Many modern companies require secure web hosting services to support e-commerce and applications that process sensitive data. Company decision-makers must choose from among hosting options that offer varying levels of security. The wrong choice can put business-critical applications and data at risk.

This guide is intended to help users select the right type of secure web hosting for their unique requirements. We examine the core security features to look for when selecting a partner for secure web hosting services. The examination includes a discussion of the various secure hosting options offered by reliable vendors. The guide also reviews WordPress hosting plans that address the large WordPress user base.

Overview of Web Hosting Services and Secure Web Concepts

Web hosting services provide customers with the infrastructure and associated technologies required to host websites and web applications on the Internet. Hosting providers typically offer multiple hosting options designed to meet the needs of a varied client base. These options range from free domains with limited security to highly secure dedicated server hosting.

Businesses running an e-commerce site or processing sensitive or regulated data need hosting that prioritizes data security and reduces the risk of data breaches. Secure website hosting also supports SEO because search engines favor HTTPS sites in rankings and may penalize unsecured websites. Strong hosting security also helps preserve brand trust and customer loyalty when breach risks arise.

Prospective web hosting customers should consider the following core security pillars when evaluating a provider.

  • Physical and infrastructure security, including hosting from a secure data center.
  • Network security features such as firewalls, segmentation, and DDoS mitigation.
  • Application security with web application firewalls and input validation.
  • Data and platform protection with strong encryption and identity and access management, including two-factor authentication.
  • Malware and anomaly monitoring, detection, and incident response.
  • Backup and recovery with automated backups, immutable storage, and disaster recovery plans.
  • Automated patch and vulnerability management.
  • Multi-tenant isolation to protect sensitive data resources.

Types of Hosting: Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and More

Organizations should select the hosting solution that best suits their business requirements and objectives from the following primary hosting options.

  • Cloud hosting: A website consumes computing resources from a cluster of servers to ensure reliability and resilience. This approach protects customers from traffic spikes with autoscaling, but can be challenging to manage efficiently; some managed platforms build on infrastructure such as Google Cloud. For teams that need more flexibility than shared plans, cloud VPS hosting is a common step up.
  • Shared hosting: In shared web hosting, customers share resources such as RAM, CPU, and bandwidth with other tenants. A basic shared hosting plan is usually the lowest-cost entry point, but storage and bandwidth are often more limited. A shared hosting plan exposes the client to potential performance degradation due to traffic spikes from other tenants and to security risks if another tenant is hacked.
  • Dedicated servers: Companies that host web applications on dedicated servers can fully tailor the resources to address business requirements and objectives. A dedicated server can be configured to provide the most secure hosting service, but it requires a technically skilled team to manage it effectively.
  • Free web hosting: Some hosting providers offer free plans suitable for home users and for testing business applications, and they can also suit a static site during testing. These plans are not appropriate long-term solutions for critical systems or sensitive data resources, but are ideal for development work or testing creative ideas.

Average pricing is roughly $2 to $23 per month for shared hosting, $2 to $110 per month for VPS hosting, and $47 to $540 per month for dedicated hosting.

Some plans advertise unlimited bandwidth or unmetered bandwidth to handle growth and traffic spikes, while others set visitor or data transfer limits.

Reseller hosting is another option for users or companies that want to buy hosting services and sell them to others.

Managed Hosting and Managed WordPress Options

Managed hosting providers handle various technical aspects related to implementing and maintaining a website, which can make a hosting account easier to manage. Organizations often choose managed hosting services to address a lack of skilled staff or to devote more focus on core business activities. Some managed plans also support multiple websites under one account. Managed hosting options enable single users or small businesses to create and manage a secure website or WordPress site.

The best web hosts also make setup simple with a clear purchase flow and an intuitive dashboard for managing hosted websites.

While managed hosting services minimize the need for technical skills, some tradeoffs may make them inappropriate for some customers. A self-managed hosting solution gives the customer more control over aspects such as security, performance, and data protection.

Security Features to Look For in Hosting Providers

Customers should search for web hosting providers that offer at least the following basic security features for secure servers.

  • The provider should automatically issue SSL/TLS certificates to ensure data encryption.
  • Customer data should be protected through automatic backups, with copies stored separately from the production infrastructure.
  • A secure web hosting provider will implement the necessary intrusion detection and prevention security tools, supported by proactive monitoring with 24/7 human or AI-driven oversight for unusual activity and intrusion attempts.
  • On shared plans, account isolation should keep user directories strictly separated so a compromised neighboring site cannot leak into yours.
  • Companies need DDoS protection to prevent malicious threat actors from overwhelming a website with a large volume of automated requests.

DDoS Protection and Network Defenses

DDoS protection and network defenses are elements of secure web hosting. DDoS mitigation levels protect different aspects of the web hosting environment.

  • Layer 3/4 focuses on network and transport attacks by performing deep packet inspection, rate limiting, and preventing malicious traffic from reaching the server.
  • Layer 7 focuses on application-specific threats and includes behavioral analysis, WAF rules, and bot management to restrict access to legitimate traffic.
  • The optimal approach is to cover all bases with Layer 3-7 to protect the infrastructure and applications.

Secure hosting plans should include effective traffic-scrubbing methods to route incoming traffic through scrubbing servers or centers. The goal is to filter out malicious packets and only forward legitimate traffic to the server.

A reliable provider will protect its secure web hosting solutions with network redundancy and effective failover procedures to maintain application availability in the event of a DDoS attack.

Web Application Firewalls and Malware Scanning

Businesses can secure their web applications with a web application firewall (WAF), and many providers pair it with a malware scanner. A WAF provides security at the application layer, augmenting standard network firewalls by identifying threats in real time before they can impact a website. Core protections offered by a WAF include:

  • Blocking common exploits such as SQL injections, remote file inclusion, and cross-site scripting;
  • Inspecting payload components for suspicious patterns or behavior;
  • Stopping automated attacks such as credential stuffing and application-layer DDoS attacks.

Customers should request malware scanning reports from prospective providers to verify that the site is protected effectively. Some providers also bundle a WordPress security plugin to further harden applications. Reliable hosting providers will also confirm that automatic patching and vulnerability scanning solutions are in place.

How To Evaluate Hosting Providers And Find The Most Secure Hosting

Prospective web hosting customers must adopt a methodical approach to determine the provider with the best secure web hosting services when comparing SiteGround with other hosting companies. Decision-makers can make an informed choice of a secure web hosting provider by following the steps below.

Create a checklist to compare the security-focused aspects of prospective cloud hosting vendors. The checklist should cover basic security features, such as encryption, as well as advanced solutions, such as malware scanners. Compare uptime guarantees against the 99.9% industry standard, and note that some providers offer 99.99%.

Potential secure web hosting providers must be scored objectively based on the security features they offer and independently tested response times, with strong hosts often averaging under 200 milliseconds and weaker ones exceeding 1 second. Companies cannot be overly influenced by factors such as price when searching for a secure hosting partner. Introductory discounts often require commitments of one to four years. Shared hosting renewal pricing also commonly rises by $10 or more per month after the initial term.

Organizations can verify a web hosting provider’s ability to deliver a secure platform by reviewing their compliance certifications and third-party security audit reports. These certifications provide customers with evidence that the provider can address their secure hosting requirements. Look for the following specific certifications.

  • ISO/IEC 27001 is a globally recognized standard that proves a data center manages information and physical security effectively.
  • SOC 2 Type II audits verify that secure web hosting services address the trust principles of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
  • Companies processing regulated data need to confirm that their provider meets specialized compliance standards, such as HIPAA for healthcare information and PCI DSS for credit card data.

Teams should compare response times for various incident types affecting website and application security. Reliable providers will guarantee their web hosting services through strict service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure system security and availability.

WordPress Site And Website Builder Considerations

WordPress is a very popular content management system (CMS) for websites and web applications. It enables teams to create and manage websites without extensive coding. Companies that rely on the platform should look for a provider that offers dedicated WordPress hosting plans, especially for e-commerce sites.

Businesses with limited technical resources should strongly consider managed WordPress hosting. Their hosting provider is then responsible for managing the website, allowing customers to focus on running their core business. Managed hosting plans enable companies to utilize the provider’s skilled staff for optimal WordPress performance.

WordPress users can minimize a site’s attack surface and security by using plugins sparingly. Plugins are executed directly within a website’s environment, providing threat actors with additional entry points for malicious activity. Each additional security plugin or general plugin can increase the attack surface if it is poorly maintained. Fewer plugins typically equate to a lower risk of exploitation.

Teams must use plugins intelligently when they provide specific required features. Plugins should only be installed from reputable developers. Users should avoid cracked plugins that may be infected with malware. Inactive plugins should be deleted from the environment to improve security by eliminating potentially exploitable vulnerabilities.

Teams should adopt these plugin hardening best practices:

  • Enabling automatic updates or checking for updates regularly to avoid outdated and vulnerable plugins;
  • Limiting the users who can install or modify plugins;
  • Avoiding pirated plugins that present an elevated risk of exploitation by threat actors.

Companies may be motivated to use a website builder to streamline the site’s design and functionality. Teams must understand the security tradeoffs associated with using a website builder. The tool’s convenience must be seen in the context of developing a secure web hosting solution. Here are some potential issues with website builders.

  • Vendor lock-in can expose a site to risk if the underlying platform is targeted for exploitation.
  • Businesses have no visibility into specific security features and cannot modify code to address unique requirements.
  • Open source website builders may rely on abandoned plugins that introduce security vulnerabilities.

Organizations should strongly consider the following backup cadence to protect their specific type of WordPress hosting environment.

  • The databases on e-commerce sites should be backed up hourly or replicated in real time. Full site files should be backed up daily to safeguard against a site crash.
  • Teams should back up databases on active blogs and news sites daily, and back up full site files weekly or after updates.
  • Static sites should be backed up monthly or whenever changes are made.
  • Teams should always initiate an on-demand backup before updating WordPress files, themes, or plugins.

Migrating A WordPress Site Securely

Companies that need to migrate a WordPress site securely should follow these best practices. An optimal migration will incur zero downtime and result in a secure site creation at the new destination.

  • Teams should begin with pre-migration hardening activities, including updating all WordPress code and plugins, deleting inactive plugins, deactivating security plugins, and turning off caching plugins.
  • Perform a full, off-site backup to local, secured storage.
  • Choose a reliable, secure migration plugin, or move files manually via SFTP or SSH. Export the database and store the file in a secure location.
  • Create the new server environment that is inaccessible to the public using a temporary staging area. Generate a new database and import the exported SQL file to the new host. Delete all residual files after the import is complete.
  • Update credentials and cycle the WordPress security salts to generate new, unique keys. Teams should configure file permissions to prevent access from unauthorized entities.
  • Perform a complete inspection of all staged components in preparation for a live cutover.
  • Update database references, validate the SSL certificate, and point nameservers to the new host. Reduce the DNS Time-to-Live (TTL) before the move to propagate changes quickly.
  • Re-enable security software, such as firewalls and malware scanners, on the new live site.

Free Web Hosting: Risks And When To Use It

Free web hosting provides customers with a cost-effective way to run a website or content delivery network. Some plans include a free domain or a free domain name for the first year, but that promotional value does not offset weak security. A free provider typically does not offer the essential security features required to support a business website. Hosting companies typically provide the reliable security measures businesses require with paid hosting plans.

Companies concerned with the security of their websites should only use free hosting for testing. Teams can use a free website to optimize applications and add new features before introducing them to the production site. The security limitations of free options make them a risky choice for processing sensitive data or supporting e-commerce sites.

Customers opting for free hosting services should choose a provider that offers free TLS/SSL certificates to encrypt their web traffic. Encryption is one of the most basic security features and is necessary to protect data from unauthorized use. A company can use a provider that offers free SSL certificates as a temporary measure until it moves to a paid, more secure web hosting plan, especially since domain offers are often limited to certain extensions or initial signup periods.

Performance, CDN, And Cloud Hosting Optimizations

Companies can increase site speed and deliver information efficiently with a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN leverages a distributed network of servers to cache data closer to users. This concept reduces latency and leads to a more satisfactory user experience. Teams can adopt two distinct approaches to data caching.

  • Cache-aside: An application checks the cache first to service a request. If the data does not currently reside in the cache, it is fetched from the database and then stored in the cache for future use.
  • Write-through: This caching writes data to the database and cache at the same time. It slows down the operations but keeps the cache continually updated.

Cloud computing provides avenues enabled by virtually limitless computing resources. Companies can implement autoscaling to ensure they always have sufficient capacity to handle traffic spikes while reducing resource utilization to minimize costs when possible.

Dedicated Hosting Security Hardening Checklist

Organizations should implement the following best practices to harden dedicated hosts for which they have control over security tools and policies.

  • Teams should enforce SSH key access, which uses cryptographic key pairs to log in to the server rather than traditional credentials that threat actors may compromise.
  • Administrators should apply all OS and software patches promptly to address known vulnerabilities.
  • Companies should segment networks to keep sensitive data and applications separate from less critical resources.

FAQs And Common Security Troubleshooting

Q: What is the most secure type of web hosting?

A: The most secure hosting services are provided with dedicated servers that eliminate the security risks in a shared environment. Customers have complete control over a dedicated, physical server and can implement application and security stacks aligned with their business requirements.

Q: How can teams mitigate an ongoing DDoS attack?

A: The following steps should be taken to mitigate an ongoing DDoS attack.

  • Reroute incoming traffic through a cloud-based protection service.
  • Implement rate limiting to cap the number of requests from specific IP addresses.
  • Scale cloud resources to handle traffic spikes and distribute requests across multiple servers.
  • Perform blackhole routing to prevent all traffic from reaching the targeted server.
  • Enable strong WAF rules to identify and restrict traffic from malicious bots.
  • Engage the cloud provider’s incident response team for specialized assistance.

Q: What are the expected costs for advanced security features and data protection?

A: Companies should expect additional charges for advanced security features and data protection. The fees are typically based on the organization’s size and the number of users or systems to be protected. Examples include data loss prevention software and advanced endpoint threat detection and protection.

Next Steps for Secure Web Hosting

Customers seeking a secure web hosting solution should begin by evaluating their security requirements and choosing from among shared, cloud, and dedicated server options. Once they have determined the secure hosting approach that best suits their business, they can compare vendors to identify the best web hosting services and develop a migration plan.

Atlantic.net offers customers a wide array of options, including dedicated servers, bare-metal servers, cloud hosting plans, HIPAA and PCI-compliant servers, and VPS hosting. The company’s expert technical teams provide excellent customer support and secure managed hosting services that let you concentrate on running your business. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you create and manage a secure web hosting solution.