Where to Buy an SSL Certificate?

Secure Socket Layers (SSLs) build a level of trust with your visitors. But where do you buy them? There are many different certificate providers.

The overall cost depends on the validation type, how long it is valid, and the warranty coverage provided. Although free SSLs are available, paid certificates provide better protection, especially if you deal with sensitive customer data like credit cards or personal information.

Nearly all SSLs offer the industry standard 256-bit encryption, but some certificate providers still offer lower 128-bit encryption.

Whether you need a certificate to protect a single domain or wildcard SSL that covers unlimited subdomains, here are the best places to buy your SSLs.

1. Web Hosting Providers

One of the most convenient places to buy an SSL certificate is from your web hosting provider. Many web hosting companies offer certificates as part of their hosting packages, or you can purchase one separately. This is often the easiest option since it allows for streamlined installation and management, especially when bundled with other hosting services.

• A2 Hosting: A2 Hosting provides free SSLs with their hosting plans, powered by Let’s Encrypt, ensuring that every site can be secured without additional cost. For users needing advanced security, they also offer premium certificates with additional validation for better protection and warranties.
• Other Hosting Providers: Similar companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator also offer SSL certificates, often bundled with their hosting plans, making it simple to protect your site.

Why Choose Your Hosting Provider for SSL?

• Easy integration with your hosting environment.
• Convenient management through your control panel (like cPanel or Plesk).
• Some providers include SSL for free, saving you additional costs.

2. Certificate Authorities (CAs)

Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted third-party organizations responsible for issuing SSL certificates. These companies directly sell SSLs to businesses and individuals and are ideal if you’re looking for a higher level of trust and security, such as Extended Validation (EV) certificates.

• DigiCert: One of the most trusted names in SSL certification, DigiCert offers a range of certificates, including EV, OV (Organization Validation), and DV (Domain Validation) certificates. They cater to businesses of all sizes, ensuring robust encryption and validation.
• Rapid SSL: Rapid SSL offers a reliable certificates for businesses and personal use across many validation levels. They include the necessary encryption to protect your site and support to make installation easy.
• GeoTrust: GeoTrust is another popular CA, offering many types of SSL certificates. Choose from a variety of options to fit your needs, all backed by their specialized support.
• GlobalSign: Another leading CA, GlobalSign provides SSL certificates for businesses needing high-security solutions with enterprise-level support.
• Comodo SSL: A widely popular CA known for its affordable SSL options, including wildcard SSLs, which allow you to secure an entire domain and its subdomains with a single certificate.

A2 Hosting offers DV, OV, EV, and wildcard certificates from Rapid SSL, GeoTrust, and DigiCert.

Why Choose a Certificate Authority for SSL?

• Direct support from security experts.
• Advanced certificate types such as multi-domain or wildcard certificates.

3. Domain Registrars

Domain registrars—where you register your website’s domain name—often offer SSL certificates as an additional service. Buying from your domain registrar can be convenient because it consolidates your services, making it easier to manage your domain and security in one place.

• GoDaddy: One of the largest domain registrars, GoDaddy offers both free SSL (with certain hosting packages) and paid certificates for added features. They provide a range of options from basic to advanced SSL solutions.
• Namecheap: Known for its budget-friendly options, Namecheap sells SSL certificates at competitive prices, catering to small businesses and startups needing cost-effective website security.

A2 Hosting offers reliable domain registration so you can easily bundle your hosting, domain, and SSL costs.

Why Choose a Domain Registrar for SSL?

• Simplifies management of domain and SSL services in one platform.
• Some registrars offer discounts when bundling SSL with other services.
• Often provides a range of SSL options from basic to advanced.

4. SSL Resellers

SSL resellers are companies that partner with major CAs to offer SSL certificates at discounted prices. These platforms allow you to compare prices from different providers, making it easier to find the best deal for your specific needs.

• SSLs.com: SSLs.com resells SSL certificates from reputable CAs such as Sectigo (formerly Comodo), providing options for DV, OV, EV, wildcard, and multi-domain certificates.
• CheapSSLShop: This reseller offers SSL certificates from major CAs like RapidSSL and GeoTrust at heavily discounted prices, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers.
• SSL Store: The SSL Store aggregates certificates from multiple CAs, including Symantec, Comodo, and Thawte, giving you access to a wide variety of SSL types at competitive prices.

Why Choose an SSL Reseller?

• Ability to compare prices from multiple CAs in one place.
• Often lower prices due to discounts and special offers.
• Access to a wide range of SSL certificate types.

5. Free SSL Providers

For those on a tight budget or running smaller websites, free SSL certificates are a great option. While free SSLs typically only offer Domain Validation (DV), they still provide the essential encryption needed for a secure connection. However, free SSL certificates may come with limited features and shorter validity periods, requiring more frequent renewals.

• Let’s Encrypt: Let’s Encrypt is a nonprofit CA that provides free SSL certificates. It’s widely used for securing small websites, blogs, and personal projects, as it supports basic encryption without any costs. Many hosting providers, including A2 Hosting, integrate Let’s Encrypt directly into their control panels, making installation seamless.

Still, there are limitations to consider. Not sure if a free SSL is right for you? See our free SSL vs paid certificate guide to learn the differences and decide which is right for you.

Why Choose Free SSL?

• Ideal for small websites, personal blogs, or testing environments.
• No cost involved, making it accessible to everyone.
• Quick and easy to obtain, often automated through your hosting provider.

Choosing the Right SSL Certificate for Your Needs

When choosing where to buy an SSL certificate, consider your website’s needs:

• For Basic Sites: A free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, or a hosting provider that includes SSL with your hosting package, may be sufficient.
• For eCommerce or Business Sites: Consider purchasing an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority or domain registrar that offers higher validation levels (OV or EV) for increased customer trust.
• For Budget-Conscious Buyers: SSL resellers provide competitive pricing on a variety of certificates, making them a great option for securing your site without overspending.

A2 Hosting offers free SSL digital certificates with all hosting plans. For more protection, we sell Domain Verification, Organization Verification, and Extended Verification certificates.

Reviewing Where to Buy an SSL Certificate?

SSL certificates are available from a variety of sources, each offering different levels of service, support, and validation.

Whether you’re securing a personal blog or an eCommerce site, it’s essential to choose the right SSL certificate and provider to ensure your website’s security and your customers’ trust.

From hosting providers like A2 Hosting to domain registrars and certificate authorities, there’s a wide range of options to suit your needs.

1. Web Hosting Providers: Many hosting companies, such as A2 Hosting, offer SSLs as part of their hosting packages or as standalone purchases. A2 Hosting provides free SSL certificates with their hosting plans, as well as premium options for advanced needs.
2. SSL Certificate Authorities (CAs): Trusted certificate authorities like DigiCert, GlobalSign, and Comodo offer certificates directly. These companies specialize in issuing digital certificates and often provide advanced support for large enterprises.
3. Domain Registrars: Companies where you buy domains, like GoDaddy and Namecheap often sell SSLs alongside domain registration services.
4. SSL Resellers: There are platforms that act as resellers for major CAs, such as SSLs.com, CheapSSLShop, and SSL Store, where you can find competitive prices for various types of SSL certificates.
5. Free SSL Providers: If you’re looking for free SSL certificates, Let’s Encrypt is a widely used, free, automated, and open certificate authority, though it offers only Domain Validation (DV) certificates.

Make sure to select an SSL certificate that meets your security needs, depending on whether you need domain validation (DV), organization validation (OV), or extended validation (EV).

Ready to get started with an SSL? A2 Hosting offers a variety of certificates to fit any need. You can easily add any SSL verification to your existing A2 Hosting account or bundle hosting, SSL, and domain when buying a new plan.

The post Where Do You Buy an SSL Certificate? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

To mitigate these risks, protocols like SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) and FTPS (FTP Secure) have been developed specifically for secure transfers. SFTP relies on the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol to establish a secure connection, while FTPS uses SSL/TLS for encryption. Although SSH itself is not a transfer protocol but rather a protocol for secure network services, it plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of SFTP transactions.

Let’s explore the differences between FTP and SFTP (which uses SSH) and how they ensure your file transfers are secure. This guide will go through the most common protocols used for file transfer and explain why SFTP is preferred over FTPs for its enhanced security features.

What Is Secure File Transfer?

Secure file transfer refers to the process of transferring files from a computer to a remote host in a confidential way that ensures the security of the data. It typically involves encryption methods to protect the file contents from unauthorized access or tampering during transmission. Secure transfer protocols are designed to prevent data breaches, interception, and other security risks that might occur during transit.

Some commonly used secure transfer methods and protocols include:

1. SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol): Uses Secure Shell (SSH) encryption to safely transfer files.
2. FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure): Adds support for SSL/TLS encryption to the traditional FTP protocol.
3. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): Encrypts transfers over the web using SSL/TLS.
4. AS2 (Applicability Statement 2): Used for secure business-to-business file transfers.

These protocols are commonly used in environments where sensitive information such as financial, personal, or business data needs to be protected while being shared between systems, often across the internet.

What Is FTP, and How Does It Work?

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard network transfer protocol used for transferring files between a client and a remote server. It’s a fundamental method for moving files from a local computer to a hosting account, making them accessible to the public. In this example, the client is your computer and the server is your hosting company’s web server.

When you use FTP, you start by connecting to a server using an FTP client. Once connected, you can upload files from your local computer to the server. These files are then accessible on your hosting account, allowing them to be shared or made available on a website.

However, FTP has inherent security vulnerabilities because it lacks encryption. This means data, including usernames and passwords, is transferred in plain text. Some of the key security risks include:

• Packet Sniffing: Hackers can intercept and read the data packets being transmitted, gaining access to sensitive information.
• Brute Force Attacks: Attackers can repeatedly attempt to guess your password, especially if it’s weak.
• Anonymous FTP Vulnerabilities: Allowing anonymous FTP can open up your server to unauthorized access.
• Port Stealing: Attackers can hijack your FTP session by taking control of the port used for the connection.

Despite its security weaknesses, FTP is still used in some scenarios due to its lower overhead than SFTP. For example, FTP’s lack of encryption means it can transfer files faster because there’s no added processing for encryption and decryption. However, for sensitive data transfers, the security benefits of SFTP generally outweigh the performance advantage of FTP.

FTP struggles to comply with modern security standards and regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These regulations require significant data protection measures, which FTP cannot provide.

Our general advice is that standard FTP is not worth the risk. If you do need to use FTP, only transfer non-sensitive data.

What Is FTPS, and How Does It Work?

FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure) is an extension of the standard File Transfer Protocol (FTP) that adds support for secure encryption using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security). It ensures that the file transfers between a client and a server are encrypted, protecting the data from being intercepted or tampered with during transit.

FTPS establishes a secure, encrypted connection between the client and the server using SSL/TLS. There are two modes of FTPS, explicit and implicit, which differ in how they initiate the secure connection.

In explicit FTPS, the client initiates a connection to the server on the standard FTP port (port 21) and then explicitly requests that the server upgrade the connection to an encrypted one using SSL/TLS. This mode allows the server to support both encrypted and unencrypted FTP sessions, making it more flexible.

In implicit FTPS, security is enforced from the very beginning. The client connects to the server on a different port (usually port 990), and the server automatically expects an encrypted connection using SSL/TLS. Implicit FTPS is less common than explicit FTPS and is considered outdated by some standards.

Benefits of FTPS:

• Encryption and Security: FTPS uses SSL/TLS to encrypt both control and data channels, protecting sensitive information such as login credentials and file contents.
• Authentication: FTPS supports various authentication methods, including username/password and SSL/TLS certificates, for both server and optional client authentication.
• Compatibility: FTPS maintains compatibility with the traditional FTP command set, making it easier for legacy systems to adopt secure file transfers without major changes.
• Compliance: FTPS is often used in environments where regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS) requires secure data transfer methods.

Challenges of FTPS:

• Complex Firewall Configuration: FTPS uses multiple ports—one for the control connection (port 21 or 990) and a range of ports for data connections. This can make it difficult to configure firewalls, as the server and client need to open and close ports dynamically for file transfers.
• Not Always Standardized: There is variability between how different FTPS servers and clients implement features like SSL/TLS encryption and client certificates, which can lead to compatibility issues.
• Support for Plain FTP: Some FTPS servers allow fallback to plain FTP (unencrypted), which could pose a security risk if not properly configured.

FTPS might be a good choice for organizations needing to meet regulatory requirements for secure data transfer, particularly when using legacy FTP systems. However, it may require more complex firewall configurations due to its use of multiple ports for control and data channels.

What Is SFTP, and How Does It Work?

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a secure transfer protocol that provides encryption and data integrity for transfers over a network. It is part of the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol suite and is primarily used to transfer files securely between a local and a remote system or between two remote systems.

Similar to FTP, SFTP operates by using SSH to establish a secure connection between a client and a server. Once this connection is established, all commands and data transfers are encrypted, ensuring confidentiality and data integrity during the transfer.

Benefits of SFTP Over FTP and FTPS:

• Security: SFTP provides strong encryption, ensuring that files are not exposed during transit. The use of SSH for both authentication and encryption adds an extra layer of protection.
• Data Integrity: SFTP ensures that the data sent between the client and server remains intact and unaltered during the transfer process.
• Firewall-Friendly: Unlike FTP or FTPS, SFTP only requires a single port (port 22), which simplifies firewall and network configuration.
• Comprehensive File Management: In addition to transferring files, SFTP supports other file management tasks, making it more versatile than simpler protocols like FTP.
• Wide Adoption: SFTP is widely supported by many operating systems and applications, making it a popular secure file transfer solution.

SFTP is a secure and efficient method for transferring and managing files across networks, commonly used in modern systems where security and data integrity are critical. We recommend SFTP in any situation but strongly encourage using it when transferring sensitive, personal, or confidential data.

The Role of SSH and SFTP in Secure File Transfer

Secure Shell is primarily a protocol for secure system administration and network services. It has the capability to tunnel other protocols, such as FTP, or to facilitate file transfers through SFTP or SCP (Secure Copy Protocol).

SSH provides secure, encrypted communication between two untrusted hosts over an insecure network. This encryption ensures that all data exchanged between the client and server is protected from interception and tampering. The encryption used by SSH covers both the data and the session, ensuring a high level of security and integrity.

SFTP, on the other hand, is a secure alternative to FTP that leverages SSH to provide data protection during transfers.

SFTP is not simply a newer version of FTP; it is a completely different protocol built on the SSH protocol.

It provides a high level of security by default, encrypting the session, the commands, and the data. This encryption protects against data interception and common network security risks, such as packet sniffing and brute force attacks, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of the transferred files.

Over time, SFTP has replaced FTP as the preferred protocol for secure transfers. This shift is largely due to SFTP’s great security features, like strong encryption and versatile authentication methods, such as private keys or traditional usernames and passwords. On top of this, SFTP uses a single channel for both command and data transfer, which enhances its security by reducing the number of points vulnerable to attack.

For example, when transferring sensitive company data, using SFTP ensures that both the commands to transfer the files and the files themselves are encrypted, protecting against unauthorized access. This is particularly important for businesses that need to comply with strict data protection regulations.

A2 Hosting supports both SSH and FTP across all its hosting plans, addressing various security and performance needs.

• SSH Capabilities: A2 Hosting provides SSH access that supports command line and SSH File Transfer protocols. This ensures that all data transferred is encrypted and secure, giving you peace of mind when managing your server and transferring files.
• FTP Capabilities: With A2 Hosting, you get extensive FTP capabilities that support basic FTP and its more secure alternatives, FTPS and SFTP. While basic FTP is usually available for tasks that don’t require high security, like transferring non-sensitive files, we recommend using FTPS or SFTP whenever possible.

On top of that, our user-friendly interface makes managing FTP accounts simple. We support popular FTP clients like FileZilla, making it easy to transfer files to and from your server. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to website management, our tools are designed to help you do the job efficiently.

From secure transfer protocols to robust threat protection and virus scans, all of our Web Hosting Plans include security features to protect your data and ensure hassle-free data transfers.

The post What Is Secure File Transfer? Understanding SSH, FTPS, and SFTP appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What Is Jetpack?

Jetpack for WordPress is a suite of plugins developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. Originally marketed as an essential all-in-one solution, Jetpack is now a family of plugins designed to enhance the performance, security, marketing, and management of WordPress websites.

1. Security: Jetpack includes several essential features to keep your site secure, including malware scans and brute force attack protection.
2. Performance: It also helps optimize your site’s speed and efficiency by using a content delivery network (CDN) and cashing options to reduce server load.
3. Marketing: Jetpack includes tools that help with your search engine optimization (SEO) and sharing your content on the most popular social networks. More advanced tools allow you to manage your relationships with customers.

Other features include downtime monitoring, plugin management, email marketing integrations, contact forms, WordPress design tools for related posts, galleries, and slideshows, and more.

The plugin is designed to be easy to use, with a user-friendly interface that even beginners can navigate. Whether you need to adjust settings, monitor performance, or manage site security, Jetpack’s interface simplifies these tasks.

Jetpack offers both free and premium plans. The free plans include basic features, while the premium plans offer more robust and powerful features. These premium plans are available al la carte or in bundles.

Why Use Jetpack for WordPress?

Jetpack for WordPress is a versatile and powerful plugin that offers a wide range of benefits for website owners. From enhanced security and performance optimization to easy site management and SEO tools, Jetpack can be an invaluable asset for your WordPress site.

By combining these diverse functionalities into one plugin, Jetpack reduces the need for multiple plugins, simplifying your WordPress setup while enhancing performance, security, and site management.

Whether you’re just starting out or managing a large site, Jetpack is a tool worth considering for your WordPress toolkit. Here is a list of advantages to using Jetpack for WordPress:

1. Improve Site Security

Jetpack offers robust security features that protect your WordPress site from cyber threats. It includes protection against brute force attacks by blocking malicious IP addresses, automated spam filtering for comments and forms, and malware scanning. These features ensure that your site remains secure from both automated attacks and malicious users. The basic features are included with the free version, or you can upgrade to more advanced security protection with the Jetpack Security bundle.

2. Optimize WordPress Performance

Jetpack helps improve your site’s performance in several ways. The plugin includes a Content Delivery Network (CDN) that speeds up image loading times, a significant factor in reducing page load times. The free tier includes basic performance features, but you need to add the performance package or upgrade to the top tier to take advantage of all the features.

3. Streamline Marketing

The plugin also features a number of tools that can help increase traffic and streamline your marketing. It allows you to quickly and easily share your content on major social media sites. The performance optimization features can improve your SEO, leading to better placement in search engine results and more web traffic. The premium version includes customer relationship management (CRM) features that allow you to track and manage your customer relationships. Certain features are included in the free plan, while others require a premium package.

4. Back Up Your Site

Jetpack offers automated backups to keep you safe in case a disaster strikes. The backups allow you to easily roll back your site or even migrate to a hosting company. These backups are stored securely, and you can quickly restore your site to its previous state. The backup features are included in the premium plans.

5. Monitor Traffic and Site Growth

Jetpack includes built-in tools for monitoring website traffic and performance. It provides insights into visitor behavior, popular content, and traffic sources, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve your site. Moreover, features like automated social media sharing can help increase traffic by promoting your content across popular social networks. Basic traffic data and statistics are included in the free plan, but the premium plan includes more features.

6. Add Video to WordPress Sites

WordPress does not natively support video uploads, but Jetpack allows you to embed them into your site without relying on YouTube or Vimeo. You can now display video content without ads and even brand your video player to match your site and theme. Jetpack free allows you to embed one video. To add more videos, you need to add the video package separately or upgrade to the top-tier bundle.

Who Should Use Jetpack?

Jetpack is a versatile and relatively easy-to-use plugin that can benefit almost any WordPress user. That said, here is who will likely get the most value out of Jetpack:

WordPress Beginners

Jetpack is user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that makes it easy for beginners to add powerful features to their site without needing advanced technical skills. For those just starting, Jetpack offers a comprehensive set of tools (security, performance, design, etc.) in one package, reducing the need to install multiple plugins.

Bloggers and Content Creators

Bloggers can benefit from features like related posts and social media integration, which help increase reader engagement and grow their audience. Plus, the built-in analytics provide insights into what performs the best, helping you decide what type of content to focus on. And you can always add the paid Creator feature to make monetizing your content easier.

Small Business Owners

There are plenty of free features that make Jetpack a great option for small businesses. However, you may need to add paid features separately as you scale your business. Consider Jetpack Stats, VaultPress Backup, Boost, or the Security bundle if you are just starting out. CRM Entrepreneur or the Complete bundle are better suited to more established businesses looking to scale.

eCommerce Websites

Most eCommerce websites will benefit from Jetpack’s free features. The Boost or Creator plans will help you grow and can make monetizing your website easier. As you grow, you may find the Security or Complete bundles more cost-effective.

Agencies

While we have mainly focused on the needs of single users or small companies, Jetpack does offer agency pricing for anyone who manages multiple sites. Not only can it help improve your workflows, but you also get volume discounts, referral commissions, premium support, and more.

Is Jetpack Worth the Cost?

Unfortunately, only you can decide if the cost of Jetpack premium services are worth the added costs. The main advantage is that it uses the same streamlined dashboard, giving you a consistent experience. Most of the features are easy to use, no matter how technical you are.

Considering that the basic plugin is free, it might be a good place to start before upgrading to any paid tool. That said, there are many other plugins available that offer similar features. Some are free, some less expensive than Jetpack, and others are more expensive.

However, you should also test other free plugins as well to see what works best for you. Look at how easy they are to use, how they fit into your workflow, and whether the plugin positively impacts your website performance and traffic.

If you are paying for hosting services already, make sure you review the included features before buying Jetpack. Even if you do still need to add premium features from Jetpack or a similar plugin, this can save you from paying for duplicate features and services.

How Do You Install Jetpack?

Installing Jetpack for WordPress is extremely simple.

1. Log in to WordPress Admin: Access your WordPress dashboard by logging into your site.
2. Go to Plugins: In the left-hand menu, navigate to “Plugins” and click “Add New.”
3. Search for Jetpack: In the search bar, type “Jetpack by WordPress.com.”
4. Install and Activate: Click “Install Now” next to the Jetpack plugin, then activate it.

Once installed, you may need to take a few extra steps to configure the plugin.

As simple as that is, it’s important to remember that Jetpack is a family of plugins. Depending on your needs, you may need to install more than one plugin.

For example, most of the performance features fall under the Jetpack Boost plugin, while Jetpack Social is specifically for social management and sharing.

As with regular Jetpack, these additional plugins come in free and paid versions.

How to Install Jetpack on Your A2 Hosting Site

You can use Jetpack for WordPress if you are already an A2 Hosting customer. Simply log in to your MyA2 dashboard and choose the specific WordPress site you want to manage. Then complete the steps outlined above. If you have a question or need help installing Jetpack, submit a support ticket or use the support chat. Our Guru Crew support team is here 24/7/365 to answer questions and help with any issues.

You can seamlessly integrate Jetpack for WordPress with all of A2 Hosting’s plans.

If you are an existing customer, you can easily install the app for free through your WordPress dashboard and take advantage of any of the basic features. To unlock the premium features, you can upgrade to the paid features directly through Jetpack.

However, remember to check the details of your A2 Hosting plan first. We include many similar features in our Shared Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting plans. TurboHub, our exclusive WordPress control panel, includes many of the same features as Jetpack but without the added cost.

New customers can sign up today and quickly install or activate WordPress with or without the Jetpack plugin.

Hero Photo by Negative Space / Pexels

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At its most basic, SSL is a security feature that helps protect data as it travels across the Internet. Websites use an SSL certificate to verify they are using the proper safety protocols.

From why they are important to how they impact your security and SEO performance, let’s explain what SSL is and why an SSL certificate is important for your website.

What Is SSL?

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol that establishes an encrypted connection between a user’s web browser and a web server. This encryption ensures that any data transmitted between the two is private and secure. SSL specifically protects login credentials, credit card information, or personal details that cyber thieves are after.

SSL was first developed in the mid-1990s to provide a secure way for websites to communicate with users. Over time, SSL has evolved, and its successor, TLS (Transport Layer Security), has become the standard for secure communication on the Internet. Despite the shift to TLS, the term “SSL” is still commonly used to describe these certificates.

Transport Layer Security and SSL create a secure session for website visitors. This ensures that all of the data transferred during that session — the period of time the visitor is on a given website — is encrypted. This encryption is especially important during online transactions when customers are providing personal data like credit care numbers.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate or SSL cert is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. When you visit a website with an SSL certificate, your browser can trust that the site is legitimate and that any information you share is protected.

An SSL certificate works by binding a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. When a browser attempts to connect to a secure site, the SSL certificate provides the necessary keys to establish a secure connection. This process, known as the SSL handshake, happens almost instantaneously, ensuring that data can be exchanged securely without any noticeable delay.

Also, certificates are only valid for a specific period of time, typically one, two, or three years. You then need to renew your SSL before the period ends to continue your protection. Some services may also offer monthly payments with automatic renewals.

Your certificate expires for two reasons. First, it limits the risk that it is compromised. Although rare, it is possible that cybercriminals could crack your encryption key. And as soon as they have the key, they can access all the data you think is secure.

And second, SSL and TSL are constantly evolving to address new security threats and improve encryption standards. Basically, a 10 to 20-year-old certificate wouldn’t protect you from modern security threats. So, regular SSL cert renewals ensure that your website is using the latest security technologies, keeping your website – and visitors – safe from potential vulnerabilities.

Types of SSL Certificates

There are several types of SSL certs that provide different levels of protection. While A2 Hosting recommends that all websites use SSL, not everyone needs the same level of certification. Here are the types of SSL certificates and who should use them:

1. Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates: These are the most basic type, verifying that the certificate owner controls the domain. DV certificates are meant for websites that do not collect personal information, have a visitor login, or sell products directly from the site.
2. Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificates: These require more extensive validation, including verification of the organization’s identity. Any website that needs a higher level of customer trust or that operates small eCommerce stores should use OV certificates.
3. Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates: These offer the highest level of trust, displaying a green address bar in the browser to indicate that the site is highly secure. EV certificates offer the highest level of protection and a best suited to large eCommerce sites, banking institutions, and companies that need the highest security.
4. Wildcard SSL Certificates: These cover a domain and all its subdomains, making them ideal for sites with multiple subdomains. Wildcard certificates are specialty SSLs that are used if you have multiple subdomains like blog.yourwebsite.com, sales.yourwebsite.com, etc.
5. Multi-Domain SSL Certificates: These secure multiple domains with a single certificate, useful for businesses with several different sites. Another specialty SSL cert that protects companies or organizations that operate several different websites.

Understanding Free and Paid SSLs

When it comes to Transport Layer Security and SSLs, there are both free and paid options. In most cases, free SSLs offer domain verification (DV) for basic security protection. This is likely enough protection for personal or hobby websites, but most businesses need additional protection – which requires a paid SSL.

A2 Hosting offers free DV SSL Certificates with automatic renewals for most plans. Our team sets up the SSL and keeps it current to ensure you have basic DV-level protection. We also offer a variety of paid SSL options for advanced encryption and security.

We have a detailed article that further explains the differences between free and paid SSLs.

Why Do Websites Need SSL Certificates?

While security is often the biggest reason to use SSL, there are actually several advantages to getting a certificate for your website.

Improve Security

The most common reason to use SSL certificates is to protect sensitive data from being intercepted by malicious parties. Without SSL, data sent between the user’s browser and the web server is transmitted in plain text, making it vulnerable to interception by hackers. SSL encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read or used by unauthorized individuals.

SSL certificates also prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, where an attacker intercepts and alters the data between the user and the website. By ensuring that the data cannot be tampered with during transmission, SSL certificates maintain the integrity of the information exchanged.

Trust and Credibility

SSL certificates also play a critical role in building trust with users. When a website has an SSL certificate, browsers display a padlock icon in the address bar, signaling to users that their connection is secure. This visible sign of security can significantly boost user confidence, making them more likely to engage with the site, complete transactions, and share personal information.

Conversely, websites without SSL certificates are flagged as “Not Secure” by browsers like Google Chrome. This warning can deter visitors and damage a website’s credibility.

Improves SEO

In addition to security and trust, SSL certificates offer SEO (search engine optimizations) benefits. Google has made SSL a ranking factor, meaning that websites with SSL certificates may receive a boost in search engine rankings. This makes SSL not only a security measure but also a key component of any website’s SEO strategy.

Legal and Compliance Requirements

Many industry regulations, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), require websites that handle sensitive information to use SSL certificates. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in severe penalties, making SSL certificates a legal necessity for certain types of websites.

How to Obtain and Install SSL For Your Website

Choosing the Right SSL Certificate

The first step in securing your website with SSL is choosing the right type of certificate. Consider your website’s needs—whether you need to secure a single domain, multiple domains, or subdomains—and select a certificate accordingly.

A2 Hosting recommends DV certs for websites that do not collect user data, OV certificates for businesses and organizations that need more advanced protection and credibility, and EV SSL certificates for any website that sells products or allows users to create accounts and publish content.

Review our types of SSL certificates article for more information about choosing the right one for your needs.

How To Obtain an SSL Certificate

There are several ways to obtain an SSL certificate, but these are the most common and reliable options for increasing your website’s trust and security:

• Purchase from a Trusted Certificate Authority (CA): You can purchase SSL certificates directly from a certificate authority, which includes companies like Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, GlobalSign, and IdenTrust, among others. However, you do need to work with your hosting company to install your SSL.
• Purchase from a Hosting Company: Another option for getting your SSL cert is through your hosting company. They partner directly with one or more CAs, allowing you to bundle your services. As an added benefit, they also streamline the SSL setup process.
• Purchase from a Domain Registrar: Like hosting companies, many domain name registrars also partner with a CA to offer certificates. While this does allow you to bundle your services, you still need to work with your hosting provider to set up your SSL cert.

Less common options are to buy SSL certs from resellers or through website plugins, apps, or software. A2 Hosting strongly recommends buying from a reputable source and working with your hosting provider to set up and install your SSL.

At best, cutting corners or adding unnecessary layers of support will make troubleshooting issues more frustrating. And at worst, they can seriously compromise your site security.

A2 Hosting offers SSL certificates through DigiCert and their subsidiaries RapidSSL and GeoTrust. We have a range of SSL options to fit your budget and security needs.

Installation Process

After obtaining the certificate, you’ll need to install it on your web server. The exact steps vary depending on your hosting provider and server configuration, but most hosts offer guides or support to help with installation.

If you purchase your SSL through A2 Hosting, our 24/7/365 Guru Crew support team is here to help you install your certificate. We also have extensive SSL installation documentation in the A2 Knowledgebase if you purchase your certificate from another source.

Renewal

As mentioned above, you must periodically renew your SSL certificates, typically every one to two years. Most certificate authorities, hosting companies, and domain registrars offer automated renewal, ensuring that your site remains secure without manual intervention.

A2 Hosting offers automatic SSL renewals to ensure you have the protection you need. Your SSL will renew based on the original term period for your certificate.

Common Misconceptions About What SSL Is and How Certificates Work

SSL vs. TLS

A common misconception is that SSL and TLS are different protocols. In reality, TLS is the successor to SSL, offering enhanced security features. However, the term “SSL” is still widely used in website hosting and Internet security, which can lead to some confusion.

SSL Certificates and Performance

Some website owners worry that SSL certificates will slow down their website. While SSL does introduce a small amount of overhead due to encryption, modern servers and browsers handle this efficiently, making any performance impact negligible.

An SSL certificate is an important part of keeping your website safe and secure for visitors. It protects sensitive data like passwords and credit card information and plays a key role in building trust with visitors and improving your SEO rankings.

With the increasing emphasis on online security and privacy, SSL is not just a nice-to-have feature—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re running a small blog or a large eCommerce site, an SSL certificate is essential for your success. If you don’t already have an SSL cert, now is the time to get one.

If you are an existing A2 Hosting customer, you probably already have a basic DV SSL certificate as part of your hosting plan. New customers also get the same entry-level certificate with new plans.

However, we also offer several other options for SSL certs so you can customize your security protection. Existing customers can upgrade through your MyA2 dashboard. New customers can add enhanced DV, OV, EV, and Wildcard SSL certificates to their hosting plan when checking out.

Hero Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

The post What Is SSL and Which Certificate Is Right for You? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

But TurboHub, our exclusive dashboard for WordPress sites, gives you a snapshot of your security status and makes detecting vulnerabilities and updating your protection as easy as one click.

Whether you take care of your own website or are an agency or web developer who manages dozens of sites, TurboHub makes reviewing security status and making the necessary updates a breeze.

Advanced WordPress Security From One Easy-To-Use Dashboard

The TurboHub security tab is the fastest and easiest way to keep your site safe. Whether you manage one website or 1,000, it is vital for monitoring site health and security.

Loaded with features to keep you secure, you can quickly review potential threats in one convenient place. Verify your SSL certificates, make sure malware detection and proactive defenses are enabled, and review potential threats.

Plus, TurboHub recommends actions to eliminate security vulnerabilities. From salt key status to inactive plugins or themes, you can take immediate action directly from the control panel. In most cases, you can enhance your security with one click.

What Is TurboHub?

TurboHub is A2 Hosting’s exclusive control panel for WordPress sites. Designed to make managing and protecting WordPress sites easier, it offers comprehensive metrics about the performance, health, and security of your websites.

Improve your efficiency and workflow by reviewing all of your A2 Hosting WordPress sites in one place. Easily view current performance and security snapshots, review recommendations, and make improvements and updates across all of your sites.

TurboHub Security Features

WordPress site security is one of the core features of the TurboHub control panel. From proactive defense to security best practices, it puts the top security features at your fingertips.

SSL Status & Proactive Defense

When it comes to website security, you need to be proactive. TurboHub’s SSL status and proactive defense indicators ensure your SSL certificate is valid and your malware and proactive security defense are active.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is the industry standard in data encryption for information transferred between a web server and a web browser. It protects online transactions and personal information, ensuring data privacy over the Internet.

A valid SSL certificate tells web browsers – and your customers – that your website follows SSL protocols for secure data transfer, keeping them safe.

Malware and proactive security defenses protect your website against malicious attacks that can hijack your website or steal customer data.

Advanced Website Hosting Protection

TurboHub allows you to instantly validate the status of your firewall and DDoS and brute force protection. These ensure you are safe against attacks designed to gain access to your web server.

A firewall is a digital barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your sites from cyber threats. When active, they block malicious traffic based on predefined security rules.

Reinforced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection prevents malicious attempts to attack your website and take them offline. DDoS attacks use multiple compromised computer systems to slow down or even crash websites, preventing access to legitimate users.

Brute force protection shields against relentless attacks attempting to log into your system. Attackers will systematically try to guess passwords, encryption keys, or other secret information. Brute force attacks are typically automated, allowing them to rapidly test millions of combinations.

A2 Recommended Actions

TurboHub also includes a number of A2 Hosting recommended security actions, like locking editing abilities on plugins and themes or bcrypt password hashing. These recommendations improve your overall website security, lowering the risk that hackers can access your site data.

Common recommendations include:

• Locking the editing for plugins and themes from WP Admin to prevent the misuse of built-in editing capabilities for malicious purposes.
• Deny direct access to configuration files to block bots and web users from directly accessing and potentially exploiting WordPress config files.
• Remove old wp-config.php backups to eliminate unnecessary files with potentially sensitive information.
• Use bcrypt password hashing for a more secure password storing and hashing method.
• Disable XML-RPC services to close a possible entryway a hacker could exploit your site.

You can easily toggle these options on or off from the TurboHub security panel to fit your security needs and keep your website data safe.

Best Security Practices

TurboHub also analyzes your website to ensure you are following the best security practices. You can identify potential vulnerabilities at a glance and take action to secure your sites. Simply review the recommended security updates and follow the instructions to implement these improvements.

When necessary, TurboHub will recommend the following actions:

• Regenerate salt key passwords to protect your account even if your login cookies are compromised.
• Check for and remove insecure SQL backups and files that could be accessed by hackers.
• Reduce potential vulnerabilities and improve site performance by removing unused plugins and unused WordPress themes.

Just follow the steps associated with each best practice to protect your site.

More TurboHub Features Coming Soon

Committed to the fastest and most reliable hosting solutions, A2 Hosting developed TurboHub to streamline WordPress site performance and management.

From personal sites and hobby projects to agencies and developers managing client sites, it offers features that simplest updates and makes everyone a performance and security expert.

But we aren’t done yet. We have an exciting lineup of advancements that will enhance your workflow and your websites.

A2 Intelligent Performance

Optimize your site’s performance with the power of AI. A2 Intelligent Performance monitors critical performance indicators to keep your site performing at its best. Easily review the data and make the most informed decisions about your site’s speed and reliability.

A2 AI Assistant Inside WordPress

Launch new websites quickly and easily with our AI co-pilot. Exclusive to TurboHub, our A2 AI Assistant for WordPress writes content, generates images, and can even design page layouts. Trained on WordPress help documentation, it will answer common questions and help you get the most out of your WordPress site.

Enhanced Staging

Our upcoming enhanced staging feature makes developing, testing, and deploying website updates a snap. This robust tub maximizes compatibility by recording changes on both staging and live sites. And the advanced 2-way sync ensures changes are mirrored in both environments.

Enhance Your Website Security With TurboHub

Enhance site security and improve your site performance with TurboHub for WordPress from A2 Hosting. Quickly review potential security risks and easily make improvements to protect your website. Streamline your WordPress site management today. TurboHub is available on all A2 Hosting WordPress hosting plans.

The post WordPress Security Made Easy With TurboHub appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Our Legacy of Speed and Performance

At A2 Hosting, we have built a strong reputation in the web hosting industry as leaders in speed and performance. Our commitment to providing the fastest, most reliable hosting solutions has always been our top priority. And that is why we developed TurboHub. It not only helps speed up site performance, but it also streamlines managing your WordPress sites.

What is TurboHub?

TurboHub is our state-of-the-art WordPress control panel that makes WordPress sites faster than ever! It’s an essential tool that allows individual site owners to improve performance, site health, and security. And the multi-site dashboard simplifies the workflow for agencies and developers. From a single control panel, you can monitor and maintain all of your sites, creating a seamless and more efficient WordPress experience.

Features of TurboHub

Site Performance Optimizations

TurboHub’s comprehensive metrics help you gain in-depth insights into your site’s performance. It highlights top recommendations and allows for one-click changes to boost performance.

Single-Click Multi-Site Management

Managing multiple WordPress sites has never been easier. With TurboHub, you can see all your sites from a single location, making updates and performance checks a breeze. This is particularly valuable for agencies and developers handling numerous client sites.

Site Health Monitoring

Keep your websites in peak condition with our site health monitoring tool! This is perfect for agencies and site owners with multiple websites and gives you an at-a-glance view of a site’s status to help you maintain smooth and secure operations effortlessly. Monitoring and maintaining multiple sites has never been easier!

Security Vulnerability

Through our partnership with Patchstack, we also alert you to high-priority plugin vulnerabilities so your site is never at risk. With the ability to see site risk at a glance, it helps you keep everything running smoothly and securely.

Other features to enhance your WordPress experience:

• Quick access to all of your WordPress sites.
• Grant access to users managing your account or request access to sites you manage for others.
• Automate plugin updates for each site.
• Site notes to enable easy communication between team members or companies.
• Quick access to databases, files, and email.
• Status information that lets you know your sites are online and running, including SSL, domain, and nameserver status.
• Ability to hide sites from search engines while under construction.
• Ability to place sites in maintenance mode during edits.

How Do I Get TurboHub?

TurboHub is now available free for all WordPress sites on our Managed WordPress, Managed VPS, and Shared plans. By choosing one of our plans, you instantly gain access to TurboHub and can start experiencing the benefits of a faster, more efficient WordPress site. TurboHub can be conveniently accessed through your MyA2 panel.

Don’t have an A2 plan, take advantage of our low prices and get started with TurboHub today!

Stay Tuned for More

TurboHub is constantly growing and evolving. We have an exciting roadmap ahead of us with many new features and improvements planned! At A2 we are dedicated to providing our users with the best tools available, and we encourage you to stay tuned for future updates on how TurboHub can help speed up and secure your website.

What’s Next for TurboHub?

A few items on our TurboHub roadmap that will help us achieve our goal of providing WordPress professionals with fast setup, fast websites, and fast support:

• A2 Intelligent Performance – Leverages advanced AI technology to automatically optimize your site’s performance. Easily monitor load times, uptime, and other critical performance indicators to ensure your site is always performing at its best. This will help you make informed decisions to continuously improve your site’s speed and reliability.
• A2 AI assistant inside WordPress – Helps you write content, generate images, and answer common WordPress questions.
• Enhanced Staging – Records changes to staging or live sites and lets them be pushed live or pulled back to staging.

Get started with an A2 Hosting plan today and get access to this new amazing tool and enhance your WordPress experience!

The post Introducing TurboHub – Transform Your WordPress Experience appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Fortunately, there are many ways to protect your website from the threat of malware and other cybersecurity issues. Many hosting providers enable customers to configure a range of site security settings using the popular Linux control dashboard cPanel.

In this post, we’ll explain what website security is and why it’s important. We’ll also provide seven actionable tips that you can use to improve your site security and protect your website with cPanel. Ready? Let’s get started!

Why Protecting Your Website Is Important

It takes time and money to create a high-quality website for your business. However, without the right level of security, you could be putting your site at risk.

According to cybersecurity statistics published by Forbes, one in three Americans have been a victim of ransomware attacks, and only five percent of companies ensure that their folders are properly protected.  That’s why it’s so important for site owners to take steps to secure their websites on a regular basis.

However, although protecting against cybercrime is one of the main benefits of maintaining good site security protocols, there are also some other benefits, including:

• It helps to keep your employees safe. In the same way that your website can be at risk of malware attacks, your workers can be too. Viruses can pass from device to device. Therefore, if your site becomes infected, the devices your team members use to access the site may become compromised too.
• It can prevent your website from going down. Site owners should aim for as little website downtime as possible. Good cybersecurity measures can help you achieve this. By putting protective measures in place before attacks happen, you can prevent malware from causing issues that make you take your site offline to fix them.
• It can inspire confidence in your customers. For online businesses, reputation is everything, even when it comes to your website. By following good cybersecurity protocols and sharing this with your customers, you can help them feel safe and secure when using your site.

Next, we’ll take a look at cPanel, a commonly used control panel for WordPress sites. You can use it to make your website more secure without investing in any expensive plugins.

A Brief Introduction to cPanel

cPanel is a control application that enables you to carry out server tasks for your WordPress website:

It isn’t the only application of this type available, but it’s the most commonly used Linux control panel. cPanel provides users with an easy-to-use interface for carrying out essential server-side maintenance tasks, including:

• File management
• Database management
• Email management
• Site backups

It can make your site easier to manage due to its automated processes and 24/7 support team. As such, it could be worth considering if you’re looking to save time and effort on your website management.

There are also several ways in which you can use cPanel to enhance cybersecurity. Next, we’ll take a look at some of the things you can do to protect your website with this application.

How to Protect Your Website With cPanel (7 Essential Tips)

There are many site security plugins that you can use to enhance your cybersecurity. However, many of these are premium plugins that aren’t available for free. By using cPanel, you can secure your website using tools already at your disposal, so you don’t have to spend a penny. Here are our top seven tips for protecting your website with cPanel.

1.  Update cPanel Regularly

Outdated elements on your website can lead to serious vulnerabilities. This is also true for cPanel. If it isn’t up to date, you could be leaving your site open to attacks and breaches.

Additionally, you could be missing out on access to new security features by using an outdated version. Updates are used to fix bugs, add new features, and improve the security of cPanel. As such, it could be a good idea to ensure that you are always using the latest version of the software.

The good news is that keeping cPanel up to date is fairly easy. Depending on your hosting package, you may not need to manually update it at all, as the system administrators may take care of it for you.

If you do need to update it manually, start by logging into WebHost Manager (WHM). In the upper right corner of the main WHM screen, you should be able to see the current version of cPanel you’re running:

If a new version is available, you’ll also see a box just underneath this giving you the option to Update Now. All you have to do is click on this and wait for it to finish upgrading (it might take a while). Note that the Update Now box isn’t visible in the image above, as we’re currently already running the latest stable build.

2. Choose Strong Passwords and Regularly Update Them

It’s imperative to ensure that all of your site entry points are protected by strong passwords. Without secure passwords in place, seasoned cybercriminals can easily infiltrate your site and install malware.

Thankfully, with cPanel, it’s easy for you to reset your password. It even comes with a password generator to help you protect your site using strong credentials. To keep your site as safe as possible, it’s recommended that you change all passwords on a regular basis. Configuring them around once a month is usually sufficient.

To change your cPanel password, log in and head to the Preferences tab, then click on Passwords and Security:

Next, you’ll be prompted to input your old password, as well as your new updated password. You’ll also see a score that tells you how weak or strong your credentials are. If your chosen password is too weak, you might want to click on Password Generator instead. This will automatically generate a new, stronger login:

Once you’ve done that, copy the generated password and paste it into the New Password field. Also, be sure to save it in a secure location that you can access in case you forget it and need a reminder.

When you’re ready, click on Save Password Now! Once you’ve done that, your update should be complete, and you can start using your new credentials.

3. Password Protect Your Vulnerable Directories

In addition to having a strong password for your cPanel account, it’s equally important to password protect your vulnerable directories. Doing this in cPanel enables you to limit access to certain content for specific users.

Once you’ve added password protection to a directory, your site will prompt visitors to enter a username and password in their web browsers before they can access it. This helps to keep sensitive content secure from unauthorized access.

To add password protection to a directory, start by logging into cPanel. Next, scroll down to the Files section and click on Directory Privacy:

Here, you should be able to see a list of all your directories. Click on Edit next to the name of the folder you want to protect. On the next page, tick the box next to the text that says Password protect this directory. Then, type in a name for the protected directory below and click on Save:

Once you’ve done that, you should see a brief ‘success’ message. Click on Go Back, then enter a Username and Password in the appropriate text boxes, and then click on Save.

Note: You can also automatically generate a strong password by clicking on the Password Generator button:

If you ever want to remove the password protection, repeat the steps above to navigate to the directory again. Then, clear the Password protect this directory checkbox.

4. Enable cPHulk Brute-Force Protection

cPHulk is another useful service provided by cPanel that helps to protect your server against brute force attacks. These attacks involve an attacker using an automated system to attempt to guess your username and passwords by repeatedly trying different combinations in rapid succession.

Using cPHulk through cPanel will enable you to block the IP address or accounts exhibiting suspicious behavior automatically. This prevents attackers from carrying out any further attempts to log in, thus preventing them from gaining unauthorized access and installing malware on your site.

To enable CPHulk Brite-Force protection, you’ll first need to log in to WHM. From there, navigate to Security Center in the left-hand sidebar, and click on cPHulk Brute Force Protection:

Next, you can toggle the button to ON to enable cPHulk protection:

Once it’s enabled, you can tweak the Configuration Settings. For example, you can specify how many failed login attempts are required to lock IP addresses out, and how long they should be locked out for. Once you’re done making changes, click on Save:

Note that aside from Configuration Settings, several other tabs are available on this page: Whitelist Management, Blacklist Management, and History Reports.

You can whitelist and blacklist certain IP addresses manually by navigating to the appropriate tab. This is useful in certain circumstances. For example, it may be a good idea to whitelist your own IP to avoid a lockout from your server.

If you ever need to see a log of what actions cPHulk has taken, you can do so by clicking on the History Reports tab.

5. Protect Against Hotlinking

Hotlinking (sometimes called ‘direct linking’) refers to when another website links out directly to content hosted on your website, such as image files. When visitors to their website load the page, your site serves the image files they see. This allows the other website to effectively ‘steal’ your bandwidth and use it to show pictures to their visitors.

Naturally, this is something you’ll probably want to avoid. Fortunately, you can do so easily. All you have to do is configure hotlink protection using cPanel. Here’s how to go about it.

First, log in to cPanel and scroll down to the Security section. Then, click on the Hotlink Protection icon:

On the next page, you can toggle Hotlink protection ON or OFF. You can also change your configuration settings. For example, you might want to specify certain URLs that are allowed to access your files (cPanel will automatically populate this box with suggested local URLs):

Next, you can also specify the specific file extensions you want to block direct access to by adding them to the Block direct access for the following extensions box (make sure you separate each file extension by a comma):

Again, the above box should be automatically pre-populated with commonly hotlinked file extensions. However, you might want to add extra file extensions that aren’t already included.

You can also add a URL to the Redirect requests to the following URL text box:

This will serve users from blocked sites with the specified URL page instead of the hotlinked file. Once you’re done making changes to the settings, just click on Submit.

6. Utilize Patchman by SITELOCK

Patchman is a really useful security service that helps to prevent your site from being hacked. Once installed, it will automatically scan your website for malware. If it detects any potential threats, it immediately emails you to notify you of them. If you don’t resolve the issue within 24 hours, Patchman will quarantine the affected files to protect your site:

Not only that, but Patchman also detects whether your WordPress, Drupa, or Joomla installation requires patching. Again, it will notify you of this by email and automatically apply the patch if you don’t fix it yourself within a week.

A2 Hosting has partnered with Patchman to provide our web hosting customers with free malware and vulnerability scans. Therefore, if you have a web hosting account with us, Patchman should already be enabled for your domain.

However, if you want to manage your settings or carry out specific administrative tasks, you can do so by accessing the Patchman dashboard. To get to the dashboard, start by logging into cPanel, then click on Patchman in the Advanced section:

From here, you can run manual scans, view detected items and applications, and carry out manual actions. For example, you can review potential malware and choose to either ignore it or quarantine it:

Utilizing Patchman is one of the best ways to protect your website from security threats. However, not all hosting providers include access to it. Therefore, it may be a good idea to choose a hosting service provider that partners with the service.

7. Use Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

SFTP stands for Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, it’s a secure version of the regular File Transfer Protocol (FTP). It uses the Secure Shell protocol to encrypt transfers.

If you didn’t already know, FTP is how you transfer files between your computer and your hosting server to make them accessible to the public and vice-versa. These files are often confidential and may include sensitive data such as usernames and passwords.

The problem is that the original FTP protocol doesn’t encrypt this data, which leaves it vulnerable to interception by attackers. If you want to prevent hackers from getting access to your data, it’s recommended that you encrypt it by using STFP instead.

In order to transfer files using SFTP, you’ll need your main cPanel account’s private key for authentication. To find it, log in to cPanel and scroll down to the Security section. Then, click on SSH Access:

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On the next page, click on Manage SSH Keys:

If you already have a public/private key pair, you can use those for SFTP transfers. If you don’t already have one, you can generate a new one by clicking on Generate a New Key:

Once you’ve generated a new key, go back to the Manage SSH Keys interface, and click on the Manage link next to the new key. Next, click on the Authorize button to allow it:

Go back and scroll down to Private Keys and click on View/Download. The next page should display your SSH key details. You can click on Download Key to save it somewhere safe to your computer:

Once you’ve done all the above, your site is ready for an SFTP connection. You can open your preferred FTP client and use the private key you downloaded to connect via SFTP.

Conclusion

Keeping your site safe from malicious activity and malware is extremely important. Fortunately, cPanel offers you several ways to ensure that your site is secure and protected.

Here’s a quick recap of how to protect your website using cPanel:

1. Update cPanel regularly.
2. Choose strong passwords and update them regularly.
3. Password protect your vulnerable directories.
4. Enable cPHulk Brute-Force protection.
5. Protect against hotlinking.
6. Utilize Patchman by SITELOCK.
7. Use Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

If you’re looking for a hosting provider that understands the importance of site security and reliable hosting, check out our affordable Linux hosting plans!

Image credit: Free-Photos.

The post How to Protect Your Website With cPanel (7 Essential Tips) appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Brute Force is a website attack that uses either humans or systems to target protected information, with the main goal of obtaining login information. This blog discusses some well-known methods for preventing Brute Force attacks.

1. Hide the WordPress Admin Login Page

WordPress by default has the login page as either one of the following:

•  /wp-login.php
• /login
• /wp-admin
• /admin

Gaining access to login pages, particularly the admin login, provides hackers with unrestricted access to the entire site.

There are several ways to hide the login area, including using a plugin like WPS Hide Login, which allows you to change the admin login to another URL of your choosing. When someone tries to access wp-admin/wp-login.php/login/admin, they will get a 404 error.

2. WordPress Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

A two-factor authentication gives you an extra layer of security by requesting additional identification factors like the following:

• A unique password (OTP) sent by SMS/e-mail
• A phone call
• A QR code
• A push notification

WordPress supports two-factor authentication via plugins like the Two-Factor plugin or time-based authentication via Google Authenticator. The Google Authenticator plugin enables per-user two-factor authentication. You could enable it for your administrator account while using less privileged accounts as usual.

3. Cloud-Based Security Plugins

While traffic is beneficial to any website, excessive bad traffic depletes your server’s resources. Similarly, limiting the number of users who can enter your site at the same time protects you from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Popular cloud security plugins such as Sucuri or CloudFlare not only protect against brute force login attacks, but also other security threats such as DDoS, spam, and bots. They provide complete protection for your WordPress site. Examine the security measures provided by your hosting provider for your website.

Conclusion

As previously stated, a brute force attack is one of the most traditional attacks, but it remains the most common type of WordPress security attack. While plugins and other security tools are available to help mitigate security threats, it is always important to keep your WordPress up to date. This includes updating any plugins and themes, as outdated plugins or themes provide a good backdoor for hackers to attempt a security attack. If you have any questions or need any help protecting your site contact our support team today!

The post How to Protect Your WordPress Against Brute Force Attack appeared first on The A2 Posting.

This new PHP version has allowed popular frameworks like Symfony and WordPress to run on PHP 8.1, so you know that A2 Hosting’s servers will be able to support it! You can now take advantage of PHP 8.1 with your PHP applications hosted by us.

Web Hosting Support for PHP 8.1

PHP 8.1 is the most recent release of PHP and features new updates, such as:

Scalar Type Hints

PHP will now receive better error messages when type hinting doesn’t match. This means that if you’re expecting a string and PHP receives an integer, PHP will throw a clear and concise error message to help you debug the issue easier. PHP will also not allow errors to occur when typing hinting at your PHP variables. This is just one of the ways PHP 8.1 helps you keep your PHP applications secure and bug-free!

Return Type Declarations

PHP 8.1 now supports return type declarations which means that PHP will be able to tell what kind of data you’re expecting back from a function. PHP 8.1 can not only help with security but also PHP performance as PHP will be able to execute the function and return the type of data you’ve requested without an extra step which speeds up PHP execution!

PHP 7 Compatibility

PHP 8.1 now has improved compatibility with PHP 7 so PHP developers don’t have to rewrite their PHP scripts for PHP 7. PHP 8.1 is backward compatible with PHP 7 so you don’t have to rewrite your code!

Contact Us Today

A2 Hosting is a leading provider of PHP hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 24/7 support team to help you get the most out of PHP 8.1, today! Our expert Guru Crew team can help you with any questions or concerns about your PHP application, PHP 8.1 support, or migrating to PHP 8.1! We are available 24/7/365.

The post A2 Hosting Supports Newest PHP Version 8.1 appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Looking to learn more in-depth about the security included with all these plans? Below is an explanation of the different security tools and features included and how this can help you make sure your website is safe and secure.

The Importance of Security on Websites Using WordPress

When there’s a huge demand for a script or CMS, there’s a good chance that hackers and attackers will be keeping an eye on websites using it. At any one time, there could be hundreds or thousands of attacks happening on the internet. This makes WordPress websites a target.

As such, hackers will always be scanning WordPress websites for vulnerable areas. This means website owners who don’t properly prepare and secure their WordPress sites may be at risk. This is why you need to keep the security on your website in tip-top shape! Below are the features we offer at A2 Hosting on our Managed WordPress plans to help ensure your security success.

Managed WordPress Security Features

A2 Hosting’s new Managed WordPress plans now come with a selection of enhanced security features that have been designed to support our users such as HackScan Protection, Reinforced DDoS Protection, and KernelCare. We’re including a complete breakdown below of three of the main tools we will be including in the plans and the different security features they provide our users:

WordPress Toolkit

We include different levels of cPanel’s WordPress Toolkit on all of our WordPress plans. Below are some of the main security perks:

• 1-Click Hardening: Used to scan existing and new sites for settings that may be potentially vulnerable.
• Automatic Hardening: This can keep your site safe through the auto-application of the industry’s best practices in security.
• Mass Hardening: Scans all your sites for vulnerable settings while securing every site with just a click.
• Security Rollback: In rare cases, security updates may create compatibility issues on your website. This feature will allow you to quickly revert the changes made.
• Mass Updates: This allows you to execute updates for all of your website’s WordPress themes, core, and plugins.

Jetpack Security

We will also be including the popular Jetpack Plugin. This plugin comes with a multitude of security features including:

• Automated Spam Filtering: Protects your site by keeping spam content away.
• Brute Force Attack Protection: Works to keep your website safe by blocking unsafe login attempts from distributed attacks and malicious botnets.
• Free Daily Malware Scans (Included with our Fly & Sell Plans): This feature automatically checks your site for vulnerabilities such as malware. You’ll also receive immediate alerts if Jetpack finds problems to be addressed quickly.

A2 Optimized

All of our plans also come with our plugin, A2 Optimized. We’ve focused on various security measures with A2 Optimized, which include the following:

• Deny Direct Access to Configuration Files and Comment Form: This allows you to protect your configuration files by creating a Forbidden error to bots and web users who try to access WP configuration files.
• Lock Editing of Plugins and Themes from the WP Admin: This prevents exploits to use the built-in editing capabilities of the WP Admin.
• Login URL Change: With this, you can hide your wp-login and wp-admin pages, blocking off hackers from entry through brute force attacks.
• Regenerate wp-config salts: WP salts and security keys help to secure the site’s login process along with the cookies that WordPress implements to authenticate users.
• ReCAPTCHA on Comments and Login: Used to increase site security while decreasing spam by adding a CAPTCHA to the login screen and comment forms.
• Unused Themes & Inactive Plugin Notifications: Themes and plugins with security flaws can still have an impact on the site. Having these notifications can help you better manage other features on your site for improved security.

cPanel Security Features

There is also a wide range of improvements to cPanel’s Security. This includes:

• Directory Privacy: Blocks users who want to open a folder that you’ve designated for protection. They will first need to enter a username and password for access.
• Free SSL Certificate (Free RapidSSL On Sell plans): This allows you to secure pages on your website so that details such as credit card numbers, logins, and more are sent encrypted instead of plain text.
• Hotlink Protection: Stops your images from being used on other sites.
• Imunify360: A comprehensive security suite for real-time and proactive website protection. It provides an all-in-one security solution that features a Web Application Firewall, an Intrusion Prevention and Detection system, a Network Firewall, Patch Management, and Real-time Antivirus protection.
• IP Blocker: Blocks a range of IP addresses to stop hackers from getting access to your site.
• Leech Protection: Stops users from publicly posting or sharing passwords to restricted areas of your site.
• ModSecurity: Provides real-time monitoring for incoming threats and blocks malicious connections before reaching your WordPress website and applications.
• Patchman: This scans your account for any outdated WP malware scripts, vulnerabilities, and applications. It will then fix any vulnerabilities without doing damage to the site.
• SSH: Provides more secure file transfers.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If turned on, it will require the app on your smartphone to provide a unique security code that you must input apart from your password when trying to log into your account.
• Virus Scanner: Configurable scan of your account to identify any security threats.

Need Help? Ask Our Guru Crew

If you need support or just have a few WordPress Hosting questions, you can count on our expert Sales team! Working 24/7/365, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are more than happy to address any concerns or issues. You may also reach them via email, phone, or live chat, so you can get the answers you need when you need them.

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