Remote code execution
Premium hosts like Cloudways bake in robust WAF protection, no extra work required. With the OWASP Top 10 web app vulnerabilities causing over 43% of breaches (IBM), a WAF is essential.
3. Malware Scanning
Even if hackers can‘t directly breach your site, they can still plant malicious code and scripts on your web pages. Malware injection can lead to everything from user data theft to servers becoming botnet zombies.
To avoid disaster, your host should provide automatic malware scanning on your website. This hunts down backdoors, trojans, spyware and any other nasty payloads.
Top hosts like InMotion include daily malware detection. WordPress users can also run tools like WordFence themselves for enhanced security.
4. DDoS Attack Mitigation
DDoS attacks bombard infrastructure with junk traffic, easily overwhelming servers. They can crush site performance or knock you entirely offline.
To deflect DDoS campaigns, hosting providers need intelligent traffic monitoring and filtering capabilities. This weeds out floods of bogus requests while allowing legitimate users through.
Kinsta and Cloudways incorporate always-on DDoS scrubbing to absorb massive attacks. For budget hosts without it built-in, Cloudflare can add this protection.
5. Server Hardening
Hardening locks down servers by doing things like:
- Disabling unneeded services
- Closing unnecessary ports
- Tightening password policies
- Securing file permissions
This shrinks the attack surface dramatically. Reputable hosts like InMotion and A2 Hosting harden servers as part of onboarding. With DIY VPS hosting, hardening falls on your shoulders.
No matter what, confirm your provider has solid server hardening practices. Don‘t let misconfigurations jeopardize your environment.
6. Limited Control Panel Access
Hosting control panels allow managing domains, files, databases and more. Make sure your provider enables restricting admin rights.
For example, cPanel offers different access levels like:
- Admin
- Reseller
- Webmaster
This prevents anyone beyond the site owner from accessing sensitive controls. It also reduces exposure if credentials are compromised.
7. SFTP Support
Older protocols like FTP transmit credentials and files in plaintext. This allows miscreants to intercept communications and steal data.
Instead, your host should offer SFTP support (SSH File Transfer Protocol). SFTP encrypts connections end-to-end, shielding your transfers from prying eyes.
Leading hosts like DreamHost prohibit insecure FTP entirely nowadays. Prioritizing SFTP is a easy web security win.
8. HTTPS Enforcement
Always use HTTPS to encrypt connections and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. But it‘s easy to forget and leave pages unsecured.
Many hosts like Bluehost auto-redirect HTTP to HTTPS site-wide. This gives you built-in encryption by default.
If your provider lacks this capability, services like Cloudflare can add the redirect to mandate HTTPS usage.
9. Web Application Hardening
Platforms like WordPress and Drupal are common hacker targets. Modules like mod_security and suhosin provide added protection:
- Suhosin – Hardens PHP to prevent common exploits.
- Mod_security – Monitors HTTP traffic and defends against attacks.
Premium WordPress hosts like WP Engine bake in these tools to protect web apps. Evaluate if your provider has these capabilities or if you‘ll need to implement them yourself.
10. Vulnerability Scanning
Responsible hosts run frequent vulnerability scans across their infrastructure to uncover flaws before the bad guys can exploit them.
Probe potential providers about their vulnerability management program. How often do they scan? What tools are used? Are audits performed by external assessors?
Don‘t let your chosen host become a weakness in your defense.
11. Physical Security
Your servers sit inside physical data centers. Verify hosts use facilities with robust security like:
- Perimeter fencing
- Security guards
- Biometric scanners
- Cameras
- Activity logging
- Access control protocols
If possible, tour the facility yourself to inspect its protections. Failing that, thoroughly question providers on physical safeguards.
12. Incident Response
Despite best efforts, sometimes breaches happen. You need confidence your provider has an incident response plan ready, including:
- 24/7 intrusion monitoring
- Rapid response procedures
- Communication protocols
- Forensic capabilities
- Legal/PR assistance
Clarify upfront how your chosen host will respond in an emergency. Read their documentation and evaluate their preparedness.
Finding the Right Host
Assessing these 12 criteria takes research, but it‘s essential for protecting your online home. Balance security, features, and cost when selecting a provider.
For business-critical sites, premium managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine and Kinsta deliver robust security. For smaller sites, hosts like Bluehost and DreamHost bring good protections too.
No service is completely invulnerable, but aligning with security best practices makes a big difference. Investing in a secure provider reduces risk and builds confidence with visitors.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help friends boost their website security. Stay safe out there.
