Host multiple websites in your single hosting account at your own risk!!!

This article is about a security risk that a web hosting account holder may not be aware of, and it concerns using too many websites in a single hosting account. Many things could go wrong.

Before we go into detail, here is an idea about the situation in question.

Your single hosting account

Your hosting plan might allow you to have a lot of domains in your account. This may sound like a good deal. But it does come at a price. Normally, someone with that kind of hosting plan will have one main site that is prioritized over all the others. This is the site you rely on for driving traffic and building your online presence. 

But your hosting plan also allows you to add more domains in this account, which you may do for various purposes – for a business idea, as a testing site, or a blog site maybe. Regardless, you will have a lot of CMS instances on this hosting account.

About the security risk

Now that your account houses a lot of domains, you will be tending to it. But you may not be able to invest a lot of time to care for all the domains. You will eventually prioritize the ones that need constant updates, or focus mostly on your main traffic-driving website. 

Overtime, the ones you don’t use much will go outdated. The add-on instances become vulnerable to security threats. They will be more like doors that could be easily pried open by hackers. Once they are in, they can contaminate other domains in the account, in turn compromising your whole hosting account in a matter of minutes. 

Hackers always look for vulnerabilities they can manipulate for easy infiltration. And a lot of outdated websites make it easy for them. 

What you can do

Most hosting providers do their part to secure your account and the domains under it. But even with all their security precautions, unless you don’t do your part, your account would eventually become susceptible to attacks. This is why web hosting providers recommend keeping your software updated. 

The optimal method is to keep only the necessary files, plug-ins and themes that make your website functional like you need it to. Using multiple domains is advised only if they all conform to the business you are doing, and can be managed regularly. You should be able to track those sites and keep them updated and secure. Regular audits will also help.

Most hosting providers recommend opening new accounts to add other domains that are different from your business. This way, you can also close those accounts when or if those business options aren’t viable anymore. Create an archive for files from older domains, and delete CMS files for a sturdier security. 

End-note

You may think all this would only apply if your domain gets infected by a virus. But that’s not the idea. No web hosting provider can completely shield you from threats. It should be considered as a matter for when your domain will get infected by viruses. Regular maintenance and separate hosting accounts for domains significantly reduces security risks.