Getting started with website security using cWatch
cWatch is a comprehensive website security solution designed to help protect websites against malware, vulnerabilities, web application attacks, and other online threats. By combining advanced security capabilities, including malware scanning, automated cleanup, vulnerability detection, a Web Application Firewall (WAF), real-time threat monitoring, and CDN acceleration, cWatch provides multiple layers of security to help support website protection, availability, and performance.
This guide introduces the available cWatch license options, explains the importance of website security, highlights key security benefits, and provides an overview of how to access and manage the cWatch dashboard.
What types of cWatch product plans are available?
The following cWatch plan types are available:
- CWatch Premium
- CWatch Defend
- CWatch 911
Why does your website need cWatch security layers?
Modern websites face a variety of security and operational risks, including malware, web application attacks, software vulnerabilities, and performance-related issues. cWatch is designed to help organizations identify and address these risks through a layered approach that combines security monitoring, threat detection, and mitigation capabilities within a unified platform.
Malware protection and automated cleanup
cWatch performs scheduled malware scans of website files and, for eligible license tiers, may automatically remove detected malware. The platform uses multiple detection technologies to help identify potential threats, enabling website owners to review and address security issues that could affect website integrity and availability.
Vulnerability scanning
The platform scans websites for potential vulnerabilities, including issues associated with the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 security risks and certain WordPress-related weaknesses. Identified vulnerabilities can be reviewed and remediated to help reduce the risk of exploitation and support an organization's overall security posture.
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
cWatch includes a Web Application Firewall (WAF) designed to help identify and filter potentially malicious traffic, including activity associated with common web-based threats such as SQL injection attempts and unwanted bot traffic. Firewall rules are regularly updated to help address emerging threats and support website security monitoring and risk management efforts.
Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC)
The Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) monitors website event logs and analyzes security-related activity to help identify potential threats. When suspicious activity is detected, cWatch may generate alerts and apply available response measures, where applicable, to help support incident response and risk mitigation efforts.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
In addition to its security-related capabilities, cWatch includes a Content Delivery Network (CDN) designed to support website performance by delivering content through geographically distributed servers located closer to website visitors. The CDN can help improve content delivery efficiency and availability while complementing other capabilities available within the platform.
Trust and visitor confidence
cWatch provides website trust seals that indicate certain security-related activities, such as malware scanning and monitoring, have been performed. These seals can help communicate a website's commitment to maintaining security practices and provide visitors with additional information about the website's security measures.
Accessing the cWatch website security
- Log in to your account.
- Go to DOMAINS and select a domain for which you want to assign to the cWatch plan.
- Scroll down, then tap cWatch from the left-hand menu.
- Click View Your cWatch Dashboard.
- Be sure to select the correct domain from the drop-down menu before proceeding to monitor firewall activity or configure firewall settings.
- You can now start managing cWatch.