How Hosting Providers Protect Websites from Cyber Attacks
Hosting providers do more than host your websites on their servers. They also help protect your website through robust cybersecurity measures. Or, at the very least, they should.
After all, around 2,200 cyberattacks are conducted every day. Honestly, no website is completely safe from the risk of being attacked.
And so when choosing hosting providers, it’s becoming even more important to go with one that prioritizes cybersecurity. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 key ways a good hosting provider protects websites.
1. Regular Software and Hardware Updates
Things are constantly evolving in cybersecurity (and tech as a whole). Cybersecurity experts and cyber attackers are constantly in a game of cat-and-mouse, each trying to think of new ways to out-maneuver the other.
Because of this, it’s crucial for hosting providers to ensure that both their software and hardware are up-to-date and ready to deal with the latest threats. They should have regular security patches, for example, to minimize potential entry points for web attackers.
2. Implementation of SSL/TLS Certificates
Today’s websites should have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates. These certificates ensure that any data transmitted between a user and the server is encrypted and remains confidential.
Because SSL and TSL certificates are critical for data security, search engines will also not prioritize those without them. And so they’re not only essential for security, they’re also a must-have for SEO, marketing, and visibility.
It’s a given for any hosting provider worth considering to offer SSL/TLS certificates to their clients.
3. Robust DDoS Protection
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aim to overwhelm servers and render websites inaccessible. They’re one of the most common ways hackers attack websites, with over 8 million DDoS attacks recorded in the first half of 2025 alone.
Hosting providers should have strong DDoS protection measures in place. For example, they must have robust traffic monitoring and analysis systems that allow them to identify and block malicious traffic before it affects the server.
4. Regular Data Backups
The truth is that no hosting provider is infallible and thus completely immune to cyberattacks (if they were, then everyone would flock to them).
Good hosting providers know this, and while they should always prioritize prevention, they should also conduct regular and secure data backups for their websites.
So when a security breach does happen, websites can swiftly be restored from these data backups to their pre-attack state. This minimizes website downtime and reduces any damage caused by the breach.
5. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs)
Hosting providers use WAFs to serve as a barrier between a website and the traffic it receives.
The WAF is programmed to have certain policies in place, which it then uses to determine which traffic is malignant and which is malicious. In effect, it doesn’t let any unauthorized data leave the website.
It monitors and filters this traffic, blocking malicious activities such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS).
6. Secure File Transfer Protocols
Hosting providers’ servers should also include a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) that works seamlessly with their firewall systems.
Like SSL/TSL certificates, an SFTP provides another layer of encryption for the data that is sent out and received by the website.
7. Strong Password Policies and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Yes, even hosting providers need to remember the basics.
It may seem obvious that weak passwords are a no-no, but they’re still the most common way hackers breach systems and databases.
Hosting providers need to enforce long, complex passwords – longer and more complex than is even suggested to normal internet users. They should also use MFA to ensure that servers and websites don’t get breached even if primary passwords get compromised.
8. Continuous Network Monitoring
Effective protection is proactive protection. Hosting providers need to continuously monitor their systems and networks to detect and respond to suspicious activities ASAP.
The earlier anomalies and attacks get spotted and contained, the better the website’s chances are of staying untouched. Or at the very least, the less damage they can do.
9. Employee Training and Awareness
The truth is that most of these cybersecurity protocols are not new. Everyone involved in IT and cybersecurity knows them in theory.
But there will always be human error involved, and they remain a top reason for security breaches. Hosting providers provide ample and consistent training to their employees to ensure they work as effectively and efficiently as possible.
This includes educating them about the latest trends in cybersecurity, as the industry and technology are constantly evolving.
10. Incident Response and Recovery Plans
Despite the most robust of preventive measures, breaches can still occur. Hosting providers need to have a structured and comprehensive incident response and recovery plan in place that:
- Minimizes damage;
- Contains the threat ASAP;
- Recover as much data as possible;
- Learned from the threat to update its existing protocols.
If you discover that a hosting provider has no such plan and assures you that your website will never get breached, then this is a huge red flag.
Conclusion
More and more website owners are taking their cybersecurity seriously. It’s really no surprise that VPN online download rates, for example, have sharply risen.
As powerful as these individual measures can be, choosing a hosting provider with a proactive and multifaceted approach to protecting your website is still paramount.
