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Configure Firewall & CDN

GOAL: The goal of this article is to assist with configuring your Firewall & CDN. If you have any issues, please see the related Frequently Asked Questions article, and if your question is still not answered, don't hesitate to reach out to SiteLock Support for more assistance, or to have one of our support agents complete the configuration on your behalf.
 

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Requirements

We recommend having the following information prior to configuration. Please note that SiteLock Support is more than happy to complete these steps on your behalf if provided the necessary access.
 

Access to DNS Management:

  • What is it? - Admin level access to the server where your DNS is managed.
  • How do I know where my DNS is managed? - If you have one single hosting account and have never migrated services to another company, then your DNS is likely managed in the same control panel as your website. However, it's possible - and surprisingly common - to have your website hosted by one company, but the DNS managed by another company.
  • What if I Need Help? - The first thing you should do is use an DNS Lookup tool like https://who.is/. Enter your domain, then select the DNS Records tab below your domain and look for the record type "NS". These are the name servers for your domain, and this is where your DNS is directly managed.

NOTE: If you want SiteLock Support to assist with configuration, we may require temporary access to make changes to your DNS on your behalf.
 

(Optional) Downloaded SSL Certificate:

This step is optional because not all websites have SSL certificates. If your website does not use https, you can skip this section, but we strongly recommend that you consider an SSL, as it secures all data that your customers input - it protects your reputation and your customer's information!

  • What is it? - Most websites have an SSL certificate, which allows their URL to use https and secure data entered into their website by visitors.
  • How do I find it? - Your SSL certificate is installed in the server that your website files are hosted on. If you have access to cPanel via your hosting account, official cPanel documentation can help you locate the SSL for download: https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/security/guide-to-ssl/
  • What if I Need Help? - If you need help locating your SSL, you should work with your website admin/developer or the host directly. SiteLock can complete the process on your behalf, but if you want to complete the process on your own, then your web host can assist with locating the correct SSL for your website.

NOTE: If you want SiteLock Support to assist with configuration, we will require temporary access to both DNS Management and Hosting Control Panel (if they're different).

Where to Access Firewall & CDN Settings

Navigate to the SiteLock Dashboard > Firewall Activation

To access the firewall setup, you can click Set Up next to Firewall & CDN or navigate to Setup Wizard > Firewall Activation directly:

Step 1: Manage SSL

To ensure SSL traffic is routed through the firewall, follow the prompts on Step 1 to validate domain ownership and install your SSL certificate to the firewall.

  • Click Enable SSL.

  • Navigate to your DNS Zone Editor and Create a New TXT Record.

    Use the copy icon in the dashboard to copy the TXT Value and then paste it to the new TXT record you just created.
    Note: It may take up to 24 hours for the new txt record to propagate and allow verification.

  • Once verification is completed, the Firewall Activation page should look like this:
  • Click Continue.

Step 2: Manage Routing

Next, follow the Setup Wizard instructions and edit your DNS to route traffic through the Firewall and CDN. Please note that in some cases it can take up to 24 hours for these DNS changes to propagate and be recognized by the SiteLock dashboard.

  • First, remove A RECORD and CNAME records which point to your current host IP and apex domain respectively.
  • Next, add the A RECORD and CNAME records as indicated.
  • Click I've completed these steps.

By making the above changes, you will effectively be routing traffic that hits your domain through the SiteLock Firewall & CDN. This is where the SiteLock Firewall implements security settings like blocking bad bots from visiting your website or applying any of the general security settings you have control over - like blocking entire countries from accessing your website! Legitimate traffic is the routed to your website.

Terms Explained

A RECORD

  • This type of DNS record points a sub-domain or domain to an IP address. For example, if you wanted to point sitelock101.com to 66.235.200.147, you would create or modify an A RECORD to do so.

CNAME

  • This type of DNS record points a sub-domain or domain to another sub-domain or domain. For example, if you wanted to point www.sitelock101.com to sitelock101.com, you would create or modify a CNAME record to do so.

HOSTNAME

  • This represents the sub-domain or domain that points to the VALUE. For example, if you pointed www.sitelock101.com to sitelock101.com via CNAME, then www.sitelock101.com would be the HOSTNAME.

VALUE

  • This represents the sub-domain or domain that the HOSTNAME points to. For example, if you pointed www.sitelock101.com to sitelock101.com via CNAME, then sitelock101.com would be the VALUE.

For more information about modifying DNS records, please see the official cPanel documentation:

You can also reach out to your DNS Host for assistance in changing DNS records to reflect SiteLock DNS, or reach out to SiteLock directly to request that we complete this process on your behalf.