If you run a web hosting reseller business, ensuring your servers are secure should be your top priority. Unfortunately, websites face frequent cyberattacks—over 30,000 sites are hacked daily!
As a reseller web host, it’s your responsibility to protect your reseller hosting server from these online threats. This article shares some important tips to help secure your best reseller hosting services.
What is Reseller Web Hosting?
Reseller web hosting allows you to start your own web hosting reseller business by renting server space from a larger web hosting company.
You can then use tools like cPanel to divide that server and create unique web hosting plans to sell to your own customers at your desired prices. As the web hosting reseller, you manage the customer accounts and tech support and ensure good uptime, speed, and security.
Reseller Web Hosting Server Security Tips
1. Offer SSL Certificates
SSL certificates encrypt data transfers between websites and browsers, preventing hackers from intercepting sensitive information like passwords or payment details. Offering free SSL/TLS certificates from Let’s Encrypt to all your customers is an easy way to improve their security and gain trust. It also helps boost SEO rankings.
2. Use a CDN
A content delivery network (CDN) reduces the load on your servers by caching and delivering website files from a global network of servers instead of just your origin server. This reduces potential attack vectors. Many CDN providers like Cloudflare offer free basic services that improve security via DDoS protection. Paid CDN tiers add more security features, too.
3. Implement a Web Application Firewall
A web application firewall (WAF) like ModSecurity protects websites by inspecting and blocking malicious traffic, such as SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and other common hacks. Around 60% of cyberattacks target the application layer, so using an up-to-date WAF is crucial for your web hosting reseller program’s security. Managed hosting providers can help maintain it.
4. Use Control Panel Isolation
Your web hosting reseller control panel, like cPanel, hosts multiple customer accounts on the same server. However, unstable scripts or malware in one account can affect all others. Solutions like CloudLinux create isolated environments and resource limits per account, preventing “noisy neighbors” from disrupting other customers’ services.
5. Update Software Regularly
Keeping software components like the operating system, control panel, CMS, plugins, etc., updated with the latest security patches is vital to prevent the exploitation of known vulnerabilities. As a hosting reseller, you may lack time or skills, so opt for a managed hosting provider that handles core software updates.
6. Run Security Scans
Frequently scan your servers and customer websites for security flaws and malware using tools like:
- Sucuri Site Scanner for malware
- SSL Labs for certificate issues
- ConfigServer Firewall for firewall hardening
- Mozilla Observatory for general website security
7. Two-Factor Authentication
2FA, or two-factor authentication, adds extra security by requiring a one-time code or token in addition to the password when logging in. To prevent unauthorized access, enable 2FA for all hosting accounts, customer portals, and your own hosting reseller backend.
Conclusion
As a web hosting reseller offering the best reseller hosting services, protecting your server from online threats is critical for your hosting reseller business success and customer satisfaction.
Implement the security measures above, like SSL, CDNs, firewalls, software updates, isolation, and more, to harden your server security. Most importantly, choose a reputable managed hosting provider that prioritizes security for their reseller hosting partner programs.