ModSecurity is a plugin for Apache web servers that acts as a web application layer firewall. It is used to stop attacks towards script-driven websites through the use of security rules that contain specific expressions. That way, the firewall can prevent hacking and spamming attempts and preserve even Internet sites which aren't updated regularly. For example, a number of failed login attempts to a script admin area or attempts to execute a specific file with the purpose to get access to the script shall trigger certain rules, so ModSecurity shall block these activities the minute it discovers them. The firewall is quite efficient because it tracks the whole HTTP traffic to a site in real time without slowing it down, so it can stop an attack before any damage is done. It additionally keeps a very thorough log of all attack attempts which contains more info than standard Apache logs, so you can later analyze the data and take further measures to increase the security of your Internet sites if required.
ModSecurity in Cloud Website Hosting
ModSecurity comes by default with all cloud website hosting solutions which we provide and it will be activated automatically for any domain or subdomain that you add/create inside your Hepsia hosting CP. The firewall has three different modes, so you could activate and disable it with only 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 stop them. The log for any of your sites shall contain comprehensive info such as the nature of the attack, where it came from, what action was taken by ModSecurity, etcetera. The firewall rules which we use are constantly updated and comprise of both commercial ones that we get from a third-party security firm and custom ones our system admins add in case that they detect a new type of attacks. That way, the websites which you host here shall be way more protected without any action required on your end.
ModSecurity in Semi-dedicated Servers
ModSecurity is a part of our semi-dedicated server packages and if you decide to host your Internet sites with us, there shall not be anything special you will have to do since the firewall is turned on by default for all domains and subdomains you add via your hosting Control Panel. If necessary, you'll be able to disable ModSecurity for a particular Internet site or enable the so-called detection mode in which case the firewall will still function and record info, but will not do anything to prevent possible attacks against your sites. In depth logs shall be readily available in your CP and you shall be able to see which kind of attacks took place, what security rules were triggered and how the firewall dealt with the threats, what Internet protocol addresses the attacks originated from, etcetera. We employ 2 types of rules on our servers - commercial ones from an organization which operates in the field of web security, and customized ones that our administrators sometimes add to respond to newly found risks promptly.
ModSecurity in VPS Servers
Protection is vital to us, so we install ModSecurity on all VPS servers which are set up with the Hepsia CP as a standard. The firewall can be managed via a dedicated section inside Hepsia and is turned on automatically when you include a new domain or generate a subdomain, so you'll not need to do anything personally. You shall also be able to deactivate it or turn on the so-called detection mode, so it'll keep a log of possible attacks that you can later analyze, but shall not stop them. The logs in both passive and active modes contain details about the form of the attack and how it was stopped, what IP it came from and other useful information that might help you to tighten the security of your websites by updating them or blocking IPs, for example. On top of the commercial rules which we get for ModSecurity from a third-party security enterprise, we also use our own rules because occasionally we discover specific attacks that are not yet present in the commercial package. This way, we can easily increase the security of your VPS right away instead of awaiting a certified update.
ModSecurity in Dedicated Servers
ModSecurity is provided as standard with all dedicated servers that are set up with the Hepsia CP and is set to “Active” automatically for any domain which you host or subdomain you create on the web server. Just in case that a web application does not operate adequately, you may either turn off the firewall or set it to work in passive mode. The second means that ModSecurity shall maintain a log of any potential attack that could take place, but will not take any action to stop it. The logs generated in passive or active mode will provide you with more details about the exact file that was attacked, the type of the attack and the IP address it originated from, and so forth. This data shall permit you to choose what measures you can take to increase the protection of your sites, including blocking IPs or performing script and plugin updates. The ModSecurity rules that we use are updated often with a commercial pack from a third-party security enterprise we work with, but oftentimes our admins include their own rules also when they discover a new potential threat.