Backups, FTP & Security in cPanel
A little housekeeping in cPanel keeps a site recoverable and secure. This covers the three that matter most: backups, file transfer, and locking down private areas.
Backups
In the Files section, open Backup (or Backup Wizard). You can create:
- A full account backup (everything), or
- A partial backup (just your home directory, databases, or email forwarders).
The important step is to download the backup so you hold a copy off the server. A backup that only lives on the same server will not help if the server itself has a problem.
FTP accounts
FTP lets you or a developer connect with an FTP client to upload and manage files. In the Files section, open FTP Accounts, create an account, and (optionally) scope it to a specific folder so it cannot touch the rest of the site.
Where it is offered, prefer SFTP (secure FTP), it encrypts the connection, unlike plain FTP.
Password-protecting a directory
To put a login prompt in front of a folder (handy for staging areas or private downloads), open Directory Privacy in the Files section, select the folder, enable protection, and add a user and password.
Set it and forget it
Backups only help if they are recent and stored safely, which is easy to let slip. Our WordPress Monitoring and managed hosting run scheduled backups and security for you, so you never have to remember to.
