What You Should Do Immediately For Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is Cyber Security awareness month and all of our customers can use this month to take immediate action to their hosting accounts.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking on the Security Panel at the annual cPanel Conference in Houston, Texas.

During my talk as well as the conference as a whole, I spoke with many other web hosting providers and vendors where we all discussed this very important topic.

The main thread amongst everyone was that customers don’t do enough when it comes to securing their web hosting account(s).

Because of this, they’re quick to blame the web host when their account becomes compromised.

At NameHero we’re very committed to the security of our network and our customer accounts.

However, there are some vital steps that should also be taken by our customers to ensure an even safer web hosting experience.

I encourage everyone to please use this list and make sure you’ve completed the following:

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication on your NameHero account
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication on your cPanel and/or Web Host Manager
• Check all WordPress installations and make 100% sure you’re not using the username ‘admin’ on any of them.
• Install WordFence Security plugin on all WordPress installations
• Make sure all WordPress core files, themes, and plugins are ALWAYS running the latest version
• Use a password manager and ensure you’re always using STRONG passwords on all logins
• Regularly scan your computer for malware/viruses

If you aren’t doing these seven simple things, you’re leaving your website at risk to be exploited.

99% of the time an account is compromised through the following (in this order):

• WordPress admin login
• IMAP/Email account login
• FTP account login
• cPanel account login

If your web hosting account is ever compromised, I will bet the house, one of the above items have not been completed.

I’ve filmed a video tutorial where I discuss all of this:

At NameHero we strive to keep a secure environment by performing complimentary nightly Malware scans, running a strict set of ModSecurity/firewall rules (ever had your IP blocked?), and various other network hardening measures.

However, you can GREATLY help yourself by taking a proactive approach to your own account’s security.

I’ve said many times, we always believe we can improve at NameHero, and that’s why we’re focusing greatly over the next several weeks on increasing our proactive security measures even more.  But these are all things you can do today (in under an hour) that will ensure your account is safe, secure, and always online.

Feel free to ask questions below, I’d be more than happy to help your or provide my input!

Ryan Gray

Ryan Gray is the founder and CEO of NameHero, one of the fastest growing independent web hosts in the United States. Ryan has been working online since 1998 and has over two-decades experience in Internet Entrepreneurship.