We generally talk about speed and performance when we discuss web hosts. The most obvious demand anyone looking for a web hosting partner has is speed. All other factors take a backseat as the first thing we expect from our hosting partner is to deliver blazing fast website speeds.
It is more interesting to consider one factor we rarely delve deep into – security. All of us have some idea about the need for a secure website. We’ve seen enough movies and read ample news stories about websites getting hacked by malicious external parties. Security must thus occupy equal if not greater importance than speed.
Part of the reason security remains a less popular deciding factor when choosing a web host is knowledge. We can judge a web host based on speed because it is easy to measure it. A website is either fast or it is not.
Security is a much more complicated matter and brings a lot of technicalities into the picture. WordPress bloggers for instance may not know the vagaries of web security.
The stakes for security could have never been higher for WordPress users. The AppMySite mobile app builder helps users create an app in minutes using their WordPress websites as a base. In effect, your web security can also have a deep impact on your app security in the long run.
In this piece, we discuss how you can identify a secure web hosting partner for your WordPress blog.
#1 – Two factor authentication
Two factor authentication (2FA) is a system where users have to provide their credentials through two different factors before accessing their account.
You must have noticed how Gmail verifies your identity with a prompt on your mobile phone when you log-in on a different device than usual. This happens after you’ve already entered your password. Gmail does this to secure your account from someone who gains access to your password.
This is a classic example of two-factor authentication – once with a password and a second time with your mobile device.
2FA can secure your WordPress website from hackers who gain access to any one of your login credentials. Before selecting a web host for your WordPress blog, check if it offers two-factor authentication as a security measure to protect your website.
#2 – Vulnerability scanning
Vulnerability scanning in the context of web security refers to the practice of looking for weak points in the security infrastructure of a website. The entire point of identifying these vulnerabilities is fixing them so that a malicious hacker doesn’t exploit them.
Vulnerability scanning is fairly common in the world of cybersecurity. Companies tend to hire ethical hackers all the time to identify vulnerabilities in their digital systems.
Good web hosts carry out vulnerability scans all the time to identify vulnerabilities that a black hat hacker might exploit. Ask your web host about vulnerability scanning next time you’re looking for a hosting partner for your blog.
#3 – Threat detection and blocking
Bloggers rarely consider the possibility of their blog getting hacked seriously. This is partly because they don’t think any hacker has malicious intent to specifically harm their blog.
It is only after an attack happens that bloggers upgrade their security infrastructure.
The only silver lining here is that bloggers don’t have to wait for someone to hack their blog to understand the value of web security. There are ample real-life examples of bloggers losing everything overnight because of DDos attacks and other kinds of cyber threats.
For a simple WordPress blogger with no intensive knowledge of cybersecurity, detecting cyber threats and blocking them is impossible. This is why it is best to choose a web host that continually detects and blocks cyber threats that threaten a website.
#4 – Data security
On the off chance a malicious party gets access to your website, the first thing you want to do is protect your data. This is essential to thwart hackers from manipulating and stealing your data in case they manage to break through your security infrastructure.
Data security is very important in case your website collects a lot of user data. When you collect data from users, you have to take responsibility for its protection from malicious parties.
This is where data encryption is very helpful. Even if hackers manage to bypass your security measures, they cannot manipulate your data because it is encrypted.
You should make sure the web host you select for your WordPress blog follows high data encryption standards.
#5 – Managed WordPress hosting
It is much easier to protect a WordPress blog if it is hosted in a WordPress environment. Thus, one simple way to ensure web security for your blog is selecting a managed WordPress host.
There are many types of cyber-attacks that can send your blogging career for a tailspin. Managed WordPress hosts protect you from a range of threats, from garden-variety DDos attacks to other serious threats.
Yes, managed WordPress hosts are expensive when compared to generic shared hosts. The choice however is between top notch security and the constant fear of getting hacked.
Dedicated WordPress hosts are better from a security perspective because they are specially designed for WordPress. These hosts understand all the vulnerable entry points and possible weaknesses malicious hackers might exploit at any given point in time in a WordPress environment.
WP Engine – A secure web host for your WordPress blog
WP Engine is a secure and reliable managed WordPress host serving 90K clients in over 140 countries. You can deliver fast and memorable WordPress experiences to your audience with WP Engine powering your website.
There are many managed WordPress hosting services in the market. WP Engine stands out because of the level of freedom it affords to customers to go on and build a fantastic website for their business. A Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 86 only highlights the satisfaction of WP Engine customers with their hosting provider.
WP Engine is peerless amongst other hosting providers when it comes to ensuring web security.
- Threat detection and blocking – On an average, WP Engine blocks 1.5 billion cyber threats every month.
- Highest security standards – Modelled on an ISO 27001 framework, the WP Engine Security Program meets the top security standards in the cybersecurity space.
- Data security – Protects website data with data encryption. Also enables users to manage accessibility with advanced user permissions and two-factor authentication.
- Vulnerability scanning – Regular scans to find weak points that might be exploited by malicious black hat hackers.
WP Engine also comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. You can thus invest in a great hosting partner for your WordPress website without worrying about the risk of losing money.
AppMySite users can alternatively purchase the WordPress web hosting add-on. Doing so will also migrate your website to WP Engine and contribute to making a faster WordPress mobile app.
In conclusion
Web security is never the first thing that comes to mind of an average WordPress blogger. Most bloggers think about website speed and cost when choosing a hosting partner.
However, the interdependency of WordPress websites and apps due to free online app makers like AppMySite makes security important. This piece provides a top-down analysis on how to select a secure website host for your WordPress blog.
