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How to activate HSTS Security for my website

1. Introduction and Summary of the Manual

This manual offers a detailed explanation of how to activate HSTS in your Hosting service, now managed through SWPanel. HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) is a security protocol that forces web connections to be made exclusively through HTTPS, protecting users from man-in-the-middle attacks and insecure connections.

This manual is designed for users who are looking to reinforce the security of their hosting services by activating HSTS, and is clearly structured so that they can follow each stage of the process without difficulty.

2. General Description of the Process

Activating HSTS on your hosting service reinforces the security of web requests, forcing browsers to establish connections only through HTTPS. The essential information is presented below:

Greater security: Avoids insecure HTTP connections.
Protection against attacks: Minimises the risk of interception and man-in-the-middle attacks.
User confidence: Improves the professional image of the site by always guaranteeing an encrypted connection.
Regulatory compliance: Helps in compliance with security and data protection regulations.
Redirect optimisation: Avoids unnecessary redirects from HTTP to HTTPS, improving speed on repeat visits.

Note: To activate HSTS, your hosting must have an SSL certificate. You can consult the following manuals on installing SSL certificates in your SWPanel:

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3. Steps to activate HSTS in SWPanel

3.1 Accessing SWPanel and Searching for the Service

To start the process, you must access your SWPanel and enter the name of your hosting service in the search window at the top. Once you find your service, click on its name to access its Dashboard.

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The screenshot is for illustrative purposes. It was taken on version 2025.003.0007 dated 10/04/2025. It may differ from what the current version of SWPanel shows

3.2 Location of the Available Improvements in the Dashboard

Once inside the Dashboard of your server, locate the available improvements block. Here you will find the option to activate the HSTS Security for Web improvement.

enter image description here

The screenshot is for illustrative purposes. It was taken on version 2025.003.0007 dated 10/04/2025. It may differ from what the current version of SWPanel shows

3.3 Confirmation of HSTS Activation

To finalise the process, click on the button marked Yes, activate. After a few moments, the HSTS protocol will be active on your hosting service.

enter image description here

The screenshot is for illustrative purposes. It was taken on version 2025.003.0007 dated 10/04/2025. It may differ from what the current version of SWPanel shows

Glossary

Below is a glossary of the most important words and concepts in the manual. Each term is linked to the section of the manual where its use or definition is detailed:

Word/Concept	Definition and Details
HSTS	Security protocol (HTTP Strict Transport Security) that forces the use of HTTPS connections, protecting against interception attacks.
SSL	Certificate that encrypts web communication, an essential requirement for activating HSTS.
Dashboard	Control panel where the configurations and improvements of the hosting server are managed.
Man-in-the-middle	Type of attack in which a third party intercepts the communication between the user and the server, possible if HTTPS is not used.