educational

Alternatives to .htaccess for Securing Website Content

The basic tenet of website security is that the site’s data (its content) should only be viewable by authorized visitors.

While most website operators seek the maximum amount of exposure for their site’s content, even on a publicly accessible website there are likely to be sections or pages, often defined as part of the website directory structure, where allowing unfettered access is not desirable — for example, the members’ area of an adult paysite, where authorized access should only come at a price — or an admin area that controls the site.

Choosing the right approaches will take careful consideration and perhaps a degree of experimentation until you find the best solution.

Adult webmasters have long relied on basic .htaccess / .htpasswd user authentication for this purpose, but a one size solution won’t fill all; such as if running an incompatible OS or server configuration. To offer some alternatives, XBIZ prepared this brief roundup of the most popular ways to secure your website’s content:

The first options you should explore are the ones you already have, such as security tools provided by your web hosting or billing company or cascading software provider.

The former may provide adequate protection for admin areas and documents outside of the web root, as well as for your members’ area with only one payment processor used, while the latter can handle user authentication involving multiple billing partners.

Oftentimes, these systems rely on a PHP frontend and a MySQL database backend.

Sometimes, it’s only an individual page or two located outside of a secure directory that you wish to protect. Here, an alternative method of document security must be used.

JavaScript tends to be the most popular solution in this instance, although it is not the most secure method, and leaves open the possibility of search engines still being able to spider and index your content.

While this isn’t ideal if your content includes sensitive business documents, if you run an adult site and want to provide some deep-linking opportunities into your members area — and still secure that content from most nonpaying viewers — JavaScript may be best.

Hotlink protection is also important (and easily accomplished within .htaccess), and is a means of ensuring that your site’s files, such as photos or videos, can’t be successfully linked to by other websites — and rather than simply blocking this unauthorized access, you specify the delivery of “substitute” content (such as an advertisement for your site).

Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems, as well as HTML encryption and other code obfuscation techniques come into play; as well as simple “right click disable” codes, offering “streaming only” video feeds, fractal sliced hi-resolution images and other forms of less-easily saved and shared content are also on the table.

It’s a big topic with a lot of facets, so choosing the right approaches will take careful consideration and perhaps a degree of experimentation until you find the best solution — hopefully the company’s most important files won’t become compromised in the process.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

What France's New Law Means for Age Verification Worldwide

When France implemented its Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law on April 11, it marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing global debate surrounding online safety and access to adult content.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

From Tariffs to Trends: Staying Resilient in a Shaky Online Adult Market

Whenever I check in with clients these days, I encounter the same concerns. For many, business has not quite bounced back after the typical post-holiday-season slowdown. Instead, consumers have been holding back due to the economic uncertainty around the Trump administration’s new tariffs and their impact on prices.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Optimizing Payment Strategies for High Ticket Sales

Payment processing for more expensive items, such as those exceeding $1,000 per order, can create unique challenges. For adult businesses, those challenges are magnified. Increased fraud risk, elevated chargeback ratios and heavier scrutiny from banks and processors are only the beginning.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Lexi Morin

Lexi Morin’s journey into the adult industry began with a Craigslist ad and a leap of faith. In 2011, fresh-faced and ambitious, she was scrolling through job ads on Craigslist when she stumbled upon a listing for an assistant makeup artist.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Reinventing Intimacy: A Look at AI's Implications for Adult Platforms

The adult industry has long revolved around delivering pleasure and entertainment, but now it’s moving into new territory: intimacy, connection and emotional fulfillment. And AI companions are at the forefront of that shift.

Daniel Keating ·
Show More