No matter which type of site you have (whether it's a blog for your occasional posts or a large scale business one), security is fundamental. When it comes to web hosting, security if the essential aspect to everyone.
You only realize the importance of security when you don't have, or it's a poor one. Lack of safety or poor performance one leads to identity theft or loss of income. And these are only of the few effects to mention when your security is low.
You need to understand the role of security for your site. And the best way to do that is to figure out if your web host is providing the best protection it can for your website.
When did security become such an urgent matter?
Funny enough, the best part about the internet is the main problem just as well. As everyone has access to the internet, it made sense that it become the most popular mean of conducting business.
But it's not only businesses that require web hosting. For instance, if you're playing ARK with your friends, you should go with a web host for better performance. You may try running the ARK server on your PC, but your computer needs to have the RAM and the CPU for managing it. However, do you think it's nice to leave your computer on only for keeping the server running when you're not playing? The other option is to pay for an ARK server with a hosting company, in which case you may find selections like this useful. The same goes for any type of game server.
Having said that, keep in mind that there are so many criminals on the internet that are looking to get what they want.
There are billions of dollars going back and forth on the internet and what happens if the funds get to a thief? Even if breaking your ARK server isn't significant (it may be to you), a business doesn't afford to have its website compromised in any way.
Who may be a threat to your site?
Two kinds of people threatening a site with the identity thief being the most common and dangerous kind.
It's the person that is always seeking for a chance to collect information for his interest. It's the type of criminal that operates criminally. He's going to try to go unnoticed for a very long time, to access the highest number of victims as possible.
We also need to remind you that not everyone is out there trying to steal from you or damage your site in any way. Some hackers are merely seeking to cause some breakage. However, these hackers may cripple your sire, which produces loss of revenues and prolonged downtime. They are only looking for some revenge and breaking your site is funny to them. The fact that they can disable an organization gives them power. They typically hit and run, putting "graffiti" on your site. They want to let everyone know that they've been "visiting."
What are the five main threats that test web hosting security?
Web hosting is going to let you post your content on the internet thanks to the technology that web hosting is offering. The size of your website shouldn't matter when choosing your web host. You should get web hosting service if you're determined to get successful. Selecting the right web hosting company is going to lower the risk for your business to get compromised in any way. Hackers are only thinking about one thing: how to break into servers. There are so many risks for security, and you shouldn't compromise when selecting your web host.
There are more than three billion internet users all over the world, and any modern business is using the internet nowadays. As there are so many money transactions across the internet, it makes sense that the hackers are more determined than ever to break the servers. Needless to say, taking care of web hosting security is essential for anyone owning a site out there.
Without any further ado, let's take a look at the most common threats for your site security:
Password security
Continually changing the password is fundamental for the registered users and web-hosting services alike. The more often you change the passwords, the lower the threat for your site. You should address it, especially when changing equipment or staff.
Should any risk of threat to your site occur, the web hosting service must warn the clients to change all passwords? It's one efficient way for protection, as all the passwords may have been already compromised during the hack.
The absence of rigorous registration processes
When your hosting provider doesn't use rigid policies and procedures, the risks for your site getting compromised are higher. Every client that goes on your site should follow the registration policies so that no malicious code gets uploaded.
Free hosting accounts are more attractive for users, making them download damaging software. You should select a web-hosting service that only provides free hosting for registered clients. It's going to prevent the hackers from setting up malicious sites.
Sharing IP addresses
Sharing hosting is affordable, which explains its popularity. However, you should keep in mind that sharing an IP address with other clients poses a risk for your site's security. Even though the domains are separate, they're all connected to another via a single server. When a client on your IP is banished as a spammer, you're going to have to go through the same banishing.
Limited URL Access
Not being able to control the URL access is one web hosting risk that many overlooks. Without control, unauthorized users are going to see pages they shouldn't be allowed to access. Also, the attackers may falsify URLs and access hidden pages.
Here are a couple of things to do for limiting the URL access:
- The web hosting service should develop an access control matrix which blocks any unauthorized users from viewing content
- Block any file type that the application doesn't serve. Some may intercept and modify the files with little indication. Go with STFP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) for eliminating the vulnerability. Check to see if your web host presents this sort of option.
Physical Security
It's not only the server security that you need to worry about. You also have to pay attention to the physical safety of your data center. Does the web hosting provider make sure that there is no outside access to the information? Even if the risk for a disaster is slim, what happens to the data in case of a power cut or storm? Is there any backup for the data? Many hosts do offer a tool in the control panel so that you back up your site.
