Web Hosting Box

The physical security of a web host’s data center isn’t always considered when one is choosing a web host. After all, we tend to think more of the security of our data from hackers and other electronic threats, and not so much from someone actually breaking into the data center to steal equipment. It’s not uncommon to see users on web hosting forums claiming that physical security isn’t really a consideration, as they’ve never heard of anyone walking into a data center and stealing a server.

But physical security is a big concern. There are attempts to break into data centers on a regular basis, some of which are successful. You should really pay attention to what precautions your web host has taken to ensure that their servers stay secure from physical threats in addition to electronic ones.

Break-ins aren’t the only potential threats. Fires, floods, power outages, and other natural disasters can also be huge concerns. Where is the host’s data center located? It might be in a completely separate city from where their corporate offices are. Is the area prone to floods? Mud slides? Earthquakes? Hurricanes? If so, what have they done to protect themselves, their equipment, and your data from these threats? Have they built their data center to the most current building codes for their area? Have they put in additional systems to protect against common threats? Do they have offsite backups or mirrors in case of a major disaster in their primary data center?

Some common security precautions you might look for include:

• Smoke detection and fire suppressant systems.
• Off-site data backup storage or mirrors.
• 24-hour monitored security system.
• Biometric or other secure pass codes required to access their data center or server rooms.
• Reinforced entry doors, bulletproof/safety glass, reinforced walls.
• Video surveillance both inside and outside the facility.
• A standby generator or backup power systems.
• 24-hour security guards.
• “Mantraps” for automatic physical detention of an intruder.
• Buffer zones around the building itself so that unauthorized vehicles can’t gain entry.
• Redundant utility setups, with multiple incoming power lines, data lines, water lines, etc. each coming from separate utility substations or mains.

Data Centers are graded in Tiers (according to the TIA-942:Data Center Standards Overview) depending on their level of security, infrastructure types, and reliability. Tier 1, the lowest level, is equivalent to a basic computer room. They’re very susceptible to downtime from both planned and unplanned sources. The highest level, Tier 4, is meant for mission-critical type data. Their data centers aren’t interrupted by planned activity and they can still operate under many worst-case scenarios without any critical impact. Most data centers for shared hosting fall into the middle tiers, though there are some that are Tier 4.

Many hosts outsource their data center operations and simply buy space in one of the larger data centers located around the world. While this might make some customers uneasy, it can actually be a good thing. Large, dedicated data centers generally dedicated resources to up-time and security in a way that smaller hosts couldn’t afford to do. Oftentimes these data centers work with not only hosting companies but also large corporations where security is a big concern (such as banks or hospitals). In many cases, these kinds of hosting companies offer the best of both worlds: you get personalized attention from the hosting company’s staff while also getting all the benefits of a large data center.

Realize that if the data center your host uses is compromised by a physical threat, it can mean not only downtime for your site(s), but also a range of potential liability issues if your customers’ data is lost. Physical security is especially important if you deal with sensitive data like financial or medical records. Make sure that your web host is taking all of the proper precautions to make sure their facility and your data remain secure. Some questions you may want to ask a prospective web host about their data center:

• What tier is your data center rated at according to the TIA-942:Data Center Standards Overview?
• Do you have monitored alarm systems and/or twenty-four-hour security onsite?
• What kind of fire suppressant system do you use?
• Have you taken necessary precautions to defend against natural disasters common to your area?
• Do you use biometric or other identifiers to control access to your facility?
• What redundancies and backup systems have you put in place?

Realize that a host may be reluctant to share exact details of some of their security features (which is good, as they shouldn’t be giving potential threats information on all their security precautions), but they should be able to at least give you basic information about precautions they’ve taken. Many of the better web hosts have information of this nature right on their website. Even smaller hosts often use servers in a data center that has top-level security, while some of the larger ones might not take physical security seriously. Again, how much security you need depends on the type of data you handle and how important constant up-time is for your website.

Beware of web hosts who don’t take physical security seriously. There are plenty of hosts out there who only take threats from electronic sources seriously. But considering that physical security threats come not only from people, but also from nature, it’s not something to be taken lightly.

Recently tried visiting  SiteGround web hosting by https? Then you can’t have missed the latest addition to our homepage – the soothingly green address bar in the browser. The reassuring color pops up thanks to the highest assurance SSL technology we have recently added to our website – the EV (Extended Validation) SSL certificate.

How does the EV SSL work?

As each other SSL certificate the EV SSL guards by encryption the information on its way between the browser and its final destination – the server. What is more – the EV SSL is the only certificate ensuring that the final destination itself is secure too.  We trust the green bar not only because of its reassuring color, but also because it contains company information verified by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). In seconds, it indicates that a domain is owned and a website is operated by a legitimate organization. It gets even more reassuring – this has been checked personally by an authorized professional as opposed to the automatic checks done when a standard SSL is issued.

How EV SSL brings happiness to everyone?

1.    Our customers are happier
Now our customers feel safer when submitting sensitive information on our website. After all, an authorized professional has checked us thoroughly before letting us turn on the green light on our website.
2.    Our sales people are happier
The more comfortable people feel about submitting their information on our website, the better the results of our sales people.
3.    Our website designers are happier
No more wondering where to place the annoying SSL site seal banner, which never matches the website design and always looks awkward.
4.    Our marketing people are happier
We now have a new tested technology to offer to our customers! EV SSL certificates are now available on our SSL page. Which helps us add to our number one goal:  Keeping customers happy!

Having added one more options to our SSL offers portfolio has made it easier for you to find the best solution to your needs. In addition, you now know how to give green light to your website visitors and turn them into customers. So, make sure to check out our SSL offers and choose the one that suits you best.

By SiteGround Web
Hosting

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a web host. Determining your own hosting needs is the first step in finding a host that can offer what you need and want. Read on for a list of what you should consider when figuring out what you need in a web host.

1. What kind of site are you creating?

The requirements for a simple brochure site are a lot different than those of a blog, an e-commerce site, a social network, or a forum. You need to sit down and figure out exactly what kind of website you want, or may want in the future. At the moment you might only want to have a simple brochure site with a few pages explaining your business or organization. But what might you want to do six months or a year from now?

If there’s a chance you’ll want to add a blog to your site, or an online store, or any other functionality, make note of it now. It can be costly to switch web hosts, so it’s better to choose a host that will be able to support all of the functions you may need in the future.

If you’re going to build an e-commerce site, for example, look for a host that can provide secure servers and an SSL certificate. If you’re going to have a site that’s any more complicated than a few basic static pages, you’ll need a host that supports databases and programming languages.

2. How much traffic do you expect?

Good web hosts allow a specified amount of bandwidth for their customers and charge an overage fee if you use more bandwidth in a given month. Hosts that offer unlimited bandwidth on low-cost plans are generally overselling their servers, which can result in your site being slow or going down for periods of time. If you’re building a site that you hope will eventually get millions of visitors, look for a host that offers high bandwidth limits and low overage charges. If your website is just for a local business that will likely only see a few hundred visitors each month, bandwidth is less important.

Bandwidth also comes into play depending on the kind of content you offer. If your site is primarily text-based or only uses embedded photos and video (instead of those uploaded to your server), you can get away with less bandwidth. If you’re going to host videos or large numbers of images, or have an interactive web application, you’ll need more bandwidth.

3. How big is your site going to be?

The amount of storage you need will depend on the content on your site. If you’re going to host a lot of videos or images, you’ll need more storage. If your site is mostly text-based or only uses embedded images and video that are hosted elsewhere, you won’t need as much storage. Check into what a host charges for more storage, too, so that if you end up needing more storage in the future, you’ll know what you’re in for.

4. What programming language and content management system are you going to use?

Some hosts, especially lower-cost ones, don’t support programming languages like PHP or Ruby on Rails. While a simple brochure site might not need these things, pretty much any other kind of site will. Make sure that whatever host you choose supports the most up-to-date versions of whatever programming languages you need, or you may find incompatibility problems with certain scripts or apps you want to install on your server.

If you’re going to be using a CMS (content management system), you’ll need to verify that your host supports its programming language and database needs. Many low-cost hosts don’t offer databases in their basic hosting. If you’re going to be hosting multiple sites or if you plan to use more than one CMS (for instance, if you want to use one CMS for your main site, one for your forums, and another one for your blog), you may need more than one database. Make sure your host can provide you with the numbers you’ll need.

5. What other features do you want?

Some users like the convenience of one-click application installation. Others want root access or the ability to use .htaccess files (which not all hosts allow). Check the features list of the hosts you’re considering and verify that they provide the features you want.

Consider things like the number of email accounts you’ll need. Some hosts offer as few as 10 accounts, while others might offer 1,000 or even 10,000. You might find that 10 ends up being too few, while you’re unlikely (unless you have a large business) to ever need 10,000.

The host’s dashboard or control panel is often an important consideration for webmasters. Do they use something standard like Plesk for their control panel, or is it a custom interface? Is it easy to perform basic functions, like setting up a new database or email account? While some web designers and webmasters will be comfortable doing these things directly on the server, others prefer to work through the control panel.

Look over the features list of your prospective hosts and make sure they provide everything you’ll need. Don’t worry about other features they may offer, as it’s not worth paying more for features you don’t intend to use.

6. How many sites are you going to need to host?

Some shared hosts allow you to host multiple domains on a single hosting account. And some hosts are better at this than others. You not only want to check into how many they allow on a single account, but also how easy it is to manage multiple domains. Some hosts set these up as little more than subdomains, while others mimic having multiple hosting accounts on a single control panel. It depends on your own personal preference as to which method you prefer.

7. How much security do you need?

Are you dealing with sensitive data on your site? If so, you’ll want to make sure that the host you choose is secure both electronically and physically. Datacenters that aren’t properly secured can be an easy target for thieves. Even if your data isn’t particularly sensitive, realize that if you’re on a shared server, if someone else on your server has attractive data, your site can become a target just by proximity.

If there’s a break-in, either physically or electronically, it can mean that your site goes down for a few minutes, hours, or even days. Make sure that the host you choose has a reasonably secure facility and has taken all the necessary precautions to prevent electronic attacks.

8. How much support do you need?

Support levels vary considerably between hosts. Some hosts only have online support systems. Others offer phone support. While particularly tech-savvy users may not need much support, others may want to be able to call up with a problem and have someone on the other end walk them through the solution step-by-step.

Make sure you consider when tech support is available. Some hosts offer 24/7 tech support, others offer it only during business hours. Realize that in many cases, tech support after standard business hours is outsourced and that those tech support workers may not have as much power to correct problems.

9. What about backups, redundancies, monitoring and the like?

While you should always be doing backups of your site on a regular basis, it’s sometimes reassuring to know that your host also does backups or mirrors your site on multiple servers. The advantage of a host that does this is that if there’s a problem on their end, they’re usually better-equipped to handle it and get your site back up faster than if you have to restore your site yourself. Also, with redundancies and mirrored servers, if the server your site is hosted on goes down, it will automatically redirect to a new server, resulting in little or no down time for your site.

You should also make sure that the host you choose has redundant connections to the Internet as a whole. Some of the best hosts not only have redundant connections, but also have connections from different providers so that if one provider’s entire network goes down, they can reroute through a different one.

Another thing to verify is that the servers are monitored, preferably 24/7. You don’t want to have to rely on someone noticing their site is down to report it to tech support. By the time you notice your site is down, tech support should already be working on correcting the problem.

As we already told you, SiteGround headed to HostingCon’09 in the middle of August.  We had so many new things on our mind afterwards, so many talks to get back to and such good time, that we needed a good few weeks time to arrange it all. So, now that our impressions are all piled up, we’d love to share some of the highlights with you.

Some of you asked us to follow up on the tendencies in the web hosting industry. We hear you Although we are a bit late delivering the news, the topics are still as hot as they were in August. The buzz words on this year’s event were hosting business acquisitions, products and services up-selling, affiliate programs, and of course – cloud computing and virtualization.

So let’s start with the acquisitions. Acquisitions in the hosting industry happen in a very specific way.  The buyer who is typically running a web hosting business acquires another web hosting company and merges its operations (support, server platform, billing primarily). Then they usually keep the brand name and website of the acquired company and run the two businesses together, often in competition with each other. Having the two brands competing means that the owner maximizes the probability of winning the customer – if the customer does not choose the first brand, there is a chance he’ll choose the second one.

The question is what this means for the customers. Most often they don’t even understand that something has changed about their host. That is normally a good thing as there is little disruption of the service. The funny part is,  however, what happens when you think you are running away from a lousy host and going to a better one, but you actually end up with the same support and same server platform. The good news is that hosts do not hide their acquisitions and sales, they often make official announcements in press releases and you have a good chance of knowing about all that if you do your due diligence.

From a business point of view, it’s fair to say that consolidation is good for the web hosting industry. The market is so fragmented that hosts are more focused on beating competition with marketing tricks than providing better service to the customer. Few can actually do something meaningful with their product. To be honest, I would rather see the industry with fewer players who are serious about developing their business and thus stay reliable to their customers.

Product Up-selling

The next hot topic lately is “up-selling” – i.e. selling additional products to your hosting customers such as web design,  ecommerce solutions,  SEO,  etc. First, it’s a great way for web hosts to increase their revenue without spending more money on marketing. The more things you sell to the same group of people, the more you collect with the same effort.

Second, most of the shared hosting customers are not proficient in the art of creating and managing a web site. They need more than a simple hosting platform -they need a complete solution, in which the hosting environment is just the basis of the pyramid. So, it comes naturally and in response to that demand to offer a wider range of complementary products to ease things up for the customer.

I can’t miss mentioning that we are also looking for expanding our product range. As always, we will keep you updated on anything new we launch. We will also be happy if you tell us what products you might find valuable. So, if you have any ideas or suggestions, please share them in the comments to this post.

Affiliate marketing

The next hot topic among hosts is affiliate marketing. Right now, that’s the most popular way for web hosts to get their customers and also where they spend the greater part of their marketing budgets. Affiliate marketing works in a very simple way – hosts find specialized hosting-related directories (called “affiliates”) and pay them huge commissions for every sale the directories send to them (commissions are normally higher than the price of the one-year shared hosting product). The reason why this is so effective is mostly the credibility factor – people visit directories to find “objective” evaluation and opinions on what are the best offers out there. When they see you in the directory list of featured hosts, or top ten hosts, they believe you are trustworthy, go check you out and ..eventually buy.

The reason I mention affiliate marketing is because some of you might like the idea and make money out of it. It is more or less applicable in every industry. I should also mention that it has ups and downs, so it’s important how well developed the affiliate marketing is in your game field. Right now, it is huge in the hosting industry. But, it is about to become too costly and web hosts are already starting to look for other ways to market their products.

Cloud computing and virtualization

Just like on WebhostingDay in Germany earlier this year, cloud computing and virtualization took up a good portion of the talks at HostingCon. It seems that more and more hosts (those, mostly focused on providing dedicated solutions, I have noticed) are launching clouds. I am not good with the technicalities, but I do appreciate the business advantages – clouds allow for better and cheaper storage solutions that result in cost savings and are thus important for every hosting provider.

Last but not least, we were very much impressed with the organization of such a huge event as HostingCon’09. We met both competitors and potential partners and we appreciate the quality of information exchanged. The venue location at Gaylord National Convention center was impressive, to say the least. There were many industry top executives present and the lecture sessions were carefully picked and proved useful and informative. We are also now testing some of the solutions offered at HostingCon such as a new webmail product and hopefully, we will deliver some new quality stuff soon.

Once again, you are welcome to share your thoughts about new products or services that you would like to see from SiteGround in the comments below. We might surprise you pleasantly sooner than expected

By SiteGround Web
Hosting