by Cris Cutt
Anyone who is doing business over the internet needs to have secure web hosting. There are many security threats, and anytime you’re dealing with customer data you need to be sure it’s safe from prying eyes. This is especially true if you’re using a shared host, where multiple websites are hosted on a single server.
If you’re thinking of buying shared web hosting for your business site, ask the hosting provider what types of security measures they have in place. After all, you’ll want to be totally certain that no one with a website that’s hosted on the same server will be able to access the site you operate.
You’ll also want to check with the hosting company about its policies on the software and scripts that are permitted to be installed on the server. You might have problems if someone else on the server uses poorly written software or scripts, so the hosting provider should not permit anything on the server that hasn’t been tested.
The third step you should take involves checking into your web hosting provider’s policies on operating system upgrades and maintenance fixes. Windows has a reputation for having security issues, but Linux or Unix can also have security holes. Make sure your webhosting provider installs all security fixes and patches as soon as they’ve been released.
The fourth step involves finding out how frequently your web hosting provider runs a security audit, and whether it’s done in-house or they have the audit performed by a third party. It’s possible for even the best-maintained system to have issues, and security audits – especially those performed by third parties – can sometimes find security issues before they’re exploited.
Finally, take steps to protect yourself as well. Don’t use easy-to-guess passwords for your website, and don’t use the same password for everything. If someone can guess your password, they can wreak havoc on your site.
These five easy steps can go a long way toward increasing your website security. It’s extremely important to prevent other people’s access to your website, but it’s absolutely essential to ensure the security of your customers’ personal information.
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