There are many aspects that goes into choosing a web hosting service and security is one you need to make a priority. Threats are abound on the web and these exploits qualify as something every hosting provider and customer should be concerned about. Let’s discuss why security is such a major issue in the hosting industry and what you can do to make sure your website is protected.
Malicious Software
Numerous threats pose a direct risk to web hosting providers servers and networks. One of the most dangerous of all is a family of harmful applications known as malware. A combination of the terms malicious and software, malware comes in many different forms and all can inflict major damage. Though far more than a simple computer, a server is vulnerable to the same threats. Before purchasing a hosting package, make sure your prospective host is equipped with technologies that defend against malware types such as viruses, Trojans, spyware and nasty, network disrupting worms. If these malicious critters are able to infect the server, every piece of data on that machine can be compromised, your site included.
Bot Rings
Another huge problem faced by hosting networks is the dreaded DDoS attack, an exploit typically employed by criminals involved in botnets. Short for Distributed Denial of Service, these attacks work by flooding the network with requests. Once the network is flooded, it slows down dramatically until legitimate traffic is no longer able to pass. The DDOS attack is one of the oldest exploits around and still one of the most difficult to prevent. This attack involves a hacker compromising a single server and making that unit the master slave. The machine is then instructed to seek out other vulnerable servers, enslaving them to participate in the inevitable launch on a single targeted computer. With so many requests originating from so many hosts, the unprotected network doesn’t have a chance. A web host that doesn’t take DDoS attacks into account is leaving the network and all of its customers susceptible to a disaster.
Credit Card Fraud
Everyday, millions of transactions are conducted over the internet as e-commerce is thriving in numerous countries. Of course the hackers are aware of this and desperately trying to get their hands on every dollar they possibly can. The web can be a dangerous place and vulnerable websites make up some of the biggest targets. Hackers are on the prowl, equipped with highly advanced tools and just waiting for you to make a mistake. All they need for you to do is set up an online store and open the doors without the proper security applied. As soon as customers attempt to make a purchase, their credit card details are stolen and this opens a world of trouble. Leaving the customer vulnerable to such exploits could result in a huge blemish on your credibility, not to mention legal issues and the possible loss of your business.
Conclusion
You would expect a professional web hosting company to know the risks and take the necessary measures to mitigate them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way so you must be proactive to ensure that your hosting environment is secure. The impact of a security breach varies but in most cases, the results are never good.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Excellent post! You’ve obviously done your homework.
I believe many hosting providers are caught between a rock and hard place. On one hand they need to provide service at the highest level – yet on the other hand, everyone wants top level hosting for under $5 per month.
When a hosting provider pays for bandwidth, servers and support, they don’t have a lot left over for security specialists, etc. Many of them do have some level of security service, but we’ve talked with many website owners and especially recently, many of the website infections have been through the web owners PC getting infected and the infection stealing the FTP logon credentials.
I agree with the precautions you mention above. As website owners we need to do everything possible to protect our intellectual assets.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Oh hai, just wanted to say that this website is brilliant!I’ve written it down so I wont forget it