Security Tips - Sharehosting / Sharedserver Environment

Solution

Security Tips
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These tips are basically for the websites which are hosted on shared servers/environment.

(1) Always use latest updated software
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Avoid using older versions of software as they are insecure. Use the latest release which includes few security fixes and functionality as well.

(2) 3rd Party Scripts and Code
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Plugins, widgets or any other code you usually install on WordPress or Joomla are written by other people under unknown circumstances. Some may be great, some may have security holes. Make sure you research any code you wish to use but you haven't written yourself. Do a few Google searches before using such code to verify how secure the code actually is.

(3) Secure Your Own Computers
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One of the biggest reasons of Identity theft and an easy way for someone to fetch confidential details to your site(s). Your personal computer could well turn out to be a weak link in this. It could be anything, from an infected Powerpoint file or someone phishing your account details, the vulnerabilities are too many to consider. No matter how secure your actual website is, if the machine you use to access, log in and edit your web pages is infected you stand a grave risk of being compromised and its outcome may be more than just the effect on your site.

Use anti-virus scans, clear logs, secure your passwords and be aware of general security issues. Public WIFI spots are also a security risk.

(4) Secure Passwords
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A secure password goes a long way in making it difficult for a potential infiltrator to intrude into. Your passwords should always be a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. The longer the password, the better. You can also generate a random password which is even more secure.

(5) Checking Your Logs Regularly
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If you spot any unusual traffic spike in your website stats (ranking for gambling, pharmaceuticals and sex terms is a common one) try working out where it is coming from and going to. From there if you can make sure whether it is a hack.

(6) Backups
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Taking the backups regularly alone won't protect your website from being hacked. In case of hack you will need to take care of the following:-
* Records of IP's accessing your website
* Pre hack backup of your website including the latest updates.

With Shinjiru backup plans you can make backups for your website daily, weekly as per your requirements. You would be able to use latest backup you had on backup space.

(7) Host on a Virtual Private Server
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Host your websites on a VPS server that immediately isolates yourself from the shared hosting environment and being affected by the issues that are invited by other users in the same server.