ModSecurity is a plugin for Apache web servers that acts as a web app layer firewall. It is employed to prevent attacks against script-driven sites by using security rules that contain particular expressions. In this way, the firewall can stop hacking and spamming attempts and protect even sites that aren't updated often. For instance, several failed login attempts to a script administrative area or attempts to execute a certain file with the purpose to get access to the script shall trigger particular rules, so ModSecurity will block these activities the second it detects them. The firewall is very efficient because it screens the entire HTTP traffic to a site in real time without slowing it down, so it can prevent an attack before any harm is done. It also maintains a very thorough log of all attack attempts that features more info than conventional Apache logs, so you can later analyze the data and take further measures to improve the security of your websites if needed.

ModSecurity in Hosting

ModSecurity comes by default with all hosting plans that we supply and it shall be activated automatically for any domain or subdomain you add/create inside your Hepsia hosting CP. The firewall has three different modes, so you could activate and deactivate it with just a mouse click or set it to detection mode, so it'll maintain a log of all attacks, but it shall not do anything to prevent them. The log for each of your sites shall feature detailed information including the nature of the attack, where it originated from, what action was taken by ModSecurity, and so on. The firewall rules we use are frequently updated and include both commercial ones which we get from a third-party security firm and custom ones that our system admins add in case that they detect a new kind of attacks. In this way, the websites which you host here shall be a lot more secure with no action required on your end.

ModSecurity in Semi-dedicated Hosting

All semi-dedicated hosting plans that we offer feature ModSecurity and because the firewall is turned on by default, any site which you set up under a domain or a subdomain will be secured straight away. An independent section within the Hepsia CP which comes with the semi-dedicated accounts is dedicated to ModSecurity and it shall allow you to stop and start the firewall for any website or activate a detection mode. With the latter, ModSecurity will not take any action, but it will still detect possible attacks and will keep all info inside a log as if it were fully active. The logs can be found within the very same section of the CP and they include info about the IP where an attack originated from, what its nature was, what rule ModSecurity applies to identify and stop it, etcetera. The security rules which we employ on our web servers are a mix between commercial ones from a security firm and custom ones developed by our system administrators. For that reason, we provide greater security for your web programs as we can defend them from attacks even before security businesses release updates for new threats.

ModSecurity in Dedicated Hosting

ModSecurity is provided as standard with all dedicated servers which are set up with the Hepsia CP and is set to “Active” automatically for any domain which you host or subdomain that you create on the server. In case that a web app does not function adequately, you could either disable the firewall or set it to function in passive mode. The second means that ModSecurity shall keep a log of any potential attack which may take place, but will not take any action to prevent it. The logs generated in passive or active mode will present you with additional details about the exact file which was attacked, the nature of the attack and the IP it originated from, etc. This information shall permit you to decide what measures you can take to enhance the safety of your websites, including blocking IPs or performing script and plugin updates. The ModSecurity rules that we employ are updated frequently with a commercial package from a third-party security provider we work with, but oftentimes our staff add their own rules as well if they find a new potential threat.