Top 7 Web Hosting Security issues in 2025

This year, web hosting was not smooth sailing. It was a little frightening, actually. A huge number of sites were hacked into, and some large corporations failed and injured their users.

I've been hosting sites for years, and even I was shocked at how many issues arose in just a few months. Let me take you through the 7 top web hosting security issues of 2025.

1. Bluehost's DNS Issue – Visitors Were Redirected to Phony Sites​

In March, Bluehost websites began to redirect individuals to spoofed pages. Hackers had changed the DNS configurations (these determine where your website points).

What happened?

•Admin dashboard was hacked into.
•Two-step security (such as an OTP) was not in place.

Lesson? Use two-step verification for your domain settings at all times.

2. HostGator Private Logs Were Leaked – Passwords Revealed​

HostGator did something wrong. Open log files were posted on the internet, and anyone could view them. They had private information such as emails and passwords included.

What went wrong?

• Incorrect server settings.
• Regular checks were not performed.

What to do? Make logs private. Never keep passwords in plaintext.

3. SiteGround Got Hit by a DDoS Attack – Websites Went Down​

SiteGround was attacked with a massive DDoS attack. This is when spammers flood a site with unwanted traffic to bring it down. A couple of sites were down for 3 days.

What went wrong?

• Their design was not able to handle the attack.
• There was no fallback defense.

Tip: Implement a good CDN or backup design to handle such attacks.

4. GoDaddy Got Hacked Again – Users Were Redirected​

GoDaddy too experienced a glitch. Hackers injected malicious code on customer websites that redirected visitors to malware websites.

What went wrong?

•Bugs in legacy admin tools.
•Customer data not properly isolated.

Reminder: Legacy systems must be updated. And customers shouldn't interfere with each other.

5. DreamHost Backup Leak – Hackers Stole Everything​

Hackers broke into DreamHost's backup mechanism. They stole copies of full sites, email, and databases.

What went wrong?

• Backups weren't locked with encryption.
• Hackers in from a spoofed link in an email.

Tip: Encrypt backups. And don't follow suspicious emails.

6. DigitalOcean Token Leak – Secret Keys Went Public​

A inadvertent web publication of API tokens (secret keys) was executed by a script. They would have provided hackers with customer accounts.

What went wrong?

• Debug logs made available to the internet.
• No token reset process was implemented.

What to do? Do not store sensitive information. Always have a key reset policy in place.

7. A2 Hosting Employee Misused Access – Trust Was Lost​

A2 Hosting employee abused their access to manipulate customer sites and insert spam.

What went wrong?

• Below the required level of access granted to an individual.
• No warning for suspicious behavior.

Recommendation: Monitor employee activity and implement strict permissions.