Web hosting security is the most important area for keeping a website protected and safe from external factors. Everyday websites and hosts are hacked causing malicious code to wreak havoc on users computers and steal information such as credit card numbers, addresses and phone numbers. This can literally ruin an individual’s life.
The most common type of security threat to both servers and websites is malicious code that infiltrates the system. Some code isn’t powerful enough to cause any damage or is caught by an anti-virus program. Other malicious software has shut down major websites causing massive disruptions.
The three most pertinent malicious software categories include the following:
Malware
There are numerous variations of software code that pose a threat to web hosting software, websites, servers as well as home computers. Malware is one of the most dangerous risks threatening the Internet community. Malware is a combination of the terms malicious and software and can impose serious damage to both hardware and software. In most cases, malware effects individual computers but has been known to destroy servers.
Trojans and Keyloggers
Other vicious pieces of code are Trojans and keyloggers. Trojans are especially harmful as they send information to the creator from a computer after they’re installed. This allows the creator to make subtle changes to the computer through the registry information. Many take this a step further and attach keyloggers which record every keystroke made on the keyboard exposing all passwords.
Bot Rings and Denial of Service Attacks
Another major issue effecting web hosts are bot rings. Bot rings are software that causes the dreaded DoS attacks which can shut down servers. A denial of service floods a network with requests. This significantly slows down the network until traffic cannot access anything. These attacks are common and unfortunately one of the most difficult to prevent.
To successfully accomplish a DoS attack, a hacker encompasses a single server making it into a master slave unit. The hacker instructs the mechanism to seek out vulnerable servers, comprising them to partake in the launch of a single computer. This causes so many requests stemming from so many hosts that the network cannot accept regular traffic and consequently goes down.
Malicious software can major damage to both vulnerable and secure networks. This can cause a major loss of customers and users alike. Vital information can be exposed depending on the maliciousness of the attack. When searching for a host, it’s always important to inquire about the security settings an
