System Requirements

Everything you need to run the VistoShield WordPress plugin and connect to the cloud dashboard.

WordPress

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
WordPress	6.0+	Latest stable
PHP	8.0+	8.2+
MySQL	5.7+	8.0+
MariaDB	10.4+	10.11+

Tip: The VistoShield plugin is lightweight (~150 KB) and works on shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers. No special server modules or root access required.

HTTPS Required

Your site must be served over HTTPS. The VistoShield plugin communicates with the EU-hosted cloud dashboard via encrypted API calls, and HTTPS is required for this connection.

Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt. If your site is not yet on HTTPS, contact your hosting provider for assistance.

Internet Connectivity

The VistoShield plugin requires outbound HTTPS access (port 443) to communicate with the cloud dashboard at api.vistoshield.com. This is needed for:

Connecting your site to the cloud dashboard during setup
Syncing module configurations and security policies
Sending security events and threat data to the cloud for analytics
Receiving signature updates and vulnerability database syncs

Core protections (firewall rules, login guard, bot detection) continue to function locally if the cloud connection is temporarily interrupted.

Browser

The WordPress admin interface and the cloud dashboard at app.vistoshield.com support all modern browsers:

Chrome 90+
Firefox 90+
Safari 15+
Edge 90+

Plugin Size & Performance

Metric	Value
Plugin size	~150 KB
Admin page load time	Under 200 ms
Additional database tables	Minimal — event logs only
External dependencies	None — all assets bundled

VistoShield is designed to have negligible impact on your site's front-end performance. Heavy processing (analytics, reporting, signature matching) is offloaded to the cloud dashboard.

Hosting Compatibility

VistoShield works on virtually any WordPress hosting environment:

Shared hosting — Fully compatible, no special configuration needed
Managed WordPress hosting — Works with WP Engine, Kinsta, Cloudways, SiteGround, etc.
VPS and dedicated servers — Full compatibility with optional Linux daemon integration for server-level protection
Docker and containerized environments — Supported with standard WordPress container images

Optional: Linux Daemon

For VPS and dedicated server users, the optional VistoShield Linux daemon provides server-level firewall protection that works alongside the WordPress plugin. The daemon has its own requirements:

Requirement	Details
OS	Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 12, AlmaLinux 8/9, CentOS Stream 9
PHP CLI	8.0+ with json, pcre, posix, sockets extensions
Firewall	nftables 0.9+ (preferred) or iptables 1.6+
Access	Root or sudo privileges

The Linux daemon is entirely optional. The WordPress plugin provides full security protection on its own through the cloud dashboard.

Verify Your Setup

After installing the VistoShield plugin, visit VistoShield → Settings in your WordPress admin. The status panel will confirm whether your server meets all requirements and show the cloud dashboard connection status.