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.

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.

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.

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.

The post New Managed WordPress Enhanced Security Features with A2 Hosting appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Apache Log4j 2 is a Java-based logging library developed by the Apache Foundation. It is used by numerous enterprise applications and cloud services to provide advanced logging capabilities. If you have a managed hosting account, you can rest assured that we take care of server configuration and updates for you. If you have an unmanaged server, now is a good time to review your security configuration and make sure updates are installed in a timely manner.

On November 24, 2021, Alibaba Cloud’s security team reported a Log4j 2 remote code execution vulnerability to Apache. The exploit takes advantage of some Log4j functions that perform recursive analysis. With specially constructed malicious requests, attackers can trigger remote code execution.

The vulnerability impacts default configurations of several Apache frameworks, including:

• Apache Druid
• Apache Flink
• Apache Solr
• Apache Struts2

On December 10, 2021, this vulnerability was officially designated in the NIST national vulnerability database as CVE-2021-44228 (also known as the “Log4Shell” vulnerability).

How the Vulnerability Impacts You

Depending on the type of hosting account you have with A2 Hosting, you may or may not need to take action:

Shared, Reseller, and Managed WordPress Accounts

If you have a shared, reseller, or Managed WordPress hosting account, you do not need to do anything. These servers automatically receive frequent updates that include patches for the Log4j 2 vulnerability.

cPanel published an update to mitigate CVE-2021-44228 the same day the vulnerability was announced. For more information, see cPanel’s blog entry.

Managed VPS and Dedicated Servers

If you have a Managed VPS or Managed Dedicated server, you most likely do not need to take any action – your server is updated automatically with patches for the Log4j 2 vulnerability. The only exception is if you have installed any software utilizing log4j outside of cPanel/WHM you should ensure those installations are updated. All software installed and managed by A2 has already been updated.

cPanel published an update to mitigate CVE-2021-44228 the same day the vulnerability was announced. For more information, see cPanel’s blog entry.

Unmanaged VPS and Dedicated Servers

If you have an unmanaged VPS or unmanaged Dedicated server, make sure you keep it up-to-date with the latest security patches.

If you use Log4j 2 it is very important to ensure you have updated to the most recent version.  The first patch included another vulnerability which required a second patch.

Java 8 (or later) users should upgrade to release 2.16.0.

Java 7 users should upgrade to release 2.12.2.

More information can be found at Apache.

For information about how to install updates on unmanaged servers, please see this Knowledge Base article.

The Bottom Line

Heartbleed… Shellshock… The Log4j vulnerability is only the latest in a long line of security bugs. It isn’t the first, and it surely won’t be the last.

If you have a managed hosting account, you can rest assured that we take care of server configuration and updates for you. If you have an unmanaged server, now is a good time to review your security configuration and make sure updates are installed in a timely manner.

The post Log4Shell: 0-day Exploit in Popular Apache Logging Package Log4j 2 appeared first on The A2 Posting.

• Common signs of eCommerce fraud
• Easy ways to prevent fraud

Red Flags for eCommerce Fraud

It’s hard to believe that your business is not immune to eCommerce fraud. However, the truth is, even if you take all precautions and employ best practices, there are still risks for your company. That being said, it is always important to educate yourself on signs of impending fraud so you can work on preventing any issues as they pop up: Here are some of the most common signs of fraud to look out for:

1. More Than One Card on an IP Address

An IP address with multiple cards can be a red flag. To avoid being caught, most fraudsters will attempt numerous transactions with the same card.

2. Large Quantities of Your Product Are Being Purchased

If you offer a product with high demand, it’s expected to have larger and more consistent purchases. However, large quantities purchased from multiple locations by the same person or group can indicate fraud.

3. Shipping to Unusual Locations

If the shipping address does not match the product, this is a red flag. This could mean the person is ordering with a stolen credit card.

4. Different IP Address Compared to the Shipping Address

If the person’s IP address making the purchase differs from their location, this is a red flag. Most likely, this person uses a VPN or other service to hide their location. Also, keep in mind that the billing and shipping addresses may be different.

5. Many Transactions in a Very Small Period

Multiple transactions in a short amount of time is an indication that something could be wrong. Fraudsters usually test your business with small purchases before making larger purchases.

Ways to Prevent Fraud

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to prevent fraud in any way possible. There are many ways you can do this, and we will go over the most effective methods below:

1. Analyze and Assess Fraud Risks With Fraud Assessment Tools

Fraud assessment tools will allow you to assess your risk for fraud. This can be done in real-time and provide information about the likelihood of fraud occurring.

2. Update High-Quality Software Helping You Run Things

If you’re using software that is not up-to-date or effective, then it can open your business to fraud. You must have high-quality software that is constantly being updated.

3. Download Fraud Detection and Management Software

Fraud Detection and Management Software is the only way that you can truly protect your business. Whatever software solution you choose, make sure it’s designed to monitor transactions in real-time so that any fraudulent activity will be detected immediately.

3. Keep PCI Compliance

Disregarding PCI compliance is a huge risk. If you are not following the rules, your business can be liable for any credit card fraud on their website or store. This means that you could have legal issues to deal with and loss of revenue and reputation if it’s determined that your negligence led to fraudulent activity.

4. Use RBA (Risk-Based Authentication)

RBA is the only way that you can truly verify someone’s identity. This method ensures that all customers need to provide additional information before they purchase in order for it to be approved.

5. Require CVV Numbers on All Purchases

Requiring CVVs on all transactions can be a huge deterrent for fraudsters. This is because they only tend to make purchases with stolen credit cards or through online retailers that don’t require this information.

6. Use HTTPS Protocol

Using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure will ensure that all of your transactions are encrypted. This prevents any potential hackers from gaining access to your data, and it also provides another layer of security on top of SSL certificates.

7. Use AVS (Address Verification System)

Address verification ensures that the billing information and shipping address match up. If they don’t, this can be a red flag for fraudsters who use stolen credit cards or purchase goods online without having them shipped.

Conclusion

Another great way to avoid fraud is by ensuring a high-quality web hosting company hosts your website. A2 Hosting offers secure and dependable service, so we’re here for you if something goes wrong. With 24/7/365 support and a 99.9% uptime commitment, we’re available for our customers when you need us.

Our sales teams will help you choose a plan that’s perfect for any business size. Let us take care of everything so that you don’t have to worry about anything but growing your business. Contact us today!

The post The Secret to Identifying and Preventing eCommerce Fraud (7 Easy Steps) appeared first on The A2 Posting.

We recommend security certificates for any websites that collect sensitive information like names, addresses, and credit card numbers. One example of this certificate is the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Apart from keeping consumers safe, search engine giant Google declared SSL’s as a ranking factor in 2014. Naturally, other search engines followed suit.

This article will discuss everything you need to know about having a security certificate on your site — what it is, why you should get one, and how to keep your customers safe. Let’s get right to it.

What Is an SSL?

Until 1999, SSL was the gold standard in internet communications. SSL is a type of technology that keeps internet connections safe. It protects the transfer of sensitive data between two systems by preventing cybercriminals from modifying any information. SSLs make it impossible for hackers to read users’ information during transfer with the help of encryption algorithms that jumble data in transit. These systems can be server-to-client like an e-commerce site and a customer or server-to-server like a cloud to a printer server.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is an online verification authenticating a site’s identity, allowing a coded connection between a web server and a web browser. Companies should add such a certificate to their sites to protect customer information.

Developers install these certificates server-side, but visitors will see visual cues that indicate site security. Take note of these signs:

• A website with an HTTPS address instead of HTTP has an SSL certificate.
• Check out the padlock before a website name. If you click on it, you will see this message: Connection is secure. This sign means a company guarantees that no one can intercept or modify the link between the sites. If it is not a secure site, you will see a warning symbol before the address.
• Your antivirus will prevent you from entering an unsecured site. Most of the time, your software sends red flags for websites with no SSL certificates, or expired ones.
• Brands will not likely misspell their domain name. If you notice grammatical errors, it’s probably a scam attempt. For instance, cybercriminals might attempt to steal data from amaz0n.com if they can breach the platform’s security protocols.

Reasons To Get an SSL Certificate

Having a security certificate for website use has taken the digital world by storm. According to recent SSL statistics, an impressive 82.2% of websites use valid certificates — a colossal leap from only 17.8% five years ago.

From being an additional layer of consumer protection, it has become a must-have for most site owners. Businesses of all sizes and industries will benefit from this certification. Below are some reasons why you should have one.

Ensure Visitor Protection

By providing websites with unbreakable encryption, SSL certificates ensure the safety of all site visitors. Without one, hackers can easily target customers’ sensitive data. They eliminate various threats, including man-in-the-middle attacks, phishing, and session hijacking.

Promote Subdomain Security

An SSL certificate called Wildcard enables site owners to secure their main site and all subdomains under it with one certification. This feature would greatly benefit organizations using multiple subdomains, eliminating the need to install separate certificates per site.

Provide Authentication

Certificate authorities (CA) sign and issue online certificates, including SSL. Through their signatures, other relying parties can verify a site’s credentials. Some of their tasks include domain and business verification, giving site visitors the confidence to navigate and interact with your platform.

Comply With PCI Requirements

Sites that process credit card payment should comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements. The organization aims to elevate the standards for cardholders worldwide and has declared an SSL certificate a necessity for business websites. Non-compliance on your part may lead to lawsuits, unnecessary penalties, and revenue loss.

Boost SEO Efforts

Like any business, Google wants the best for its clients. For this reason, the company decided to make SSL certification a ranking factor. To increase your online visibility and stand out against uncertified competitors, we recommend getting an SSL certificate.

Speed Up Your Website

Contrary to popular belief, SSL certificates don’t slow websites down but speed them up. Recent technologies gave rise to web servers called HTTP2 that use single connections instead of multiple parallel ones.

Your page load speed should be anywhere between one to two seconds. If it reaches three seconds, 53% of your site visitors will leave. As page load speed is also a Google ranking factor, this feature further boosts your search engine visibility.

Pro tip: A reliable hosting solution can do wonders for your site speed.

Strengthen Brand Image

Few things in life can ruin a brand image faster than a company that doesn’t care about its clients’ safety. While SSL certificates cannot shield sites against all cyber attacks, they protect your customers’ names, addresses, and card information. If you plan on inspiring consumer trust, keep it professional by using an HTTPS site. Strengthen your brand image now with high-security standards.

How To Get an SSL Certificate

You can obtain an SSL through your hosting company! These are the SSL certificates we offer at A2 Hosting:

• Free SSL: Our plans come with free SSL certificates that offer basic website protection, allowing you to establish HTTPS on your websites. While they are just as secure as paid services, many of our clients go for the latter to enjoy benefits like warranties, extended validations (EV), and organization validations (OV).
• Basic SSL: Our Domain Validated (DV) certificates offer a practical solution for industry-standard security up to 256-bit encryption. We can complete this process via email, as long as you prove your domain ownership. These are the most affordable SSL types anywhere in the world.
• Premium SSL: With our OV certificates, you can get up to 256-bit encryption for your site. The verification process for this SSL type is more tedious than applying for a DV certificate. However, you get to enjoy more perks like third-party vouching and a trust badge for your site.
• Advanced SSL: EV certificates offer the highest level of trust and security for consumers — a feature that helps boost sales. If you want a top-of-the-line security option for your enterprise-level or multiple sites, EV certificates are ideal for you. With these certifications, you can enjoy the most recognizable trust indicators.
• Wildcard: This SSL type protects a domain and an unlimited number of subdomains with one certificate. They work like other SSL certificates do, using the same encryption and validation processes. Additionally, you can upgrade your Wildcard SSL to include domain authentication and organizational validation.

Activating SSL certificates offers an extensive range of benefits for your website. The best part is, there are now many options to choose from. Don’t miss out on the HTTPS revolution to enjoy all the advantages that these certifications bring.

Secure Your Site Now

From visitor protection to domain security to being PCI DSS-compliant, a security certificate for website use is one of the most convenient ways to take your business to new heights. It’s one of the best investments you can make to stand out in a sea of competition.

At A2 Hosting, we help clients level up their sites through award-winning hosting and SSL services. Are you ready to boost your digital leads, conversions, and revenues? Get in touch with our guru crew now to begin your journey toward growth.

The post What Happens When You Don’t Have a Security Certificate on Your Site? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

The prevalence of data breaches in today’s technology-driven world should prompt you to invest in SSLs or Secure Sockets Layer. This technology keeps sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted so only the intended recipient can access it. SSLs work by keeping user data secure and preventing attackers from accessing sensitive data or creating a fake version of your website.

If you’re on the lookout for the best SSL to use, you’re on the right track. Our team at A2 Hosting is now offering SSLs from three different companies: DigiCert, GeoTrust, and Rapid. Aside from helping you protect sensitive data online, these products offer several other benefits.

We’ll assess the SSLs offered by these three companies so you can choose one that suits your needs.

Top 3 Choices for SSL Certificates

DigiCert

The parent company of all our SSL’s and founded in 2003, DigiCert continues to “wow” their customers by offering SSL certificates with secure unlimited servers equipped with the highest authentication and strongest encryption. According to Netcraft, one independent survey company, DigiCert is the world’s largest high-assurance certificate authority, commanding 96% of organization-validated certificates around the world and 59% of the Extended Validation SSL certificates in the market today.

Why Should You Use DigiCert SSL?

Offers the Strongest Encryption

Because DigiCert has been in the industry for decades, all of its SSL certificates are trusted by major mail systems, online browsers, operations systems, and even mobile devices. This will make it easy for your organization to integrate SSL certificates into your existing systems.

Has Award-Winning Customer Support

If you have questions about the installation and use of SSL certificates, DigiCert will be there to help you out. This company is superior to its competitors because it has top-rated customer support to ensure that all of its customers can use its products with ease.

Fast Issuance and Load Times

Time is money when it comes to business, which is why you should invest in SSL certificates that are issued fast. DigiCert meets this criterion as the company has in-house validation experts who can issue certificates within a few hours.

DigiCert uses Online Certificate Status Protocols that are eight times faster than its competitors, making the company one of the fastest SSL/TLS issuers in the industry.

Provides the Cost and Convenience That Customers Want

Regardless of the size of your company and the type of data you want to protect, DigiCert has the right product for you. Unlike its competitors, DigiCert offers a suite of SSL certificates that fit every business’s unique needs.

RapidSSL

If you want to secure your data online but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars for it, RapidSSL is an excellent choice. Unlike its competitors, RapidSSL is a cheaper option as you’ll only have to pay $59 for its certificate annually. Even with a cheaper price tag, you’ll still have peace of mind knowing that you’re getting an SSL certificate from a well-known certificate authority.

Why Should You Choose Rapid SSL?

Faster

If you want to use SSL fast, you should definitely start using RapidSSL. Thanks to its fully automated purchase process, you can pay for an SSL certificate and receive the product within a couple of minutes!

Easy to Install

Who says you need to be a pro to install and use an SSL certificate? RapidSSL is easy to use and offers 24/7 web support, which means that you can easily reach out to one of their representatives if you need help with their product. With this after-service, you won’t have any problems completing the installation and using the product.

Powered by DigiCert

RapidSSL has also become the leader in the industry as the company prides itself on using DigiCert’s modern infrastructure. This technology can support various customers, along with their current and future needs.

DigiCert is also known to provide the highest level of speed and reliability. Using RapidSSL today gives you access to enjoy these features.

Proven Track Record

RapidSSL has been in the industry for decades, and it’s easy to see why. This company has become popular for providing the best SSL and TLS certificates and excellent customer service, allowing them to maintain the public’s trust.

GeoTrust

GeoTrust is the first certificate authority to use domain-validated certificate methods that account for over 70% of all SSL certificates in the World Wide Web. This technology is known to prevent phishing, fraud, and the creation of fake sites.

By 2006, GeoTrust became a leader in the industry as it secured its position of being the second-largest certificate company with a 26.7% market share and over 100,00 customers worldwide.

Due to the wide range of affordable SSL security it provides, GeoTrust is an excellent option for small and large entrepreneurs who want to secure their online transactions.

Why Should You Use Geotrust SSL?

They’re Fast, Simple, and Convenient

Organizations that don’t have any experience using SSL certificates can enjoy using GeoTrust SSL as this company offers fast, simple, and convenient processes. The company uses straightforward systems and processes to ensure that all customers can easily buy, install, use and manage their SSL certificates.

Embraces the Industry’s Best Practices

Integrity is the core foundation of GeoTrust. This company doesn’t only offer internal systems that are payment card industry or PCI compliant; they’re also known to follow some of the industry’s best practices in regards to:

• Availability
• Confidentiality
• Privacy
• Processing integrity
• Security

Better Security at the Best Value

GeoTrust offers a full range of 265-bit encryption SSL and TSL products to customers around the world without the expensive price tag. They also have affordable SAN and Wildcard SSL certificates.

Moreover, the security solutions offered by Geotrust are supported by different browsers and mobile devices. This makes it easier for you to integrate SSL certificates with your existing systems and use the same certificates as your business expands in the future.

Offers Top-Notch Customer Support

To ensure that customers can maximize their products fast, GeoTrust offers top-notch customer support. If you have concerns about their products, you can easily reach out to them using one of their contact numbers and talk to a trained security expert.

Trust A2 Hosting

Now that you know which companies offer the best SSL certificates, contact our team at A2 Hosting to utilize the service. Our goal has always been about offering the best web solutions to customers like you, and that includes helping you pick the right SSL certificate provider.

A2 Hosting is a company you can trust as we offer high-quality software, features, and hardware to ensure that your website performs at optimal levels. Everything you need to keep your website secure is available on our website!

The post A2 Hosting Is Offering Rapid, GeoTrust, and DigiCert SSL’s appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Fortunately, there are still ways to keep your website safe. By implementing some best practices, you can harden your WordPress site against all manner of attacks, including the dreaded zero day vulnerability.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at this security threat, and why it’s taken so seriously among the WordPress community. We’ll then show you how to achieve the near-impossible and protect your site against vulnerabilities that haven’t even been discovered yet. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to Zero Day Vulnerabilities

Zero day vulnerabilities immediately stand out due to their distinctive name. We can trace the term “zero day“ all the way back to the 1990s, when pirates shared commercial software illegally via bulletin boards.

The community categorized this pirated software by days. For example, if a particular piece of software had been publicly available for 50 days, they referred to it as 50-day software.

Zero day referred to software that hadn’t been officially released to the public. Typically, zero day code was acquired by hacking into the vendor’s network and stealing the unreleased program. Sometimes, an insider would leak the code.

The security industry has repurposed this term to indicate a vulnerability that’s known to the vendor, but that a patch isn’t available for yet. In other words, the security loophole is putting users at risk and the vendor has zero days to solve the problem.

“Window of Vulnerability (WoV)” is another term that we often use alongside zero day. This is the period of time between a vendor learning about the vulnerability and them releasing a patch to the public.

The final related term that’s often associated with zero day vulnerabilities is “forever day vulnerability”. Here, everyone knows about a security loophole and the original developer has no intention to fix it.

This usually occurs because the software is no longer being actively maintained. If the project in question is open source, then there may be some scope to delve into the code and fix the problem yourself. However, as a general rule, it’s wise to look for software that’s still under active development.

The Life Cycle of a Zero Day Vulnerability

The way the community discovers and manages vulnerabilities can vary. However, it typically starts with a researcher or a malicious third party discovering a security issue. At this point, the vulnerability is considered zero day, as it’s known but no fix is available. This is also the start of the WoV.

The vendor may not always publicly acknowledge that there’s a zero day vulnerability affecting its software. While this may be worrying for those who use this program, it’s a tactical decision to help protect as many people as possible.

If a vendor announced that their software is vulnerable and there’s currently no fix available, they’re essentially alerting hackers to a serious security issue. This can cause a spike in attacks.

Hopefully, the vendor will develop a fix in record time. They can then release a patch either as part of a regularly-scheduled update, or as an emergency fix.

At this point, the WoV ends. Assuming that you install the security update, your website is no longer at risk from this particular vulnerability.

Why It’s Important to Protect Your WordPress Website

WordPress now powers over 40 percent of the web. While this popularity speaks volumes about its strength as a Content Management System (CMS), it also makes WordPress a prime target for hackers. If a malicious third party managed to uncover a zero day vulnerability in WordPress, it could potentially weaponize this single weak spot against millions of websites.

There’s plenty of evidence to indicate that hackers are actively targeting WordPress vulnerabilities. In fact, Wordfence recorded 4.3 billion attempts to exploit these loopholes in a single year. Sadly, many of these attacks are successful. When Patchstack spoke to the WordPress community about security, it discovered that 25 percent of respondents had recently dealt with a hacked site.

If a malicious third party does manage to gain unauthorized access to your site, the consequences could be disastrous. The attacker might deface your site, trick your visitors into downloading viruses, or redirect them to a spammy website. All of these actions can damage your reputation. They may even continue to affect your traffic and conversion rates long after you’ve addressed the hack.

Even worse, the attacker might delete or even steal your data. If you run an e-commerce site, this might include your customers’ credit or debit card details. This kind of Public Relations (PR) disaster can have huge financial implications, with the average total cost of a data breach coming in at $3.86 million.

Depending on your geographical location and the nature of the breach, it may even land you in legal hot water. If a court decides that you didn’t take adequate steps to protect your audience’s data, it could result in a hefty fine.

How to Protect Your Site Against Zero Day Vulnerabilities (7 Tips)

When a vendor announces a new zero day vulnerability, speed is everything. To help you leap into action, here are seven tips for hardening your site against the dreaded zero day vulnerability.

1. Check for Updates

As soon as a developer discovers a vulnerability, the clock starts ticking. The good news is that responsible vendors and developers take security threats very seriously, and most of them will start working on a fix right away.

Whenever you hear about a zero day threat, it’s smart to ensure that you’re running the very latest release of the affected software. You may even discover that a patch is already available.

To check for updates to WordPress core, navigate to Dashboard > Updates. If a new release is available, then you can follow the onscreen instructions to download and install it.

Even if the dashboard confirms that you’re fully up-to-date, it’s still worth clicking on Check again, just to verify that you are running the latest release:

To check your plugins, select Plugins from the WordPress dashboard and then install any available updates. You can also update your plugins en masse using the Bulk Actions dropdown:

Even if a patch isn’t available, chances are that a fix is imminent. For this reason, you may want to consider enabling auto-updates.

To automatically update WordPress core, navigate to Dashboard > Updates. You can then select the following link: Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress. Now, WordPress will automatically download and install all minor and major releases.

To auto-update your plugins, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. You can then select the Plugin checkbox. Next, open the Bulk Actions dropdown and select Enable Auto-Updates > Apply.

Finally, you can enable auto-updates for your WordPress theme. To make this change, navigate to Appearance > Themes. Then hover over your active theme, and select Theme Details:

On the subsequent screen, select Enable auto-updates. Your theme will now update automatically as soon as a new version becomes available.

2. Disable the Theme or Plugin

Zero day threats can affect any project, including WordPress core. However, themes and plugins are more susceptible to security issues.

In its 2021 report, WP White Security identified almost 4,000 WordPress plugin vulnerabilities. Patchstack supports this discovery, with their report concluding that over 70 million WordPress websites are running vulnerable plugins and themes.

Fortunately, zero day threats in themes and plugins are often easier to manage when compared to issues with WordPress core. If the original developer hasn’t released a patch yet, you always have the option to delete the theme or plugin that contains the vulnerability.

It’s worth noting that disabling this software isn’t always enough. Malicious third parties may still be able to access and exploit sensitive files, even when the plugin or theme is deactivated. For this reason, we always recommend disabling and then deleting the software in question:

Some themes and plugins are business-critical. If your site depends on a particular piece of software, then deleting it may not always be straightforward.

However, WordPress has a huge community of third-party software, so it’s not uncommon for multiple themes and plugins to deliver identical end results. Even if you’re not prepared to give up on a particular program, you may be able to remove it temporarily, and then replace it with an equivalent WordPress plugin or similar theme.

3. Use a Firewall

Many security programs rely on pattern matching to successfully identify and block vulnerabilities. However, they need to know what they’re looking for. Even the best software may struggle to defend against a newly-identified threat.

This doesn’t mean your site is defenseless. Your security software can still block the attacks that are produced as a result of someone exploiting a zero day vulnerability. In particular, a firewall can defend your WordPress website against many common attacks, including Structured Query Language (SQL) injections, and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

When it comes to firewalls, you have several options. If you have an unmanaged Virtual Private Server (VPS), a cloud VPS, or an unmanaged dedicated server, you can secure your system using an Advanced Policy Firewall (APF). This enables you to grant and deny access based on IP addresses.

Alternatively, you can create IP-based access rules using iptables. You can also use the iptables utility program to grant and deny access to selected devices. This gives you complete control over everything that goes in and out of your server, including Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Secure Shell (SSH) connections.

Another option is to use a plugin such as Wordfence Security. This Web Application Firewall (WAF) checks your site’s core files, themes, and plugins for malware. It also monitors your site for malicious redirects and code injections, which can indicate an underlying zero day vulnerability:

To prevent false positives, it’s important to place Wordfence in Learning Mode for at least a week after activating its firewall. This allows the plugin to collect all the data it needs to defend your site, without wrongly flagging legitimate actions as suspicious.

4. Monitor Your Site for Suspicious Behavior

Similar to a firewall, a security log cannot directly protect your site against zero day vulnerabilities. However, it may help you identify suspicious behavior and traffic.

WP Activity Log is a popular plugin that records various activities. Every time someone makes a change to your WordPress settings, themes, plugins, or database, this plugin will add it to your activity log:

The WP Activity Log plugin will also record any multisite network changes. This includes adding, deleting, or archiving sites, as well as removing users.

If anyone creates, modifies, or deletes any of your WordPress files, this will also appear in your activity log. If you’re using the free version, you can view the activity log at any point by navigating to WP Activity Log > Log View:

However, this relies on you manually checking the Log View. This may result in a delay between the suspicious behavior occurring and you realizing that there’s a potential security threat.

If you upgrade to Premium, WP Activity Log will send you an SMS or email notification every time someone makes an important change to your website. This puts you in a stronger position to respond to attacks as soon as they occur.

5. Keep Up-to-Date With the Latest Security News

Whenever a vendor discovers a security threat, they’ll notify the affected parties via a vulnerability disclosure. This process is controversial and the subject of frequent debate, as keeping the majority of users safe often means delaying the announcement until a fix is available.

This can minimize the number of would-be hackers who are aware of the security loophole. However, it also means that you may be unknowingly running insecure software on your website.

There’s also the issue of security researchers, who are often the ones who discover these vulnerabilities. Publicly announcing that they’ve identified a security loophole is great advertisement for them. Despite this incentive, most responsible security researchers reach an agreement with the vendor. This often involves delaying publishing their report until a solution is found.

However, some zero day vulnerabilities are announced before a patch is released. Even worse, sometimes a security loophole becomes public knowledge without the vendor being notified in advance. This is particularly common when a malicious third party is the first to discover the loophole. These people will typically want as many hackers as possible to profit from their discovery.

Regardless of your stance on the subject, if a vulnerability does become common knowledge then you’ll want to know about it. To keep you finger on the pulse of WordPress security, it helps to follow popular blogs such as Sucuri WordPress Security, the official WordPress blog, and the Wordfence blog:

For up-to-the-minute updates, it may also help to follow these sites on social media, or you might subscribe to the WP Security Blogger aggregator. Another option is to create a Google Alert for words and phrases related to WordPress security.

6. Join a Disclosure Mailing List

There are many different mailing lists that are dedicated to sharing vulnerability disclosures, but one of the most widely-known is Full Disclosure. By joining this mailing list, you’ll receive email notifications about the latest security threats:

However, Full Disclosure isn’t a WordPress-specific list, so you may get overwhelmed by updates. Assuming that you’re only interested in threats to the WordPress platform, we recommend setting up some email filters.

This can ensure that when you do receive a Full Disclosure notification, you’ll be able to act on it immediately. Similarly, you may also want to subscribe to Wordfence’s WordPress Security Mailing List.

7. Choose a Secure Hosting Provider

No hosting provider can promise to make your site immune to as-yet-undiscovered vulnerabilities. However, a good host will have security features that make it more difficult for attackers to capitalize on these weak spots.

Let’s look at an example. A hacker might attempt to use a zero day vulnerability to launch an XSS attack against your site. Your hosting provider may be completely unaware of this brand-new security loophole. However, they may still be able to stop the XSS attack. This will prevent the hacker from damaging your site or stealing your data.

At A2 Hosting, all of our hosting packages have a range of built-in security features, including HackScan Protection. This can help block malicious third parties before they can inflict serious damage on your website:

We also offer KernelCare rebootless updates and a dual firewall, and provide Cloudflare as a standard CDN. Cloudflare in particular can identify and stop malicious requests in their tracks. This includes requests that may be trying to exploit zero day vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

It’s impossible to predict the future, which means it isn’t easy to prepare for zero day vulnerabilities. Fortunately, by following some security best practices now, you can make your site much less susceptible to all manner of attacks, including the elusive zero day threat.

Security tools such as loggers and a firewall can make it more difficult for hackers to use as-yet-undiscovered weak spots against you. We also recommend keeping up-to-date on the latest core, theme, and plugin news, by following popular WordPress blogs and subscribing to specialist mailing lists such as Full Disclosure.

With the right tools, techniques, and resources at your disposal, it’s possible to fend off serious zero day threats. However, your choice of hosting provider also plays a role. At A2 Hosting, we offer several security features to help you ensure that your site is ready for anything, including the unknown!

Image credits: Pexels.

The post How to Protect Your WordPress Site Against Zero Day Vulnerabilities (7 Tips) appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Fortunately, by implementing some simple security tactics and performing regular checks, you can make your site much less vulnerable to attack. This can help you avoid losing customers, traffic, revenue, or confidential information due to a preventable security breach.

In this post, we’ll discuss why protecting your WordPress site is more important than ever. We’ll then share nine of our top tips for boosting your site’s security. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to WordPress Security

WordPress powers over 40 percent of the web, which makes it an attractive target for hackers. If a malicious third party manages to identify a vulnerability with one WordPress website, they could potentially use that same security loophole against the millions of other websites that are built on the same platform.

With this mind, it’s unsurprising that attacks against WordPress are on the rise. Wordfence recorded 4.3 billion attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in 2020. When asked about web security, over 70 percent of developers, freelancers, and agencies confirmed that they are increasingly worried about their websites. In fact, 25 percent of respondents confirmed they’d had to deal with a hacked website in the month prior to participating in the survey.

The WordPress team has a strong track record of identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in the platform. However, no software is perfect. In addition, many website owners choose to extend WordPress core with themes and plugins. These third-party products can add new designs and features to your site – but can also add new security vulnerabilities.

According to Patchstack’s security whitepaper, third-party plugins and themes account for 96.22 percent of detected WordPress security vulnerabilities. The total number of active and vulnerable theme and plugin installations detected throughout 2020 came in at a staggering 70 million.

If a hacker does manage to take control of your site, the consequences could be disastrous. The attacker might deface your site, steal your data, or redirect your loyal customers to a spam website.

The impact of these malicious activities can be far-reaching. They may include a loss of trust amongst your customers and missed sales, right through to potential legal action due to your failure to protect your visitors’ information.

9 Ways to Keep Your WordPress Website Secure in 2021

WordPress may be a favorite target amongst hackers, but that’s no reason to switch to a different Content Management System (CMS). Let’s take a look at nine tips that you can use to harden and protect your WordPress website against common attacks.

1. Choose a Hosting Provider That Prioritizes Security

The most important way to keep your WordPress website safe is to choose a hosting provider that prioritizes security. Wherever possible, we recommend opting for a hosting solution that offers built-in security features and tools.

At A2 Hosting, we take security seriously, which is why all of our hosting packages include the Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF). This tool can help protect your site against brute-force attacks in which a hacker tries to submit many different passwords and usernames in the hopes of guessing the combination correctly.

Our hosting plans also come with the cPanel control panel and Softaculous installer. This popular installer provides access to a wide range of add-ons, tools, and software, including many that can help you protect your website.

Running outdated software can make your site more vulnerable to attack. If you do choose to install additional software via Softaculous, then we’ll email you every time an update becomes available. This ensures you won’t miss any critical security updates or bug fixes that can help bolster your site’s security.

If you do have a security concern, then it’s important to address it straight away. That’s why we also offer 24/7 customer support to all of our hosting customers.

2. Install a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate

Without a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, malicious third parties may be able to intercept the data your website sends and receives. This includes login credentials and payment details. If a hacker manages to access this information, it could damage your reputation and destroy users’ trust in your website. It may even land you in legal hot water due to data protection laws.

An SSL certificate can help ensure your private data remains private by transferring information via Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) instead of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). As the name suggests, HTTPS is more secure than HTTP, as it enables you to encrypt any data that flows in and out of your website.

To help you meet this important security requirement, we provide several different types of SSL certificates:

After procuring your SSL certificate, we’ll send you an SSL Token via email. You can install your certificate by adding it to your website.

If you’re a cPanel user, then you can log into your account and launch the AutoInstall SSL tool. Then paste your SSL Token into the field provided and click on Verify Token:

We’ll then ask some simple questions about your website and your certificate. After providing these details, AutoInstall SSL will upload your certificate and your data will be encrypted.

3. Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

If a malicious third party manages to break into your site using a brute-force attack, they could wreak havoc. They might steal your data, deface your site, or even delete your WordPress website entirely.

You can help protect your site against brute-force attacks by using a long, complex password that features a mix of numbers and symbols, plus uppercase and lowercase letters. However, some hackers use automated scripts and bots to bombard your site with thousands of login credentials. Even if you follow password best practices, your site may still fall victim to a brute-force attack.

To protect against these automated scripts and bots, you may want to consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN). Although this tool is often used to improve website performance, it can also block malicious requests from ever reaching your site.

This may prevent hackers from hammering your site with login credentials. At A2 Hosting, we offer the Cloudflare CDN to all our customers:

In addition to offering brute-force protection, Cloudflare’s network is designed to monitor and mitigate Distributed Denial-of-Services (DDoS) attacks. In this scenario, a hacker floods your network with so much malicious traffic that it exceeds your website’s capacity to process requests, at which point legitimate requests may be ignored.

You can configure your Cloudflare CDN by logging into cPanel and navigating to Software > Cloudflare. You can then follow the onscreen instructions to ensure Cloudflare is set up correctly for your particular website.

4. Use Plugins and Themes Safely

WordPress has huge directories of themes and plugins that can help you create beautiful, feature-rich websites. However, these third-party extensions can also make your site vulnerable to attack. In 2019, 97.2 percent of WordPress vulnerabilities were related to plugins.

To help protect your website, you should only install plugins from reputable sources. Wherever possible, we recommend using the official WordPress Plugin Repository, as it has strict security guidelines:

Alternatively, you can purchase themes and plugins from reputable third-party marketplaces such as CodeCanyon. Even if you’re using a quality source, it’s still smart to evaluate the theme or plugin, including examining when it was last updated:

We also recommend checking the software’s reviews, particularly the most recent ones. A spate of negative comments may indicate a security issue with the latest release.

Themes and plugins also add code to your site, which may contain vulnerabilities. A responsible developer will work hard to close any security loopholes discovered in their theme or plugin, and will often release an update that contains a solution for any recently-discovered vulnerabilities. For this reason, it’s important to keep your themes and plugins up-to-date.

According to WPBeginner, 86 percent of sites are hacked due to outdated software. To minimize your risk, it’s important to install updates as soon as they become available:

At some point, you may no longer require a particular theme or plugin. If you simply deactivate the software in question, then hackers may still be able to exploit its code. For example, hackers commonly target individual PHP files within a specific plugin.

If you simply deactivate the theme or plugin, then those PHP files will remain accessible and will therefore still be exploitable. This means that it’s crucial to delete extensions that you no longer require.

5. Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Themes and plugins can potentially introduce vulnerabilities to your website. Ideally, when such a problem is discovered, the theme or plugin developer will rush to patch the issue and release an update.

However, this isn’t always the case, as some complex vulnerabilities may take time to fix. While we’d always recommend removing insecure software, this isn’t always feasible. For example, perhaps the plugin in question delivers your website’s core functionality.

If you do need to continue using a vulnerable plugin, then you can make it more difficult for hackers to abuse these known security loopholes. One method is to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter out malicious requests before they reach your WordPress website. This can also protect your site against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

There are several WAF plugins available for WordPress. However, the Wordfence endpoint firewall is a popular option:

After installing and activating Wordfence, it’s a good idea to leave this plugin in Learning More for at least a week before enabling its firewall. This can help you avoid false positives, where Wordfence blocks legitimate activities.

While the plugin is in Learning Mode, you should perform as many different actions as possible on your WordPress website. This gives Wordfence the best possible chance of learning how to protect your site while also permitting normal activity and visitors through its firewall.

You can put Wordfence into Learning Mode by navigating to Wordfence > Firewall. Then open the Web Application Firewall Status dropdown and select Learning Mode:

Save your changes, and Wordfence will start monitoring your site. When you’re ready to take Wordfence out of Learning Mode, you can enable the firewall by navigating to Wordfence > Firewall. Then open the dropdown and select Enabled and Protecting.

6. Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

It’s important to protect your website with a strong password. However, there are some password-based attacks where the strength of your login credentials has no impact on whether that attack succeeds or fails.

This includes credential stuffing attacks, where a hacker attempts to break into your dashboard using thousands, or even millions of username and password combinations. There are even keystroke logging programs that can monitor your keyboard and record every single thing you type, including your password.

One way to protect against these attacks is to enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). After activating this feature, anyone trying to access your WordPress website will need to enter the correct login details and then pass an additional security check – such as responding to a push notification on their phone or entering a code sent to their email address – to access your site.

By activating 2FA, you can make it significantly more difficult for a third party to gain access to your website. You can set up 2FA using a mobile application such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator:

After installing your chosen mobile app, A2 Hosting customers can enable 2FA by logging into their accounts and navigating to Account > Edit Account Details. You can then select Security Settings in the left-hand menu:

On the subsequent page, select Click here to enable. You’ll then be guided through the process of linking your WordPress site to your authenticator mobile app:

As part of this process, we’ll provide you with a backup code. If you ever lose access to your authenticator app, then you can use this code to recover your WordPress website. To avoid getting locked out of your site, it’s vital that you make a note of this code and keep it somewhere safe.

7. Consider Disabling XML-RPC

Pingbacks are a way to notify other websites that you’ve linked to their content, and vice versa. By default, they’re enabled in WordPress. While this feature can make it easier to respond to comments that mention your site, it can also make your website more vulnerable to DDoS attacks.

WordPress pingbacks are made possible by the XML-RPC interface. However, an attacker might use this feature to bombard your site with pingbacks. This can overload your server and might even take your site offline. For this reason, you may want to consider disabling the XML-RPC interface using the REST XML-RPC Data Checker.

If you do decide to disable pingbacks, then install and activate this plugin in your WordPress dashboard. Then navigate to Settings > REST XML-RPC Data Checker. Next, select the XML-RPC tab and choose Disable XML-RPC API interface:

Now you just need to save your changes and pingbacks will be disabled for your website. If you don’t want to use a plugin, then you can block all incoming XML-RPC requests before they’re passed to your site.

This technique does require you to edit your site at the code level, so it’s wise to create a full backup before proceeding. If you’re an A2 Hosting customer, we provide two backup tools that you can access via cPanel:

After creating a backup, connect to your server via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) using an FTP client such as FileZilla. You can then open your .htcaccess file for editing and add the following:

<Files xmlrpc.php>
order deny,allow
deny from all
</Files>

Don’t forget to save your changes and re-upload the file to your server. To verify that XML-RPC is now disabled, head over to XML-RPC Validator and enter your website’s URL. If XML-RPC is disabled, then the Validator should display an error message.

8. Remove the WordPress Theme Editor

By default, you can modify your theme using WordPress’ built-in theme editor. While this is helpful for creating custom themes, it’s also a way for hackers to inject malicious code into your website:

If you don’t need the theme editor, then you may want to consider disabling it. This requires you to edit your website’s code, so we recommend creating a backup before proceeding.

To disable the editor, you’ll need to connect to your server using an FTP client. You can then open your wp-config.php file and add the following after the line that reads “That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing”:

define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );

Save your changes and the theme editor will disappear from your WordPress dashboard. If you need to restore the theme editor at any point, then simply connect to your server using FTP and remove the line of DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT code.

9. Protect Your Database Against SQL Injection Attacks

A hacker may attempt to gain access to your WordPress account by injecting malicious SQL queries into your MySQL database. Hackers can launch these SQL injection attacks via any content that accepts user input. This includes many website staples, such as comment sections and contact forms.

Since MySQL is vulnerable to injection attacks, it’s important to keep your database up-to-date. It’s also important to protect your MySQL database with a strong password that has no connection to your website, company, or you as an individual. Here, it may help to use a password generator such as Strong Random Password Generator or LastPass:

You can also make it more difficult for hackers to identify your database by using a unique database name. A2 Hosting customers can change their WordPress database name at any point by logging into cPanel and then accessing the phpMyAdmin tool.

In the left-hand menu, select the database that you want to rename. Then open the Operation tab:

Here, enter the name that you want to use and click on Go. When prompted, opt to reload your database.

Conclusion

As one of the world’s most popular Content Management Systems, hackers are always eager to uncover vulnerabilities in WordPress themes, plugins, and core. If a malicious third party does manage to identify a security loophole, they could potentially use it to launch attacks against millions of WordPress websites – including yours.

By following some simple security precautions, you can immediately make your site less vulnerable to attack. It’s important to start with the fundamentals by vetting all of your themes and plugins carefully and installing an SSL certificate. Once you have a strong foundation, we recommend exploring more advanced security tactics, such as enabling 2FA and disabling the theme editor and XML-RPC when possible.

Your choice of hosting provider is also crucial for security. All of our A2 Hosting packages include features, tools, and add-ons specifically designed to help keep our customers safe, including HackScan Protection, Cloudflare, and a dual firewall. Check them out today!

The post 9 Ways to Keep Your WordPress Website Secure appeared first on The A2 Posting.