cPanel is all set to release their next version, v11.28. If you’re running on the cPanel CURRENT tree, you can expect to receive the update today. The STABLE release is scheduled for November 17th. There are a lot of new features, but I’ll mention a few that I found most interesting.

Improved Security

Probably the biggest new feature, cPanel v11.28 will now be implementing a 2-part security policy, which will allow server owners to choose how to secure their cPanel servers. The 2 parts are:

Security policies provided by cPanel.

cPanel provides 3 pre-defined security policies that you can enable via the WHM Configure Security Policies section. Two policies allow us to set an age and minimum strength for cPanel passwords. The third policy, blocks a user from accessing cPanel from an unknown IP, until that user has answered a owner defined security question.

Framework for server owners to implement custom security policies.

The 3 policies mentioned earlier, are just examples of the types of policies that can be setup using v11.28’s new plugin-based security policy system. Each policy is setup as a plugin that can be enabled or disabled via WHM.

These security policies will be enforced after the user has authenticated themselves with the cPanel password. So these policies are designed to further restrict access, and not grant more access to the user.

Database Mapping

Older versions of cPanel always append the username to the database name created under that account. I have always found it usefully, as it helps to easily identify which databases belong to which account, especially when trying to monitor MySQL activity on a server. With v11.28, cPanel will now give you the option to disable this feature. This will be especially helpful when you are migrating accounts from other control panels that do not use this naming convention.

Userdata Cache

The pkgacct and fixsubconf cPanel scripts have now been modified so that they store and retrieve account information to the userdata cache at /var/cpanel/userdata. Thus keeping all custom settings out of httpd.conf. This will ensure that all custom settings will be linked to that account.

Custom Webmail Applications

Yes, you can now offer your own webmail applications to your customers. Not that this was not possible before, but cPanel has now made it easier to configure cPanel to recognize a third-party webmail application that you install on the server.

Other than these, a host of new features and modifications to the cPanel/WHM interface have been made.

About the Author:

Hamish joined Bobcares in July of 2004, and since then has grown to be well versed in the Control Panels and Operating systems used in the Web Hosting industry today. He is highly passionate about Linux and is a great evangelist of open-source. When not at work, he keeps himself busy populating this blog with both technical and non-technical posts. When he is not on his Xbox, he is an avid movie lover and critic