As an online business owner, the security of your website should be at the top of your priority list. Web hosting security is a field that is constantly evolving, with new threats developing every day. Just as you work hard on a daily basis to improve the quality of your website, hackers work just as diligently to circumvent the security measures put in place by your web hosting service provider. The detrimental effects of compromised security can range from minor to major. You may simply experience a short downtime/data loss, or you may even be the victim of fraud. One of the worst scenarios that occurs regularly is when a webmaster is blamed for fraud due to their website being hacked.
When the security of your website is compromised and an intruder gains access to your administrative interface, there is often no way for the defrauded client to distinguish between the actions of you and the hacker. This can result in the loss of your website, your business, lawsuits, and in some cases even unjustified incarceration!
Fighting an Infinite Yet Invisible Threat
When you think of a hacker, you probably envision a young kid sitting in his mother’s basement typing extremely fast, trying to hack into databases manually. Unfortunately, this is not how hacking works in reality. Real hackers do not do tons of work manually, they use networks of “drones” to do their dirty work for them. These drones are personal computers that have been “hi-jacked” and are being used to carry out small individual tasks that ultimately compromise the security of a server or a network of servers. A single hacker can have as many as 20,000 drones, or more, carrying out pre-set functions at any time. In fact, your personal computer at home may be a drone! If your computer’s RAM is being consumed by a hidden application or “virus” then there is a small chance that your computer’s resources are being used by a hacker!
Resistant Viruses
Online viruses are similar to biological viruses, as they are constantly mutating and becoming stronger and more resistant to treatment. To prevent your personal computer from becoming the victim of a new virus, it is important to keep your anti-virus software updated. Choosing a web hosting company that updates their security measures regularly will prevent your website from becoming a victim as well. This bring us to our next segment.
Security Capabilities of Your Hosting Provider
If you are like 90 percent of webmasters, then chances are your website is hosted by a third-party hosting service. It is important to realize that many of these hosting companies are losing employees regularly due to the falling economy, and simply do not have the resources necessary to combat the ever-growing security threats in modern cyber-space. Since the security of your website is in the hands of a third-party company, it is important to make the necessary inquiries regarding their manpower, server capabilities and support staff. Choosing a cheap web host is not recommended for a serious online business owner.
An Example of a Serious Security Threat
Some hackers engage in the practice of “click stealing.” Click stealing is when a hacker places a redirect link over a button on your website, causing the information to be secretly sent to a third-party website. This is especially dangerous when the information is private financial information. An example would be an order form submit button. The hacker “steals” the click from the submit button, and the information is redirected to a phony web page that mimics the check out page of your website. This is a serious threat, and if you are using a third-party host it is important to make sure they are aware of this.
Resentful Employees
If you run a large online business, with tech savvy employees, it is important to change your site’s passwords and security configuration every time you fire an employee. Some employee’s may attempt to seek revenge if they are resentful towards your decision to terminate them.
January 7th, 2010 at 4:53 am
information found very useful to me……
January 11th, 2010 at 5:26 am
This is an eternal struggle: an attacker against the owner of the Internet resource.