What is Leech protection
It is very important that you consider the security of your online presence, as more and more sensitive information finds its way online. With the increasing rate of internet users, there is also a high risk to the security of any information that is held online.
Fortunately there are a growing number of applications and software that are designed to protect you and your website from a number of different security threats. Leech Protection is one of such applications. This feature can be found in your cPanel interface.
It is basically a built-in cPanel security feature designed to prevent users from publicly sharing their website login credentials (a practice known as “leeching”). It limits how many times an account can be logged into a password-restricted directory within a two-hour window.
When to Use Leech Protection
You should enable Leech Protection if your website:
1. Has password-protected directories (e.g., through Directory Privacy).
2. Offers member login access or subscription-based content.
3. Experiences multiple login attempts from the same user account.
4. Needs to restrict excessive or unauthorized logins.
Following Steps will Guide you to Enable Leech Protection in your cPanel:
STEP 1: Log in to cPanel .
STEP 2: In the Security section, click on Leech Protection.
STEP 3: A list of your website’s directories will appear. Browse through your directories and Edit beside the folder where you want to enable protection.
STEP 4: Once selected, you’ll be taken to the configuration page.
STEP 5: On the configuration page, you’ll find several options to customize your protection:
Set Login Limits: Enter the number of allowed logins per username within a 2-hour period (for example, 5 logins). If the number of logins exceeds this limit, the system will treat it as a possible leech attempt.
Redirect URL: Enter the URL where you want users to be redirected if they trigger Leech Protection (for instance, a warning or error page).
Send Email Alerts: Enable this option to receive an email notification whenever Leech Protection is triggered. Add your email address in the provided field.
Disable Compromised Accounts: Check this box to automatically suspend any user account that exceeds the login limit.
Once you’ve configured these settings, click Enable to activate Leech Protection for that directory.
Once you’ve configured these settings, click Enable to activate Leech Protection for that directory.
Watch the video below for a guide on how to enable Leech Protection in your cPanel: