Ensuring the security of your Plesk hosting environment is essential to protect your data, prevent unauthorized access, and safeguard your websites from potential attacks. Plesk provides robust tools and options to secure your server, but implementing additional best practices can further enhance your security posture. Here’s a comprehensive guide to securing your Plesk hosting effectively.

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

  • Why: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step during login, making it harder for unauthorized users to access your account. We've found the best Laravel Hosting Providers for you.
  • How: Go to Tools & Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication and enable it. Use an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy to complete the setup.

2. Regularly Update Plesk and System Components

  • Why: Updates often include critical security patches that protect against the latest vulnerabilities.
  • How: Regularly check for updates by navigating to Tools & Settings > Updates. Enable automatic updates for Plesk and system packages if possible, to ensure you’re always protected with the latest security fixes.

3. Secure Your Login Credentials

  • Why: Strong passwords are essential to prevent brute-force attacks and unauthorized access.
  • How: Use complex, unique passwords for your Plesk account and ensure password strength requirements are enforced across all user accounts. Use a password manager to store your credentials securely and change passwords periodically.

4. Limit Admin Access

  • Why: Reducing the number of people with admin access decreases the risk of security breaches due to compromised accounts.
  • How: Limit administrative privileges only to essential personnel. Create restricted user accounts with the least privileges necessary to perform tasks. Go to User Accounts to manage and adjust roles as needed.

5. Configure and Enforce IP Access Restrictions

  • Why: IP restrictions can limit access to your Plesk panel from specific IP addresses, adding a layer of security against unauthorized attempts.
  • How: Go to Tools & Settings > IP Access Restriction Management and set rules to allow access only from trusted IP addresses or ranges. Also read Cloudean Infotech LLP reviews 

6. Enable Fail2Ban for Intrusion Prevention

  • Why: Fail2Ban is a powerful tool that protects against brute-force attacks by blocking IP addresses after a specified number of failed login attempts.
  • How: In Plesk, go to Tools & Settings > IP Address Banning (Fail2Ban) and activate it. Customize the settings for banning time and maximum retry attempts to suit your security requirements.

7. Use SSL/TLS Certificates for Encryption

  • Why: SSL/TLS encrypts data transmitted between your server and users, protecting sensitive information like login credentials and personal data.
  • How: Go to Websites & Domains > SSL/TLS Certificates and enable SSL for each domain. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain free SSL certificates for your websites or install custom certificates from your SSL provider.

8. Enable ModSecurity Web Application Firewall (WAF)

  • Why: ModSecurity is a web application firewall that helps protect against common threats such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
  • How: In Plesk, go to Tools & Settings > Web Application Firewall (ModSecurity) and enable it. Use the “OWASP” rule set for comprehensive protection, and adjust settings based on your website’s needs.

9. Implement Secure File Permissions

  • Why: Proper file permissions prevent unauthorized access and modifications to your website files.
  • How: Ensure that directories have a permission of 755 and files have 644. In Plesk, you can use the File Manager to adjust permissions for each file and directory. Avoid setting permissions to 777, as this gives unrestricted access.

10. Install and Use Anti-Malware Tools

  • Why: Anti-malware tools scan your server for malicious files and help prevent infections.
  • How: Use Plesk’s ImunifyAV extension (available in the Extensions catalog) to scan your websites and detect malware. For advanced protection, consider upgrading to Imunify360, which includes proactive malware protection, firewall, and other security features.

11. Configure Backups and Regularly Test Restores

  • Why: Regular backups allow you to restore your data in case of a security breach or system failure. Also check out the best Windows hosting providers
  • How: Go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager to configure automatic backups. Store backups on an external server or cloud storage to protect against local attacks and data corruption. Periodically test restoring backups to ensure they’re functional.

12. Harden Your PHP Settings

  • Why: PHP is commonly exploited in web attacks; configuring it securely reduces vulnerability.
  • How: In PHP Settings under each domain, disable unused functions like exec, shell_exec, system, and eval. Also, set display_errors to “Off” in production environments to prevent error messages from revealing sensitive information.

13. Monitor and Log Server Activity

  • Why: Monitoring server activity can alert you to suspicious behavior and potential threats.
  • How: Use Plesk’s Log Browser under Tools & Settings to regularly check for unusual activities, login attempts, or errors. Enable email notifications for specific events to keep you informed in real time.

14. Use Network Firewall and Antivirus Protection

  • Why: A firewall filters incoming and outgoing traffic, while antivirus software helps detect and eliminate malicious files.
  • How: Enable the Plesk firewall under Tools & Settings > Firewall and configure rules to restrict unnecessary ports. Additionally, install an antivirus extension like Dr. Web Antivirus from the Plesk Extensions catalog for added protection.

15. Enable Cloudflare or Other CDN for DDoS Protection

  • Why: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can overload your server and bring down your website. A CDN with DDoS protection mitigates these attacks.
  • How: Configure your website to use Cloudflare or a similar CDN service, which acts as a buffer between your server and incoming traffic. This reduces server load, improves site speed, and protects against DDoS attacks.

16. Keep Installed Extensions Secure and Updated

  • Why: Outdated or vulnerable extensions can be exploited, leading to security risks.
  • How: Regularly review and update installed extensions through the Extensions section in Plesk. Only install extensions from reputable sources and periodically check for updates to avoid vulnerabilities.

17. Use Strong SSH Security Practices

  • Why: SSH access to your server can be exploited if not secured properly.
  • How: Disable root login for SSH and create a separate user account for administrative access. Use key-based authentication instead of passwords and change the default SSH port from 22 to a non-standard port.

18. Educate Your Users

  • Why: Human error is often the weakest link in security. Educating users reduces the risk of accidental data exposure.
  • How: Ensure users follow strong password practices, use 2FA, and understand security best practices. Encourage regular updates to software and applications to reduce vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Securing your Plesk hosting environment requires a multi-layered approach that combines strong authentication, updated software, robust firewall settings, and regular monitoring. By following these best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches, improve performance, and maintain a secure environment for your websites and applications.