cWatch: Security Scans

To keep your website secure, regular scanning is essential—and cWatch offers three ways to do so: Website Scan, Server‑side Scan, and Vulnerability Scan.

 

On this page

• Three types of cWatch scan
• How to set up cWatch scanner
• How to set up cWatch Access Permission via FTP or SSH
• How to set up cWatch Access Permission manually
• Where to see cWatch scan results

 

Three types of cWatch scan

1. Website Scan: It checks front-end pages for threats, missing security headers, SSL errors, and blacklist status. You can also run on‑demand scans at any time—they require no configuration and offer a fast, convenient way to identify potential risks. 
    
2. Server-side Scan: This type of scan performs an in‑depth analysis of your webserver files to detect known malware and viruses. 
    
3. Vulnerability Scan - This scan detects vulnerabilities in content management systems (CMS) and checks against the OWASP Top 10 security risks. 

 

How to set up cWatch scanner

Step 1: Grant cWatch with the access permission

In order for cWatch to scan your website for malware and vulnerabilities, the platform needs the permission to access your website. 

To configure cWatch access permission, follow these steps: 

1. Access your cWatch. 
2. At the bottom left of your cWatch interface, click on Settings. 
3. Click the cWatch Access Permission tab at the top if it isn't already selected. 
4. Select one of the two access permissions: 
   • Automatic: When you select Automatic, cWatch will access your website files via FTP or SSH. To use the Automatic access permission, enter your FTP, sFTP or SSH details and credentials. See How to set up cWatch Access Permission via FTP or SSH. 
   • Manual: When you select Manaul, you need to download the cWatch PHP file and upload it to your website's root directory. See How to set up cWatch Access Permission manually. 
5. Click Continue and follow the setup instructions.

 

Step 2: Configure the cWatch scanner settings

1. At the bottom left of your cWatch interface, click on Settings. 
2. Click on Scanners tab at the top. 
3. Set up the following settings: 
   • Auto Fix: Turn this on if you want to automatically send a cleanup or removal request to cWatch whenever a malware is found. 
   • Scan Reporting: Use this to configure whether you want to get notified with the scan results via email or not. 
   • Exclude File Types: Use this settings if you want a specific file extension to be excluded from scanning.
4. Make sure to click SAVE after making any changes.

 

How to set up cWatch Access Permission via FTP or SSH

1. At the bottom left of your cWatch interface, click on Settings. 
2. Click the cWatch Access Permission tab at the top if it isn't already selected. 
3. Select Automatic, then click Continue. 
4. Select the access level you wish to grant: FTP, sFTP, or SSH-Key. 
5. Depending on your selection, enter the required credentials: 
   • For FTP or sFTP: Hostname, Port, Username, Password, and Site Directory. See Manage files using FTP to learn how to get your FTP or sFTP credentials. 
   • For SSH-Key: Hostname, Port, Username, and your SSH private key. See SSH for Linux-Based hosting to learn more about your SSH key. 
6. Click Continue to proceed.

 

How to set up cWatch Access Permission manually

1. At the bottom left of your cWatch interface, click on Settings. 
2. Click the cWatch Access Permission tab at the top if it isn't already selected. 
3. Select Manual, then click Continue. You'll see the instructions to download and upload a PHP file. 
4. Follow the instructions provided. 
5. Click Continue to proceed.

Once the verification is successful, cWatch will begin scanning the web files on your server for malware. 

 

Where to see cWatch scan results

1. Click Scans in the left‑hand menu of your cWatch interface. 
2. In the upper‑right corner, select the scan type you wish to view: Website Scan, Server‑side Scan, or Vulnerability Scan.

The results will appear below the selected scan type.