Web Hosting Security

I talk to people all the time who tell me about this feature or that feature that they are looking for in a web host. I then ask the important question, as to what about security. That is when I usually get the deer in the headlights look and they act like I speak a foreign language. Security is the one feature that seems to get overlooked all the time. This is not because people may think that security is not important, it is just that it slips peoples minds in the overall big picture.

SFTP

Short for Secure File Transfer Protocol, SFTP is more efficient and secure variation of FTP. In it’s basic form FTP is not secure the reason for this is simply that it allows for someone to intercept the files, tamper with them or eavesdrop while files are being transferred. SFTP adds a layer of security by encrypting the file using the government standard of 128 bit encryption.

SSL

Secure Sockets Layer or SSL, Is vital to any site that plans to sell goods. This is crucial from communications being intercepted and your personal information being stolen. I had a woman come to my office one day crying and just completely upset. After I sat her down and calmed her down she went about telling me how she had been the victim of identity theft. She told me that she had used a site to get her son a birthday present. A few days later she got her credit card statement and noticed the $5000 plasma television that had been purchased a few days after she made her purchase. Come to find out that the site she used did not have SSL on their server.

Data Backups I cannot express to you the importance to having your information saved on the server as well on your personal computer. Imagine that you are working one day, you get up to go grab some Chinese and while you are gone your computer eats your information and your hard drive crashes. No big problem, you just log onto the server and retrieve all your information. Then you discover the price for cutting cost. The server does not back up it’s data. That site that you worked on for a month to get up and running is now gone along with your business as you now have to start from step one. Make sure the server has routine back ups.

Network Security Beyond just making sure your site is secure you need to make sure that the server is secure as well to protect it from being attacked by hackers looking to steal personal information. It more common than not that your information will end up in the wrong persons hands if the server is not secure.

 As you can see from the examples above there are several threats out there to you and you internet security. The best advice that I can offer you is to find a host that offers comprehensive security features this way you know that you are protected on all fronts.