Real WordPress Security

When it comes to hosting a WordPress site, one thing you'll inevitably hear is that your host takes security seriously. However, the truth is often far from it. Most hosts make grand claims about their security measures without actually putting their money where their mouth is. The reality is, if your site does get hacked, be prepared for remediation fees that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

These high fees are often sold as additional security plans, which can range from a few hundred to several hundred dollars per year on top of your hosting costs. Don't be fooled by the low initial price – look at the renewal costs, and you'll quickly realize that these plans are nothing more than a money-grab.

It's heartbreaking to hear stories of non-technical individuals being forced into these high fees to fix something their host should have prevented in the first place. The truth is, most hosts don't take security seriously enough, leaving their customers to foot the bill for their mistakes.

But there is hope. When your site is powered by WP.cloud, you can expect a much different level of security. Because hacks are so incredibly rare, the total cost of ownership or being a WP.cloud-powered host is significantly lower when factoring in human time. In other words, while it may appear more expensive upfront, the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs.

One company that's doing things right is Pressable, which is powered by WP.cloud. They have a comprehensive landing page on malware cleaning and hack recovery that outlines their security strategy in detail. What's even more impressive is that if your site gets hacked, they'll fix it for free – no additional costs or fees.

WordPress has made significant strides over the years to improve hosting industry standards. From upgrading PHP and MySQL to advocating for user rights and freedoms, the company has done its part to promote security and responsibility in the hosting space.

However, there's still room for improvement. One area where WordPress can excel is by making auto-upgrades – not just for core but also for plugins and themes – a standard feature across all hosts. Jetpack already offers this service for free, so it's puzzling why some hosts charge exorbitant annual fees for the same service.

I hope that security and auto-upgrades become the new standard in the hosting industry. It's time for companies to put their money where their mouth is and prioritize the security and well-being of their customers. Until then, it's up to us as users to demand better from our hosts and support those who do things right.