Web sharing helps us get our online presence out in the world. It makes us visible to the everyday man by just a click of a button. But, web sharing also has its risks especially if shared. Using shared web hosting, though cheap initially, might end up costing you more than you ever imagined or wanted.
There are a lot of safety hazards of using shared web hosting. As compared to VPS hosting or dedicated hosting, shared hosting is much more risky and dangerous for your business. There are many reasons that bring us to this conclusion and none of which should be taken lightly when deciding what kind of hosting to choose.
- Security issues:
The most basic risk and most important is that shared hosting is not secure enough. Some are better than others; most of them have locks, but only a few have alarms, even fewer have actual security personnel. Though shared servers come with pre-configured anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software, you have no authority regarding which suites the provider utilizes. Meaning, you are stuck with whatever they think is best for you.
- Hacking:
Due to sharing of servers, you are more susceptible to hacking. Hackers are easily able to access your website data and important information with just a bit of encroaching. This leaves you in worse problems than you could’ve imagined.
- Identity Concealment:
Web hosting does not conceal your identity. Who you are as a company and more importantly who you are on the server is open for all to see. This gives hackers a pretty good idea who they are attacking. It helps them choose their targets easily and with a lot of thought put into it.
- Easy Detection:
Due to shared web hosting, your activities and business moves are easily detected. This is another way for hackers to target you and hack into your system.
- Breach of confidentiality:
Businesses that take online orders and work with their clients online have to make sure that all their clients’ information and data is secure and private. Using shared hosting can make it easier for hackers to breach this confidentiality and use all that information to their benefits.
- SQL Injection:
SQL injection is a technique wherein a hacker injects malicious SQL code into a query already embedded into your website. This gives you errors and makes you susceptible to more attacks and information leakage.
- Illegal Activities:
Due to shared hosting you can be party to illegal activities without even knowing it. If another site on the shared server contains illegal files or engages in some sort of illegal activity, and one of the major search engines discovers this, every site on the server, including your own, will be penalized. It seems capricious and arbitrary, and perhaps it is, but these are the rules of web hosting.
- Server Crash:
Shared hosting can be a real problem as it puts you at risk every single day. A hitch in one of the websites can bring the whole server down. If another client on the server you share catches some sort of virus, you can rest assured that your site will also catch it.
Shared hosting is kind of like having a large group of housemates. You don’t trust everyone and even if you do, you can never be sure about the people they bring in to visit etc. Sharing makes it easier for anyone to break in and/or take whatever they fancy without anyone realizing in time. So, when choosing shared hosting, go for good reviews and reputation. Make sure to ask about security measures etc. or better yet just go for VPS hosting etc.
About the Author: Selena is a blogger and has a keen interest in Web Hosting and Domain related topics. She also has a website called I Love Promo Codes where she offers Godaddy Web Hosting Promo Codes.