Security Red Flags That Show Your Website Has Outgrown Basic Hosting

Basic hosting services have been developed for small, branded websites that typically require limited traffic, predictable workloads, and low security risks. However, choosing a dedicated server with instant delivery benefits them more in the long run.

However, as a business matures and expands its customer base, it becomes increasingly exposed and vulnerable to the latest threats posed today, which have become highly organized, aggressive, and sophisticated. As a website starts dealing with sensitive data (e.g., credit card numbers, personal identifying information), developing complex processes or handling increasing traffic goes beyond basic hosting solutions.

There are several clear indicators when a small business should get managed dedicated hosting services to run their business seamlessly. If a small business recognizes these areas early on, it can help mitigate and prevent the business from facing the inconveniences of downtime, data compromise, or long-term loss of reputation.

Red Flag 1: Increase in Website Activity

As one of the first signs of “trouble,” website visitors who repeatedly show up as “of interest” have repeated high-level usage. All users who access a basic website on a basic service share the same limited resource group.

Hence, once a basic website experiences a sudden influx of traffic (as a result of growth or an attack), it creates a moment when that particular basic hosting service can’t manage the increased number of users on that website.

For example, computer hackers utilize bot computers to maximize their ability to conduct unsuccessful cyberattacks on smaller/easier-to-target websites. It is this type of activity that can potentially expose small business owners to being hacked and having sensitive data stolen.

Red Flag 2: Unusual Traffic Patterns

If the traffic logs on your website indicate an abnormal spike in traffic coming from a certain IP range or from foreign countries on a regular basis, your website is then susceptible to brute force attacks, credential stuffing, and DDoS attacks. If you have an enhanced hosting environment that includes firewalls, rate limiting, and dedicated resource plans, it is a beneficial idea to use those tools to filter malicious traffic before it hits your application.

Red Flag 3: Continuing Login Attempts and Credential Attackers

Basic hosting typically does not provide the application security layers necessary to identify and deter aggressive login patterns. If your website is the victim of repeated failed login attempts, uncommon administrative activity, and emails notifying you of a compromised password, these are all indications that your website has been identified by someone as an easy target.

Since there is no server-level protection in basic hosting, attackers can use brute force tools to cycle through thousands of passwords in just a few seconds. Enhanced hosting solutions offer application isolation, IP blocking rules, and intelligent authentication guards that can prevent the automated logging in of users until after an attack has occurred and escalated.

Red Flag 4: Slow Performance During Peak Traffic

Performance issues related to hosting services are not always a result of technical problems. Performance issues can also indicate that a website has security deficiencies. Slow page loads during peak business hours mean that a website is under attack from bots, is being scanned for zero-day vulnerabilities, or is overwhelmed with automation scripts searching for vulnerabilities on that particular server.

When a server becomes overloaded, the performance of the security tools installed on it becomes severely compromised. Slowdowns during busy times are an indication that the hosting plan does not have sufficient resources.

Red Flag 5: Malware or File Modification Alerts

Unexpected changes in added files, changes in scripts, or receiving alerts about malware are evidence that a hosting site has begun to become a target for hackers. Entry-level hosting often has shared resources included, resulting in a higher risk due to the potential for vulnerabilities on one website potentially impacting others using the same server.

If web pages begin to redirect users to unknown websites, or new administrators appear without permission, or if unusual PHP files appear in core folders, the hosting site has likely surpassed the security capabilities of a standard basic entry-level. Advanced hosting options frequently provide customers with automated backup services, continuous malware scanning, file integrity monitoring, sections for isolated server accounts, and elimination options.

Red Flag 6: Lack of Backup and Restoration

As a website/business grows, so does the risk of data loss and the potential financial impact of that loss. The backup and restore services for low-end hosting providers, which typically offer only weekly backups and limited storage space, are not enough to protect a business in today’s environment. Online retailers, SaaS/startup businesses, and membership sites all need daily or hourly backups and multiple restore points to ensure that their business is operating with the highest level of integrity.

Today, there is a significant need for new hosting solutions that provide the ability to back up on an immediate basis with the capability for disaster recovery, multiple backup locations, and the utilization of automated retention policies for the business.

Red Flag 7: Limits on Cyber Security Solutions

All of the cybersecurity solutions, such as firewalls, bot protection, 2-factor authentication, rate limiting, and malware scanners, run on server resources. If you have a Basic Hosting account, your cybersecurity solutions cause the website/application performance to suffer or fail to work properly due to CPU or memory limitations.

Final Thoughts

Websites experiencing growth in traffic, complexity, or importance can’t continue to exist solely on shared hosting solutions. With the high demand and increased traffic, websites face security threats due to bots, malware, decreased performance, and compliance needs.

These problems show that the current hosting provider is unable to properly protect the website moving forward (growth of the website). Upgrading website hosting plans to trustworthy service providers like MilesWeb’s dedicated servers offers additional layers of protection, high-potential servers, and increased security technology assets to support long-term digital success.