Key facts
- Server and PHP security patches applied by dijitul
- Firewall and brute-force login protection
- Malware scanning on the server
- Cloudflare proxy hides your server IP and filters bad traffic
- Free SSL with HTTPS enforced
- Daily backups, kept for 14 days, for recovery
- Hacked site clean-up available on quote
How small business sites get hacked
Almost no small business website is targeted personally. They're found by automated bots scanning millions of sites for known weaknesses. The common routes in are:
- Out-of-date plugins, themes, modules or CMS core.
- Weak or reused admin passwords.
- Old, unmaintained code with known vulnerabilities.
- Leftover files: old backups, test scripts or installers on the live server.
- Outdated server software or PHP versions without security support.
Good hosting closes as many of these doors as it can, and makes recovery fast if one is left open.
What we do at server level
- Patching: operating system, web server, database server and PHP kept updated.
- Firewall: only the ports that need to be open are open.
- Brute-force protection: repeated failed logins to SSH, FTP, mail and the control panel result in blocks.
- Malware scanning: files checked for known malicious code.
- Isolation: each site runs under its own system user, so a problem on one site can't spread to another.
- Backups: daily, kept for 14 days. See website backups.
Cloudflare in front of your site
Because we manage your DNS in Cloudflare, your site sits behind Cloudflare's proxy. That hides the server's real IP address, absorbs a lot of junk traffic and lets us add firewall rules, such as challenging bots that hammer login pages or blocking requests for files that should never be public. Combined with free SSL in Full (strict) mode, traffic is encrypted from the visitor to the server.
Older sites: secure enough to keep running
We host older websites, including some on older PHP versions. We're honest about the trade-off: older software carries more risk. Our approach is to isolate each legacy site, put stricter Cloudflare rules in front of it, remove anything unused, and plan a path to a supported version. That's usually safer than a rushed rebuild or a host switching PHP off overnight. See legacy PHP hosting.
If your site has been hacked
- Don't panic or delete everything. Evidence helps find the hole.
- Change admin, hosting and database passwords.
- Contact us on 01623 650333 or info@dijitul.uk.
- We'll find the entry point, clean or restore the site, fix the weakness and harden it.
Clean-up of sites not yet hosted with us is quoted. Ongoing hosting is £1 a day + VAT. See also website rescue.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my website has been hacked?
Common signs are unexpected redirects, spam pages appearing in Google, new admin users, strange files, browser or Google Safe Browsing warnings, or your host suspending the site. dijitul can check, clean and secure a hacked site, and host it securely for £1 a day + VAT.
What makes web hosting secure?
Patched server software, a firewall, brute-force protection, malware scanning, isolation between sites, SSL, regular backups, and a team who acts on alerts. dijitul's managed hosting covers all of these, with Cloudflare in front of every site.
Does Cloudflare protect my website from hackers?
It helps by filtering bad traffic, hiding your server IP and letting you add firewall rules. It can't fix vulnerable plugins or weak passwords on the site itself. dijitul combines Cloudflare with server-side security and backups.
Is it safe to host a website on an old PHP version?
It's riskier, because old PHP versions no longer get security fixes. It can be managed short term by isolating the site, tightening firewall rules and planning an upgrade. dijitul hosts older sites this way where it's safe to do so.
What should I do first if my website is hacked?
Change all passwords, keep a copy of the site for investigation, and contact your host. Restoring a clean backup and fixing the entry point is often quickest. dijitul offers hacked site clean-up on a quoted basis.
Do small business websites really get hacked?
Yes, regularly. Bots scan every site they can find for known weaknesses, so size doesn't protect you. Keeping software updated and hosting with a provider that patches and monitors the server reduces the risk a great deal.
Related
Set it up and forget about it
Managed hosting, Plesk, Cloudflare DNS, daily backups and your domain for £1 a day + VAT. We move your site for you.