What a firewall is and whether your hosting includes one

Introduction

A firewall is one of the most important tools for protecting a website and a server. Its role is to filter connections, block suspicious traffic and reduce attacks before they affect your account.

In hosting, a firewall helps protect services such as the website, email, FTP and the control panel.

What a firewall is

A firewall is a system that decides which traffic can enter or leave a server or network.

It works as a security barrier:

• It allows legitimate connections.
• It blocks suspicious attempts.
• It filters known attacks.
• It reduces automated access.
• It helps prevent service abuse.

It is not a complete solution on its own, but it is a key part of hosting security.

Types of firewall in hosting

Network firewall

It protects the server by filtering connections at the network level. It can block IPs, ports or suspicious traffic patterns.

Web application firewall (WAF)

A WAF analyzes requests to applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Prestashop or web forms. It helps block attacks such as SQL injection, plugin exploitation attempts and malicious requests.

Personal device firewall

It is also important to have a firewall active on your computer. If your device becomes infected, hosting passwords could be stolen.

Does my hosting include a firewall

Yes. At miHosting we use firewalls on all our servers as part of the service’s baseline protection.

That means the infrastructure filters malicious traffic, blocks suspicious patterns and tries to stop attacks before they affect your website, email, FTP or control panel.

As an operational reference, more than 300 million attacks are blocked every month across our infrastructure. That figure helps show why a firewall is not an optional extra, but an essential hosting security layer.

In practice, protection at miHosting does not depend on a single rule. It is combined with other measures such as WAF protection, abusive IP blocking, account isolation, SSL and security monitoring.

Even so, server security does not replace good user practices. If a password is stolen, the device you use to log in is infected or the website runs a vulnerable plugin, the risk still exists.

Which attacks a firewall can help block

A firewall can help mitigate:

• Automated vulnerability scans.
• Brute-force login attempts.
• Malicious requests to CMS platforms.
• Suspicious traffic from blocked IPs.
• Known exploits.
• Abuse of forms or scripts.

In many cases, these blocks happen before you even notice a problem. That is why much of a firewall’s work is preventive and silent.

What a firewall cannot do

A firewall cannot fully protect you if:

• You use weak passwords.
• Your WordPress installation or plugins are outdated.
• You install pirated themes.
• You share access without control.
• Your computer has malware.
• You assign incorrect file permissions.

Security needs to work in layers.

Useful tips

• Keep your website updated.
• Use unique passwords.
• Enable 2FA whenever possible.
• Delete plugins and themes you do not use.
• Make regular backups.
• Do not ignore malware warnings.
• Review CMS administrator users.

Common problems

I cannot access the panel

Your IP may have been blocked because of failed attempts or suspicious activity.

Before contacting support, check:

• Whether you entered the wrong password several times.
• Whether an email app, FTP client or mobile device is still trying to connect with old credentials.
• Whether the problem happens only from one specific network.

If it still fails, contact support with your domain and public IP so we can review the block.

My website still receives spam

If you mean web forms, the firewall helps, but it is not always enough on its own. You should also protect forms with CAPTCHA, validate input and avoid unsafe scripts.

If you mean email spam, then spam filtering, domain reputation and correct email configuration also matter.

I was hacked even though there is a firewall

That can happen if the attack comes in through valid credentials, a vulnerable plugin or files that were already compromised.

Frequently asked questions

Does a firewall make my website invulnerable

No. It reduces risks, but it does not replace updates, secure passwords and backups.

What is a WAF

It is a firewall specialized in web applications. It analyzes HTTP requests and blocks malicious patterns.

Do all miHosting servers have a firewall

Yes. At miHosting we use firewalls on all our servers as part of the infrastructure’s baseline protection.

Should I install a security plugin in WordPress

It can be useful, but do not overload the website with plugins. Choose a reliable one and keep it updated.

Can the firewall block my IP

Yes, if it detects too many failed attempts or suspicious activity. In that case, contact support.

Conclusion

A firewall is an essential protection layer for your hosting, and at miHosting it is part of every server we run.

We block more than 300 million attacks every month across the infrastructure, but the best protection still comes from combining that defense with an updated website, secure passwords, backups and a clean personal device.