A hosting provider should include HTTPS support, firewall protection (ideally a WAF), DDoS mitigation, automated offsite backups, malware monitoring, and strong account access controls as baseline security features.
For most Orlando and Central Florida businesses, hosting security is about reducing three common risks: site takeover (malware or hacked admin accounts), downtime (attacks or storms), and data exposure (forms, customer records, appointment requests, client documents). Your host does not replace good website hygiene, but a solid host gives you guardrails so one mistake does not turn into a disaster.
Security features your host should provide
| Feature | What it protects | What to ask the host | Minimum for most local sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTPS and SSL management | Stops data interception on logins, forms, and checkouts | Do you issue SSL automatically and renew it without manual work? Do you support HSTS? | Free SSL, auto renewal, forced HTTPS |
| Web application firewall (WAF) | Blocks common attacks like SQL injection and cross site scripting | Is a WAF included? Is it tuned for WordPress and common plugins? | Always on WAF ruleset |
| DDoS protection and rate limiting | Reduces outages from traffic floods and bot abuse | What DDoS mitigation is included? Do you offer rate limiting for login and forms? | Network level DDoS + basic rate limiting |
| Automated backups with offsite storage | Fast recovery from hacks, bad updates, or human error | How often are backups taken, where are they stored, and how long is retention? How fast is restore? | Daily backups, offsite, at least 14 days retention, one click restore |
| Malware scanning and file integrity monitoring | Catches hidden backdoors and altered files | Do you scan for malware automatically and alert us? Do you help with cleanup? | Daily scanning + alerts |
| Patch management for server software | Closes known vulnerabilities in OS, PHP, database, and web server | Who applies security patches, and what is the patch window for critical issues? | Host handles OS and stack patching |
| Account security controls | Prevents account takeover and unsafe file access | Do you support MFA for hosting login? SFTP and SSH keys? Can FTP be disabled? | MFA available, SFTP, SSH keys |
| Isolation between sites and customers | Limits damage if another site on the server is compromised | How do you isolate accounts on shared plans? Containers or separate users? | Per account isolation, no shared permissions |
| Logging, monitoring, and incident support | Faster detection and cleaner recovery | Do you provide access logs and admin audit logs? Is there 24/7 monitoring and security response? | Logs available + 24/7 incident support |
Florida specific angle for data incidents
If you collect personal information from Floridians, breach response speed matters. Florida’s breach notification rules can move quickly once a breach is confirmed, so you want a host that can provide clear logs, help you identify what changed, and support rapid restoration from clean backups. Even if your host is not the cause, slow forensic access and slow restores turn a small event into a business problem.
If you are in healthcare, dental, or legal
If your site stores or processes sensitive records (patient details, intake forms with medical info, client documents, payment data), ask about encryption for databases and backups, access logging, and tighter admin controls. For healthcare or anything involving ePHI, you typically need a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with any provider that stores or processes that data, so do not assume a normal web host is a fit just because they say “secure.”
For WordPress sites, we usually recommend managed WordPress hosting when security and uptime matter, because the host can handle server patching, hardened WordPress settings, and recovery support without putting that workload on your team.
HTTPS is not only about privacy. It also affects trust signals and can impact how your site is treated in browsers, which is why we cover it in does HTTPS affect SEO?
If your host adds security layers like WAF rules or traffic filtering, you still want fast load times, since slow sites lose leads. This ties into how website speed affects SEO.
If you want a quick gut check, pull your hosting invoice and control panel login, then verify the host can answer the “what to ask” column above in plain language. If they cannot, or if backups and MFA cost extra add ons, it is usually time to switch before something breaks.
