Security
Website security tends to get attention only after something goes wrong — a defaced homepage, a blacklisted domain, a frantic call to support. Most of that can be avoided with three layers of protection that should be standard on any hosting plan, not premium add-ons. Here's what each one actually does.
Layer 1: SSL — encrypting the connection
An SSL certificate encrypts the data traveling between your visitor's browser and your server, which is why secure sites show "https://" rather than "http://" in the address bar. Without it, information submitted through your site — login details, payment forms, even simple contact forms — travels in a form that could be intercepted.
Beyond the direct security benefit, browsers now actively flag "http://" sites as "Not Secure," which visibly damages trust before a visitor reads a word of content. Search engines also treat SSL as a baseline signal, meaning an unencrypted site is quietly disadvantaged in rankings too.
What to check: your host should issue and auto-renew SSL certificates for free, through a system like Let's Encrypt, with no manual renewal required on your part. If your host charges extra for basic SSL or requires you to reinstall it periodically, that's worth reconsidering.
Layer 2: Backups — the undo button for disasters
Backups are the layer people appreciate the least until they need it the most. A bad plugin update, a failed migration, a hacked account, or simple human error can all be undone in minutes if a recent backup exists — and can cost days of lost work if one doesn't.
A reasonable backup setup includes automatic daily or weekly backups (frequency should match how often your content changes), backups stored somewhere other than the same server, so a hardware failure doesn't take out the backup along with the original, and an easy way to restore a backup yourself, without submitting a support ticket and waiting.
What to check: log into your hosting dashboard and confirm backups are actually running, not just theoretically available. Many hosts include backups in every plan but require you to enable them manually.
Layer 3: Firewalls and malware monitoring — the perimeter
A web application firewall filters incoming traffic before it reaches your site, blocking common attack patterns like SQL injection attempts and known bad actors, while malware scanning checks your existing files for signs of compromise. Together, these catch a large share of automated attacks, which make up the majority of threats small and mid-sized sites actually face — most attacks aren't targeted, they're bots scanning the internet for known vulnerabilities.
What to check: ask whether firewall protection and malware scanning are included by default or require a separate security product. Some hosts sell these as premium add-ons; on a well-run host, they should be part of the baseline service.
A few habits that reinforce all three layers
- Keep software updated. Outdated CMS cores, themes, and plugins are the single most common entry point for automated attacks — most exploited vulnerabilities are ones a patch already existed for.
- Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication on your hosting account, domain registrar, and CMS admin login — three separate doors that all deserve separate locks.
- Limit admin accounts to the people who actually need them, and remove access promptly when someone no longer does.
Security isn't one feature you turn on — it's several layers that each catch what the others miss. A firewall doesn't help if you have no backup; a backup doesn't help if your credentials are already compromised.
All Aeroneave plans include free SSL, automated backups, and firewall protection by default — no upsell required. If you'd like us to review your current setup, our support team is happy to take a look.