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Month: October 2022

VPS Security And Best Tips To Secure It

A VPS or Virtual Private Server, has become a very favored hosting choice due to its security, performance, and flexibility at a lower cost than most hosting options. But like any other hosting solution, VPS (virtual private server) also has several vulnerabilities that hackers can try to exploit.

VPS Hosting

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a virtual machine sold as a service by an Internet hosting service provider. A VPS runs its own copy of an operating system (OS), and customers may have superuser-level access to that operating system instance, so they can install almost any software that runs on that OS. For many purposes, they are functionally equivalent to a physical server, and being software-defined, are able to be much more easily created and configured. They are priced much lower than an equivalent physical server.

With a virtual private server (VPS), you have complete control over your data and your environment. This means that you can run whatever software you want on your VPS, without worrying about compatibility issues. With a VPS, you can also have a virtual private server (VPS) as a server that is licensed and configured as a dedicated, private, on-premises instance of a public or private cloud computing platform. This type of server is commonly used in business and enterprise settings, where greater control over the resources and security is desired. VPS has become increasingly popular for web hosting, as they provide greater control over the resources and the ability to scale the instance up or down as needed.

Tips To Secure VPS Hosting

Read on to know more about how to secure your virtual private server with these helpful suggestions and tips.

1. Change Your Default Ssh Credentials

Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) is a common method used to gain and manage access to servers. Hackers often target SSH ports using brute force attacks to gain remote access. You can change your SSH port to make it difficult for hackers to access your server. Another simple method is to use a strong and unique password that contains a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.

2. Disable Root Login On Your Server

A server running on a VPS architecture always has a default username of “root”. The root user will for sure have the most control and privileges over the server compared to other users. Hackers often take advantage of this. Therefore, it is best to disable root login access on your server terminal.

3. Always Use The Latest Software Available

Keeping your server software up-to-date at all times is important to keep your VPS secure. Updating the software will provide you with many security changes that will better protect your data, as well as be smoother and error-free.

4. Setting Up Server Firewall

Installing a firewall is the best way to ensure strong VPS security. A simple firewall can help you block several IP addresses, block access and detect patterns, and also update rules that allow users to access your website or not.

5. Install Anti-Virus Applications Or Software

Installing antivirus software on your server will offer additional security measures against hackers and data loss. Even with a firewall or other security protocols in place, malware and other viruses can get onto your server and wreak havoc. If you’re not comfortable with a separate antivirus plan, you can consider a VPS hosting service like Big Rock that offers built-in server security features.

6. Using Fail2ban

Fail2ban is a Python-based software that helps identify and prevent brute force attacks, DoS attacks, and other common hacking techniques. The software constantly monitors your server logs and will notify you if it detects any form of data injection, multiple failed logins, or abuse.

7. Replace Ftp With Sftp Server

Although File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a convenient way to move files, it is generally considered outdated and risky. All data transferred via FTP is in clear text, which means it is vulnerable to packet sniffing. Therefore, switching to secure FTP (SFTP) for all communication with the server is a must. SFTP encrypts all data and information so that no unauthorized person can read it.

8. Regularly Review User Access

Since you are unlikely to be the only one with access to your VPS hosting server, it is important that you regularly check the kind of control and access other users have on the server. You can monitor user activity, grant or deny file permissions, or restrict access to protect sensitive data and ensure optimal VPS security.

9. Remove Unwanted Modules And Packages

The more modules, software, and packages you install on your VPS, the more opportunities you open up for hackers to exploit. Keep your server simple and remove any modules or software you don’t use to reduce the risk of hacking and data loss.

10. Monitor The Server Logs

Regular monitoring of server logs gives you insight into resource usage, significant events, user activity, and errors. This will allow you to identify any potential server issue before it snowballs into a larger, disruptive problem. In addition, it is also useful to back up your data regularly to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

11. Prevent Attacks On The Server 

While no server can be completely impenetrable, following the tips above will help you keep it as secure as possible. Remember, you must never compromise the security of the server. Any security failure can spell disaster for your website. For stress-free hosting, use a fully managed VPS hosting service that offers the best combination of user-friendliness, efficiency, and security for your website.

Conclusion

Now that you know all about securing the virtual private server, make sure to implement all the necessary measures and undertake precautionary protocols in order to keep your virtual private server protected and far away from all sorts of hacker attacks. The virtual private server is widely known for its performance and flexibility at a very low price, so be sure to make optimum use of it. Though there might be a few vulnerabilities present in the virtual private server, with the right guidance the server can be safeguarded.

Which Is Better, Shared Hosting Or Dedicated Hosting

Whether you’re a small-scale business owner looking to introduce your first application or you run an application development organization or agency with a wide range of clients, choosing the best hosting plan for your business is critical.

A reliable hosting resolution is a must so that your applications are always accessible to the intended users. Of the different types of hosting solutions available in today’s market, dedicated hosting and shared hosting are two of the very common hosting resolutions that a business might consider.

Before you come to a conclusion, between dedicated hosting and shared hosting, Through this article you will be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each and how your decision must be subjected to your business and its goals.

Shared Hosting 

Shared hosting is a great way to start your own website, but you should be careful. Not all hosting companies are the same. Make sure to research the company you choose before signing up. There are many highly reputed hosts available, but be sure to read the reviews. Shared hosting is a great option for small businesses, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure you get a host with a good reputation. Second, be sure to research the features offered by your host. If you need help choosing a host, reach out to your local business association or community website.

Hosting providers offer a wide range of services, but what separates the best from the rest? In this article, we will be discussing the different types of hosting services and their pros and cons. Shared Hosting is a great way to save money, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be sure to research the hosting company carefully. Make sure they have a good reputation and have been in business for a long time. Also, be sure to sign up for a yearly plan to get the best deal.

Shared hosting is a great way to get started with a website, but be aware of the risks. You may be thinking that sharing your website with other people will be easy, but it’s not always that simple. Your website could be taken down without warning if the host decides to change their site policy.

Difference Between Shared Hosting And Dedicated Hosting

Shared Hosting

As you might presume from the name itself, shared hosting denotes a solution where multiple applications and sites are hosted on a shared server. A server’s resources are allocated and shared among the hundreds of thousands of applications and sites on which it might run. This is why shared hosting is the cheapest solution on the market. It is the greatest choice if you are on a very tight budget and prefer to minimize control over the configuration and customization of your application you own.

However, lack of control over resource allocation, server management, server maintenance, and updates is one of the most commonly cited disadvantages of shared hosting services.

Another disadvantage is that if the user’s site traffic increases as the business take a hike, a shared hosting solution will not be able to scale to meet its requirements.

Benefits Of Shared Hosting

  • An extremely affordable hosting plan
  • Ideal for small-scale to mid-range businesses with less or low traffic
  • The host does all technical requirements, permitting you to focus on the content
  • Quick and easy to set up

Disadvantages Of Shared Hosting

  • Different applications and sites compete for limited resources
  • Low flexibility and less control over server operation
  • Low scalability

Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated server hosting permits you to use the entire server only to host your sites and applications. Dedicated hosting does not include the allocation or sharing of resources and you can also benefit from all the processing power that the server has to offer you. Owning a dedicated server also provides you with unlimited and complete control over the operation and configuration of server resources. You can also customize the server to match your needs, making it ideal for businesses that have unique and evolving server requirements.

One of the major motives behind why businesses opt for a dedicated server is the scalability feature it offers. With a powerful server free of competing applications and third-party sites, your applications will be in the best possible situation to provide access to more users as your business grows. Keep in mind that dedicated servers require considerable technical know-how to manage and operate. However, if you opt for a server management plan, you can skip the technical details.

Advantages Of Dedicated Servers

  • high level of performance and Power 
  • Better control over the server customization feature and configuration settings
  • High flexibility and better scalability

Disadvantages Of Dedicated Servers

  • More expensive than shared hosting
  • Some technical knowledge is required

Shared Hosting vs Dedicated Server: The Final Verdict

The final option between a dedicated server or shared hosting solution depends on the business itself, its aims for future growth, the need for scalability, and a number of other factors as well. If you establish an application or web development agency, the decision will be much easier, and dedicated servers are a perfect choice.

If hosting multiple applications with different features is important to you, a shared hosting server lacks the power of processing and flexibility to meet your needs and requirements. While shared hosting may be just perfect for smaller organizations or businesses that don’t expect a significant increase in traffic, an app development company can’t afford to take that risk. Dedicated servers provide a wide range of performance-packed features and customization functionalities that not only make up for the price you pay but also make dedicated server options very user-friendly and cost-efficient when compared to cloud hosting solutions or other hosting types that offer similar features.

Why Dedicated Server Hosting Is Worth The Price

While shared hosting services may be widely known, no application development business can go wrong with a dedicated server. It provides everything you need for control, scalability, and performance to help your business reach great heights and grow and get more clients without having to fear server support.

Common Myths About Shared Hosting

The challenge of selecting the most suitable site hosting service plan arises when business owners think about taking their business online. Small-scale businesses or organizations and start-up companies often prefer shared hosting services over others as they are known to be reliable and budget-friendly. There are various different plans offered by the hosting service provider for shared hosting service. Compare and analyze each and every feature that is offered in various plans and finally, select a plan that you think is most suited for your business or organization.

The shared hosting service has a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 10.3% every year. This is the second-largest CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). Though there are numerous benefits that come along with shared hosting service. Also, there are quite a few myths about shared hosting that have been around for a while. These myths need to be exposed so that users get a clear understanding and better clarity regarding shared hosting services. 

When these myths about shared hosting get exposed, the original features and characteristics of shared hosting will be known to the public. Such clear information is necessary for all buyers, myths often mislead clients into opting for something that is not much required for them at that time. In order to avoid such situations, every myth regarding this type of hosting should be addressed.

Shared Hosting – An Overview

The most cost-efficient type of hosting is the shared hosting service. A shared hosting service is where multiple websites get hosted on a single server. The server is shared by all the websites on it. The storage space, CPU, and all the other features that are provided by the website hosting providers must surely be shared. Moreover, even the entire cost of the server will be shared by all the sites on the server. 

The service provider of the shared hosting, will also manage and take care of all the server maintenance, overall security, and other aspects that fall into managing the hosting server. All these make it convenient and easy for all users to run a successful business online right from the initial stages of establishing the particular website. Shared hosting is the right type of hosting for all start-up companies and small businesses or organizations.

Objectively untrue actions are termed myths. Do not fall prey to myths. Myths about shared hosting have been for a while and this misleads most of the users who do not look into the myth. Here are a few myths about shared hosting that you, as a business owner, should not fall for.

Most Common Myths – Shared Hosting Edition

Many people often skip using shared hosting just by believing in certain myths. They opt for pricier hosting types and plan when they have all the needs and requirements to purchase a shared hosting server. Avoid falling for false statements you read on the internet or hear from other unprofessional people. Moving on to the first misconception.

Myth – 1: Free Hosting And Shared Hosting Go Hand In Hand

A free hosting service is where the web hosting provider charges its clients with hidden costs (indirectly). For instance, if you host your website on free servers, your site will lack performance, decrease uptime and overall security will not be provided. The service provider might also add advertisements to your website and earn money through that. 

Whereas shared hosting is not like that, there will be no hidden cost or any other offers that might be added to your website. A shared hosting server is also secure and reliable. This type of hosting ensures overall security, high performance, guaranteed uptime and so much more that makes sure that your site stays protected and continuously monitored. So, this proves that free hosting and shared hosting do not go hand in hand. The first myth about shared hosting is exposed. Moving on to the next one.

Myth – 2: Shared Hosting Lacks Security

The vulnerabilities present on one website on the server might cause issues to other websites present on the same server as well. This is where many security risks arise. One vulnerable site is a threat to all the others on the same server. But, just by this one can not conclude that shared hosting lacks the required security. 

Most of the shared hosting service providers do offer high-end tools like DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection, firewalls, anti-malware, anti-virus software, network monitoring tools, etc. So, you need not worry about shared hosting lacking security. This is one of the most common myths, and now it is exposed. You can confidently go about with a shared hosting service for your website and see that it impacts positively.

Myth – 3: Frequent Downtime

The downtime of a website depends on the amount of traffic a site receives. If there is high website traffic and the server can not handle it, downtime occurs. The best hosting service provider makes sure that this does not happen. Make sure your service provider ensures better uptime in the shared hosting plan. Your site must stay up and running despite the huge traffic. Ensure that is possible, as it is absolutely necessary. 

Certain website hosting service providers ensure a 99.99% uptime guarantee and also live up to their word. So, stop worrying about frequent downtime when you think about shared hosting services. Frequent downtime is just a myth.

Myth – 4: No Scalability Is Offered

The other most common myth that is widely spread is that shared hosting services do not offer scalability. But the truth be told, shared hosting service providers offer easy and seamless scalability options. Most of the service providers aid in scaling up the resources that you will need when your online business expands and grows by gaining a lot of traffic. This ensures uninterrupted business continuity and makes the website available to all the intended users to the maximum. 

These are some of the major myths that have spread across users. Many believe these myths and fail to make optimum use of this type of hosting method. Since these myths are exposed now, you can clearly understand the positive impact that shared hosting might cause.

Conclusion

To summarise, a shared hosting mechanism is affordable (budget friendly), extremely reliable, scalable, ensure security, and is known to be very convenient to host an e-commerce website or any other business for that matter. But, all of this depends on the hosting service provider. Do check the review of the previous clients before selecting the service provider for your business website.

Is E-Commerce Site Compatible On A Shared Hosting Server

Wanting to start an online business or do you already have a small-scale e-commerce website? Here are all the answers to your question regarding this. Each and every e-commerce site has to deal with a lot of customer data and maintain a big database to store all their sensitive and private information and other credentials. This is why it is absolutely necessary to ensure smooth uptime and high performance of the website so that there will not be any loss of business revenue, customers, or sales.

As you continue to read you will understand more about the important feature to look for, in a shared hosting provider and how you, as a business owner should select the most suited company. So, let us now get started on shared hosting and e-commerce websites!

Getting Started With Shared Hosting And E-Commerce Site

The most common misconception about shared hosting is that they are only suitable for websites with low traffic or e-commerce sites that do not need many resources. However, if the right kind of plan is available in shared hosting and is also compatible to accommodate the traffic of the website, then moving forward with shared hosting is very much appreciated. The most budget-friendly and affordable type of hosting is shared hosting, this is where multiple blogs and sites get hosted on a single server. 

The blog or website is hosted on the same server in shared hosting, sharing resources like disk space, RAM, memory, CPU cores, and other resources as well. The major advantage of shared hosting is the cost-cutting feature. This feature makes the hosting service available for small-scale businesses and enterprises. Moreover, technical knowledge and expertise in the field are not required to get your way around shared hosting systems. The control panel is simple to understand and manage.

Just because it is budget-friendly, doesn’t mean that it is all you need in a hosting server. Shared hosting has several limitations. Such restrictions include not having complete control over the server, lack of access, etc. Plus, performance degradation and downtime occurrence might be an issue one might face. But, these disadvantages arise for e-commerce sites that have huge traffic and do not affect any other reason. So, if your e-commerce website does not attract high traffic and is still in the expanding stage, it is better to choose shared hosting as it is practical and financially beneficial.

Benefits Of Hosting an E-Commerce Site On A Shared Hosting Server

Here are some of the top reasons why shared hosting is best for e-commerce websites.

1. Increased performance

The performance of the e-commerce website is greatly impacted by the plan offered by the hosting service provider. This is because any action or issue will always be handled by the hosting service provider. 

So, while choosing a website hosting service provider, make sure to choose a company that has the capacity to monitor and maintain the website by ensuring improved performance, better uptime, smooth page loading, etc.

2. High-end Security

The most essential and crucial aspect of hosting online sites is the security feature. E-commerce sites contain a large amount of user data including credential details and private or personal information. This is why hackers or attackers spend night and day trying to cause and breach and steal all sensitive information. Hackers usually exploit vulnerabilities and steal confidential information from an e-commerce website. 

To ensure that such attacks do not happen the hosting company must monitor the site twenty-four-seven so that the site stays protected from all such attacks and issues. Make sure an SSL Certificate is available and all other in-built security features along with it and made accessibly. The website hosting company should take all the necessary measures to keep the site protected and safe for all its users at all times.

3. Low Cost

As an owner of a business enterprise, it is your top priority to choose a web hosting provider and plan that is most suitable to your website which is both cost-efficient and reliable. Start-ups and small-scale companies prefer low-budget plans to get all their work done.

Site performance, security, and cost are the three main features that make shared hosting effective and preferred. Not all users prefer shared hosting but all the shared hosting sites are getting the maximum features for the cost they pay.

What Is The Right Shared Hosting Plan For The E-Commerce Site?

In order to choose the right shared hosting plan, you need to get familiar with all the features that will be offered on a particular plan and analyze them, compare them and then come to a decision. Here are a few factors that are important when choosing a shared hosting service for an online store.

1. Reliability 

The two main features that are important for a web hosting company are reliability and security. Reliability ensures clients’ performance and uptime, page speed, and improved user interaction. So, always go with companies that provide a better reliability experience.

2. Administrator Access 

The web hosting service should offer a simple and easy-to-use control panel with admin access. With admin access, file uploading, apps, plugin installation, and website data can be easily accessed. This makes sure you have control over your website.

3. Customer Service 

As a client, you will obviously have a lot of queries and questions regarding the smooth running of the site. You might want to make changes and doubt whether it is possible or have issues accessing clients’ data and others. During such cases, you need a ready customer support team to assist you with clearing all your doubts so, make sure the web hosting companies provide you with that.

The right website hosting provider will provide their clients with the best customer support service, the admin access to make sure that the owners have the ability to control their e-commerce site and reliability so that clients do not get disappointed.

Conclusion

Always check for reviews, it applies not only to products but also to software and hosting services as well. Though shared hosting is not suited for all, it is a great option to launch your new website for your e-commerce business. Shared hosting is best known for reliability, security, affordability, and scalability features. However, the key to getting access to all of this is, only when you choose the right hosting service provider that offers all these key features.  To sum it up: think, compare, analyze and then choose the most appropriate option.

cPanel – The importance, Benefits, And Offered Packages

One of the best web hosting control panels is the Linux-based cPanel. This type of control panel is widely used and makes sure that its users are able to effectively and conveniently manage the functionalities and all the actions from a specific place. The majority of web host providers make the website hosting control panel available for all their clients if they want it. Also, there are several other interfaces that can be assigned to the clients by their web hosting providers which will enable them to manage their own sites.

According to the user’s requirements, the cPanel will provide a graphic user interface through which they can control it. Through the cPanel, the various aspects can be controlled directly through a single browser. The hostname along with the command “/cpanel” at the end, will give the user access to cPanel. Multiple tasks can be monitored easily through this interface like installing software, creating FTP users, creating subdomains and mail addresses, etc. Now that you know what cPanel is all about, let’s get to its advantages and see how beneficial they are, to its users.

Benefits Of cPanel

The majority of people prefer cPanel because of its numerous advantages. These advantages greatly benefit the users. Here are some of the major advantages of the cPanel interface.

1. Popularity

cPanel is known to be the default control panel for most of the hosting panels. Also, cPanel is widely popular. 

2. Scalability 

cPanel has diverse usage. They cannot only be used in dedicated servers but also in shared hosting, private hosting, reseller hosting, and virtual hosting.

3. Affordability

The license of the cPanel is not very expensive. Though there are quite a few licensing issues in the other hosting panels, cPanel does not have any such limitation as the number of sites that can use a single license.

4. Easy Installation Process 

After the server installation process, the users can just wait and let the script installation run on the cPanel.

5. Convenient 

cPanel can be easily maintained and managed. And keeping it up-to-date is also a piece of cake.

6. Easy Usage 

You do not have to be tech-savvy to control the cPanel, even beginners find it absolutely easy to use the cPanel interface. Also, other control panel users find it simple to adapt the cPanel interface.

7. Completely Featured

In case the users want to add extra functions or data to their sites, cPanel provides a convenient platform for them to make the changes. cPanel has the ability to install packages in a single click and allows the users to be fully feature-oriented. Every feature you need can be made available through the cPanel interface.

8. Better Backup

cPanel offers multiple backup methods, in order to protect the data. With the help of cPanel backup software from a third party, can be integrated effortlessly.

9. Portability

Users often transfer and exchange hosting facilities from one supplier to another, from time to time. This migration process can be seemingly easy with cPanel.

10. Additional Services

In case users make use of dedicated servers or virtual private servers and want to add the value factor, from third-party applications, they can be smoothly implemented with the cPanel interface.  

11. Advanced Features

cPanel has various advanced features like Apache handlers, DNS (Domain Name System) records, the ability to set up DB (Databases), configuring MIME type, Patchman can be managed and accessed whenever the user wants, scanning for viruses, and so much more. cPanel is a tool specifically developed for Linux operating systems to provide the ability to automate tasks through a graphical user interface.

These are the advantages that make cPanel the most preferred control panel of all time. Now, moving on, to the packages offered by the cPanel.

Packages Offered

With respect to the number of accounts, the packages of cPanel will vary. The cPanel packages can be purchased based on the number of accounts the user might need. There are three types of packages that are offered by cPanel. There are starter packs, performance packs, and business packs.

1. Starter Pack (5 accounts)

The starter pack is the ideal package for all start-up companies, entry-level organizations, small to mid-range businesses, and agencies. and others with few accounts can go with the starter pack.

2. Performance Pack (30 accounts)

Mid-level to large-scale industries can go with the performance pack, where there will be around 30 active accounts. This pack allows scalability and is the best choice for growing businesses or organizations.

3. Business Pack(50 accounts)

Enterprise-level agencies or companies or organizations often go with the business pack because they need more than 30 accounts. The price of this package is also comparatively higher and will not fall within the budget of small to mid-level businesses.

Few Final Thoughts

One of the well-known and popular services adopted by the majority of users is the cPanel interface. cPanel is the most opted service so far. But there has been a huge debate after there has been a change in the pricing of the packages. Currently, the pricing has affected the starter pack purchases, and they are facing major problems because of that. But, no matter what, in the end, cPanel continues to remain the most opted control panel interface by most users.

This is all you need to know about cPanel, its advantages and how beneficial they are to the users and the different packages that are offered by the cPanel, and how you can choose them based on the number of accounts your business might need. So, the next time you think about purchasing a cPanel pack, you will know how to select the aptest pack that will be best suited for your business or organization. This is it for the cPanel complete guide.

Must Know Pros And Cons Of A Virtual Server

In recent years, virtual servers have become an increasingly popular choice for businesses of all sizes. Here we will explore the pros and cons of virtual servers and discuss some of the key factors to consider before making the switch. In this paragraph, I will discuss the importance of virtual servers. By isolating an application or service on a virtual server, you can improve security and manage infrastructure more effectively. You can also scale your infrastructure more easily, as you can add or remove virtual servers as needed.

Virtualization may be a familiar word that you might have heard a lot, in recent years. In fact, nearly 92 percent of companies or businesses have some form of virtualization inside their IT (Information technology) infrastructure. You probably already use virtualization to some extent in your own business process. But what virtualization actually means in the context of server or hardware hosting? What does a virtual server mean? How are they different from a  physical dedicated server and most importantly which one is right for you?

What Are Virtual Servers?

A virtual server also known as the Virtual Private Server (VPS) or virtual machine (VM), runs on a physical computer, which is a standard physical system with computing resources such as hard drives, RAM, GPUs, CPU cores, etc. 

A tool called a hypervisor is used to enable virtualization. The hypervisor tool allows administrators to develop and run more than one virtual server on a single physical server. Creating or developing a virtual server is like creating a folder on your computer. It exists as virtual media on a physical computer and provides you with all the functionality that a server might need. Compared to all the physical servers, a virtual server simply shares all the resources of the physical server on which it had been built. It has all the features of a dedicated server like storage units, RAM, CPU cores, and so on, which are allocated accordingly by the hosting service provider. 

For example, take a physical server that has 32 GB of RAM, an administrator can easily create multiple servers virtually and each of them will be allocated to this 32 GB memory pool. An admin has the ability to create 2 Virtual Machines with RAM (16 GB) each, 8 Virtual Machines with 4 GB RAM each, 3 Virtual Machines with 8 GB RAM each, and 8 GB remaining, and this goes on. Simply just think of a virtual building as a physical server, and each of the individual apartments is assigned to a single user – a virtual server. The building’s functions will be shared by everyone, though the space is private.

Virtual Server And Dedicated Server

One of the major advantages of owning a virtual server is the feature of scalability. As virtual servers are only assigned from the physical server, they can be modified, created, and destroyed at any time. You can buy a virtual server and start using it in minutes.

Assets are allocated to the virtual server based on their requirements, so this is why it is very flexible. You can start with a virtual server that has 8 GB of RAM and increase the RAM to 12 GB in real time without adding any physical components. It’s just about your hosting provider abstracting and allocating more resources from the collection.

This is ideal for businesses that are still starting out on a small scale to mid-scale but may expand online in the days to come. You do not have to invest in additional resources right from the start in expectation of growth like you would in the case of a dedicated server.

Virtualization allows you to access additional resources along the way. It also ensures that you only pay for what resources you use, making virtual servers more cost-efficient than other dedicated servers. Moreover, virtual servers are portable, meaning they can be instantly transferred from one physical server to another without the need for physical work. This gives you the liberty to change vendors or hosts without having to worry about the migration process.

Pros And Cons Of Virtual Servers

Pros Of Virtual Servers

  • Pay only for what you use 

You only pay for the features you use, making it much more budget-friendly compared to buying a dedicated server.

  • Scalability of server resources

Virtual servers are super flexible and scalable. As your business grows, you can increase or decrease resources as you need. You can even automate resource allocation so they are automatically applied based on the load and traffic they possess.

  • Easy recovery in the event of a disaster or attack

Recovering a virtual machine (VM) in the event of an attack or disaster is way easier. Virtual servers also allow you to develop backup snapshots that you can revert to if needed.

Cons Of Virtual Servers

  • Not as powerful as a dedicated server 

Various virtual servers work on one physical server and also share their properties. This could also result in performance degradation when compared to that of a dedicated server.

  • Limited to available resources  

Your selections are inadequate to what is available on the physical computer. For example, though you can choose how much you want to use, you may not be able to choose the brand of GPU or processor which you really prefer.

  • Not ideal for large e-commerce businesses or IT agencies 

Meanwhile, virtual servers are still hosted on the shared server, they will not be adequate to support the online requirements of large companies serving millions of employers and multiple sites.

Verdict: What’s Best For Your Business

Finally, it all comes down to what your business or organization needs. Virtual servers are comparatively more affordable but they are not able to provide enough features that are required by large companies or corporations. Whereas, on the other hand, dedicated servers offer more liberty and property, but are much more expensive when compared to virtual servers.

If you think that your business needs consistently high performance for multiple applications and sites consider purchasing dedicated servers. However, if you want excellent performance for your SMBs with the ability to scale as needed, all without breaking the bank, go for a virtual server.

Best Tricks To Secure Your ECommerce Business Website

While running a business online, security is the top priority. Every action that takes place on the internet, needs to be secure. Currently, almost everyone knows about the potential crimes that might occur in cyberspace. Cyberspace is not a secure place unless all the security measures are properly undertaken. 

Hackers or attackers make use of malicious software to steal personal and sensitive data from users or other forms of databases. Online transaction frauds, hacking, phishing, vishing, etc are a few of the familiar online crimes people come across every single day. Most of these crimes take place on e-commerce websites. So, how does one protect their e-commerce site from such attacks?

The one and only obvious answer for this is through taking extreme security measures. It is necessary to always be updated with the latest security protocols and keep your sites updated, to prevent them from getting breached. One can always protect and keep their customers’ data safe by following security protocols. 

“Prevention is always better than cure”. It is better to safeguard the e-commerce site in the first place. Because if it gets breached, the site will lose the reputation and trust of its clients, which can be very hard to gain back. So, make it your highest priority to invest in the security of the site. Here are a few key pointers that you will need in order to protect and secure your e-commerce site from all possible attacks.

Security Of E-commerce Site

In the current era, securing e-commerce sites is essential. There are various security measures and protocols that can be implemented to keep the platform safe for all its customers. The e-commerce site has a wide range of components that should be secured right from the web applications, user’s data, servers, networks, transaction forums, etc. 

All these factors must be secured from all forms of breaches and attacks. The trust of the customers will increase based on the investment you make towards the security of the site.

Key Pointers On Securing An E-commerce Site

Customers will be petrified to know that their trusted site got breached. A site breach will lead to a loss in reputation and customers do not think that the site is reliable anymore. To avoid all of this trouble, follow the below-mentioned key pointers to safeguard your website from all kinds of potential threats.

1. Ensure Reliability

Choose the best type of backup facility and automatic updating software. This ensures that your site will stay up-to-date at all times. Make high-end security measures available to all your clients. The e-commerce site should be safe twenty-four-seven with the maximum uptime. 

Purchase a web host only after checking and verifying the security certificates the hosting company provides. Reliable and reputed companies tend to be open and transparent regarding all the actions they perform and ensure that the site remains protected from all sorts of cyber attacks. So, ensure a reliable hosting service.

2. Secured Platform

Ensuring the e-commerce platform is secured at all costs, is the top priority. The transaction gateway is supposed to be the most secure of all, as it holds confidential information regarding the customer’s credit or debit cards. Vulnerabilities should be patched and security patches should be updated at regular intervals. This is a great way to safeguard your platform. Moreover, the platform must have an encryption feature, so that all the information or data can be stored in an encrypted form. Every possible security measure should be undertaken to keep the platform secured at all costs. 

You can trust the transaction gateway of reputed and reliable companies as security will be at its best. The companies will surely have all the necessary tools and software that will be needed to secure the platform’s payment gateway. Automatic fraud will also be implemented by these companies.

3. Make Use Of Strong Passwords

Strong passwords protect against unauthorized access. The action of unauthorized entry can compromise account details, debit and credit card details, etc. Every account is password protected. So, the best way to protect your profile is through strong passwords.

Tips For Strong Passwords

  • A mixture of Capital and small alphabets (a -z)
  • Involve Number (0 -9)
  • Symbols and characteristics (#, ^, *, !, + etc)
  • Passwords must have six to eight characters.

Securing a profile or an account through a password is the best practice. By doing this every account holder will work towards safeguarding the information that is stored on the e-commerce platform.

4. Regular Updation

On a regular interval, all the plugins and tools must be updated. Keeping this software updated ensures better security. Ensure all patches are fixed and the software is updated to the latest versions. Regular updates fix bugs, improve security and fix other issues as well. And backup is a must. Being up-to-date is more effective than most people think.

5. SSL Certificate

The SSL Certification makes sure that the user’s online data is safely stored during purchases. The digital SSL certificate will establish a connection that is very secure between the user and the server. This is vital when a site possesses sensitive information like debit and credit card details and bank account information. This certificate makes it possible to encrypt all the sensitive data and information to be received and sent in an encrypted format. A secure website will have the “HTTPS” present in its URL.

6. Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication has become very popular in the recent decade. This improves security and makes it hard for attackers or hackers to get into one’s account. Two-factor authentication increases the level of security by adding an additional layer to the authentication process. This might be a time-consuming procedure, but it ensures a higher level of safety. 

Nowadays all online service providers have shifted to a two-factor authentication system for safeguarding their clients. Only after the user gets through the two-factor authentication process will they be granted access to their portal.

These are some of the major key pointers that are of great importance, be sure to remember these and implement them in your workplace as well.

Few Final Words

In the e-commerce community, security plays a vital role. So, to summarise an e-commerce site should be protected with high-end security features to make it a place for all its clients. Securing the site also helps in the growth of the website. Securing the site is beneficial for both the business owners and clients as well. Make sure your e-commerce website guarantees security. 

Ensure that your e-commerce website is a safe place for all the customer’s personal or private data and their card details. Focus on increasing the trust of the clients and boosting the level of reliability. So, taking all the key pointers into consideration, work towards making your site a more secure platform. These key pointers will help you along the way, put them into practice and see your site reaching great heights.

What Are The Different Types Of Virtualizations In Cloud Computing?

The term “Virtualization” means to create something virtually. This might include virtual hardware platforms, computer networks, and storage devices. There are various types of virtualizations that can be used for different purposes. Virtualization ages back to the 1960s, but has become very popular in the recent decade. Moving on to the different types of virtualizations in cloud computing.

Types Of Virtualizations In Cloud Computing

1. Network Virtualization

Network Virtualization can be simply referred to as the system where multiple networks can visually run at the same time. And all these multiple networks have a private data plan and control system. On the same physical network, multiple networks co-exist. But these have a separate functioning system. Network Virtualization does not compromise the security factor. Network Virtualization enables the user to keep track of all the actions that happen on the network. Data usage can be easily identified and the network can be monitored constantly.  

Network Virtualization is very safe and reliable and the issue of one network cannot cause a major impact on the other network, present on the same physical network. Productivity and efficiency are the two main focuses of Network Virtualization. There two types of Network Virtualization, they are internal and external Network Virtualization.

  • Internal Network Virtualization: Increase network functionality onto a single system.
  • External Network Virtualization: Individual parts and multiple networks combine together to form a single virtual unit.

2. Storage Virtualization

Storage Virtualizations is where the virtual single storage system gets managed by multiple servers. There are several major benefits of Storage Virtualization that will increase the overall performance, improve functionalities, and maintain smooth operations. Storage Virtualizations are of two types namely: Block and File Storage Virtualizations.

  • Block Storage Virtualization: Storage Virtualization is a type of virtualization that takes over from the disk level after getting replaced by the controllers. This functions before the file system level.
  • File Storage Virtualization: This is important for every server that makes use of the storage to install software, in cases where file system level is required.

Benefits of Storage Virtualization

  • Easy and simple updating process.
  • Has increased storage management.
  • Better utilization of storage systems.
  • Downtime reduction and increased capacity.

3. Memory Virtualization

Memory Virtualization is a concept in which multiple memories across various servers are bound together to form the virtual singular memory. Through this, bigger memory can be accessed. Memory Virtualization focuses on providing enhanced and better memory to carry out functions.

  • Application-Level Control: The applications of this system run on the device that is directly connected to the memory through an API system or a file system.
  • Operating System Level Control: The operating system (OS) in this system connects with the memory pool and makes it available to all the applications that are present in the process.

4. Software Virtualization

Software Virtualizations possess the ability to let computer systems run on a guest Operating System (OS). The concept of Software Virtualization is that the primary system is installed with the ability to develop an individual environment virtually, and simultaneously run it. There are three types of Software Virtualizations, they are:

  • Operating System
  • Application Virtualization
  • Service Virtualization

5. Desktop Virtualization

In the IT (Information Technology) fields, Desktop Virtualization is the very common virtualization type. The majority of the workplace, related to IT, make use of this virtualization. In Desktop Virtualization, the desktop of the user can be virtualized and data can be stored in a common server that provides the user with the ability to access their virtual desktop from anywhere at any time. 

Desktop virtualization ensures the security of the data and protects any form of data that might transfer through secure protocols. It has some well-known benefits including easy portability, and mobility, and can be efficiently managed. They can also be updated easily.

6. Application Virtualization

This is a virtualization type where all the elements, information, and characteristics of an application will be stored on a server. Application virtualization allows the users to make use of the application and access it from the server. 

Application virtualization encapsulates the elements of a specific application and virtualizes it on another server that enables all the users to access those applications without the requirement of installing them on the target device. There are two types of application virtualization, they are:

  • Hosted applications
  • Packaged applications

7. Server Virtualization

Hardware virtualization is also called Server Virtualization. This type of virtualization denotes the system of developing multiple abstracts in a single server. Server Virtualization divides the server’s physical environment into multiple environments virtually where each and every virtual environment can run on its own, as an individual environment. There are independent environments such as the VPS (Virtual Private Servers).

Advantages Of Virtualization

There are several benefits of using virtualization. Mentioned below are a few major advantages of virtualization.

  • Easy and simple procedure for backing up data and also ensuring data recovery management after a disaster.
  • Multiple operating systems and applications can run simultaneously on the same server.
  • Overall flexibility and efficiency of the hardware increase. 
  • Reduces overall expenditure of the hardware setup can be reduced.
  • Virtualization conserves energy.
  • Good uptime is provided.
  • Resources get deployed faster.
  • Servers can be used to the maximum extent.

Disadvantages Of Virtualization

Everything has its own pros and cons. Likewise, virtualization also has a few drawbacks. They are:

  • The implementation process is expensive.
  • Scalability issues arise over the long run.
  • Though it is convenient, the process is time-consuming.
  • They have quite a few limitations and there remains a sense of uncertainty because of that.

Few Final Words

Though there are a few drawbacks of virtualization, the overall efficiency of virtualization makes it a great concept. Make sure the service providers have all the essential tools that will be needed to manage and maintain the virtual environment, before making a purchase.

Factors To Consider Before You Choose Web Hosting Company

Are you a start-up looking for ways to expand your network through a website? Are you willing to launch a site to improve your business? Are you confused about which company to choose to be your web host? Worry no more, selecting the most suitable company for your business is very essential but on the other hand, it involves a lot of thinking and analyzing before making a decision. So, continue reading to get all your doubts cleared regarding the selection of the host company. 

Web Hosting Company 

A web hosting company provides the service of hosting a site on the server to make it available for all the intended users. Nowadays, there are numerous companies that are providing this service. Web hosts denote the company that provides the hosting service to a client. There are several types of hosts, which can be used according to the needs and requirements of the company. 

Here are a few factors that you should definitely consider before selecting a web hosting company. All these factors are crucial when thinking about choosing a web host company. Moreover, these are simple factors that can be easily remembered.

1. Cost Of Plans  

Have a budget. Nowadays, having a budget and spending within that limit is not followed by a majority of the people. People tend to spend money in a lavish manner, but it is advised to avoid doing so. 

Make sure the company’s plan falls within your budget. Your start-up or a growing organization does not require a high-end hosting service in the initial stages of releasing a website. So, go with cheaper plans once your site gets recognition, you can shift to higher plans in accordance with the traffic received to that particular website. Also, be sure to check the features that will be provided in a plan, the features should be worth the cost. Compare the “cost of plans” of various companies before selecting one.

2. Capabilities 

It is essential to be sure whether the hosting company has the capability to handle the needs of your organization or business. When something goes wrong, is the hosting company equipped with enough necessities to handle all the challenges they might come across? How will you, as a client, check the capacity of the company? Here is how you do it, make sure they provide their clients with:

  • 24 / 7, technical support.
  • Robust DBMS (Database Management System)
  • Secure FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
  • Control panel
  • Traffic statistics of all the site traffic

This is not all, but these should be checked for sure.

3. Security 

We are in an era where there is a cyber attack that is happening every minute around the world. Cyberspace is not at all space without the right security measures. The hosting company should be aware of this and take precautionary steps to avoid possible security breaches and always keep all their servers and systems updated and properly patched. 

A web hosting company should be extremely reliable. You can not entrust your business contents to a company that has poor security. You should make sure that all your contents and files are safely stored on the server by the hosting company with any security issues.

4. Speed 

Check the company’s server speed. The lower the load time the better performance you can expect from the server. Get the data regarding the latency from the hosting company before choosing the most appropriate web hosting company. The speed of the server is an important factor to look into, so be sure to do it.

5. Technical Support Team

You can never be sure of when you might actually need help. Choose a web hosting company that offers excellent customer support to help you come out of the problem you might be facing. Only the company that prioritizes customer welfare and satisfaction will have a good customer support team.

6. Offered Plans

Check whether the plans offered by the company have features that satisfy the requirements and the needs of your business or company. There is no point in choosing a plan that is of no use to you. Select the company that offers the right plan according to your preference.

7. Reputation

Approach a reputed company and be their client, this is the best way to play it safe. It is not wrong to give start-up companies a chance, but you must be very cautious about who you hand over your business content. To be frank, you should never trust a company easily. 

Reputed companies, on the other hand, charge higher than others. This is because they have better experience in the field after having handled a lot of clients. Reputed companies always know about the problems a site might face and work accordingly to avoid them from the initial stages themselves. 

NOTE: Not all companies are reputed. Not all reputed companies can be trusted.

To Summarize

It is a common fact that choosing the most suitable web host is a tedious process but take your time, and do not jump to conclusions. It will definitely take a while for you to compare and analyze all the features and additional services that will be provided by the host company. Ask around your network, for suggestions and get to know more about the requirements your company will be needing in the long run. Get professional help from people you know before making the final decision. Keep the above-mentioned factor in your mind and check whether the host company satisfies all of them.

Remember, you can only ask for suggestions, you can not let someone else make decisions on your behalf. Take all the suggestions and reviews into consideration and choose the company which you feel is the right one. The decision you make will directly impact your business, so make sure it positively impacts your business or organization.

Things Small Businesses Should Know About Web Hosting

Owning a business is a huge deal. Especially when clients want to shift their offline small-scale business online. Establishing a small business online is not a piece of cake. It involves making a lot of difficult decisions along the way. For example, the first decision-making situation arises when you look for an apt web hosting company. In order to launch an online website, they often look for the most scalable, reliable, reputed, and effective hosting service. So, getting to know more about web hosting is a mandatory thing. 

Around 80% of small businesses fail because business owners do not put much thought into web hosting services. In order to be one of the companies, among the 20% which excels, you need to know the important aspects which should not be ignored while choosing a site host company. 

Causes For A Small Business To Fail 

Business owners do not prioritize the need to compare and analyze the services each company might offer. The owners should check whether the hosting company is reputed, equipped with all the necessary services that you might need, their capability, and last but not least, make sure they have an effective customer service team to guide you through issues you might face along the way. 

Before going into the important aspects, a small-scale business should know, here are a few interesting facts about web hosting services.

  • Around 65% of small-scale businesses own a website.
  • The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the Global Web Hosting market is expected to increase by 15.9% annually till the year 2023.
  • The market value is said to reach 76.2 billion dollars by the end of 2023. 
  • According to the recently collected data, there are around 359.8 million domains hosted around the world.
  • The United States of America is known to own the highest number of domains.

Now, let’s move on to the important features that a small-scale business must know regarding web hosting.

Important Aspects

Mentioned below are a few questions, who’s answers you need to know in order to become a successful online business owner. 

1. What does a web hosting company actually provide?

A hosting company makes sure that your business is smoothly launched over the internet. The hosting company makes the contents of your business accessible to all the intended users around the world. They are also responsible for the smooth functions of the website. 

  • Website management 

The hosting company will make sure that the hosted website performs in an efficient manner. Speed, performance, traffic, updating and patching, scalability, etc will be managed by the web hosts.

  • 24 / 7 Support 

A stable support team must be in place, to clarify all the queries and concerns clients might raise. The customer support team must be ready to take up any questions and provide their clients with the best solutions.

  • Security 

Cyberspace is not at all a safe place, so everything present in it should be constantly monitored and protected. The web hosts must have high-end tools to keep your website away from the reach of hackers or attackers. They should provide strong safety measures and take precautionary steps to keep your site away from any form of breaches.

2. What are the available types of web hosting?

There are quite a few types of web hosting services. Business owners must choose the type of hosting based on their requirements. And the main types of hosting are as follows:

  • VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server) 

The features of Virtual private server hosting (VPS) are very similar to shared hosting features. The main difference between them is that VPS hosting provides a dedicated private space for its clients whereas shared hosting does not.

  • Dedicated Hosting 

If you like to have your space for yourself and stay undisturbed, dedicated hosting is the “go-to”. Dedicated hosting is quite expensive. But, this is acceptable as there will be no need to share your resource with any other clients. 

  • Shared Hosting 

Shared hosting is a great option for start-ups and entry-level sites. In this type of hosting a single server is shared by multiple websites. As shared hosting is cost efficient it is a great option for budget constraint companies.

  • Cloud Hosting 

This type of hosting is on demand. Cloud hosting is known to be very safe and secure and it can be called a hybrid of VPS.

3. What are the basic features that one should know about web hosting?

Here is some of the basic feature that every company should have:

  • Bandwidth 

Better bandwidth will contribute to the overall performance of the website. Websites with higher traffic should turn to higher bandwidth so that the site will perform in a smooth manner, rather than crashing.

  • SSL Certificate From the security point of view, an SSL certificate is mandatory. In order to establish a secure connection between the server and the browser, an SSL certificate is used. Nowadays only sites with an SSL certificate can be trusted. 
  • cPanel  

This is a graphical user interface that is Linux-based. The is fully equipped with all the latest high-end features that are needed so that a site can perform smoothly.

  • Backup 

Backup is very essential. This is one of the major features that you should look for in a hosting plan that is provided by the hosting company. There are various back types that are available. Make sure to choose the one that suits your needs the most.

Make sure that the web hosting company you choose has all these.

4. What are your needs?

Select a web hosting company that has the capacity to satisfy your needs by providing your site with good performance, high-end security, better scalability, and the ability to manage sites effectively.

5. How to choose the best hosting provider which is suitable for you?

Just because a specific company is good for others, doesn’t mean that it will be the same for you. The required functionalities of each client differ. So, choose the web host based on your requirements.

Conclusion

These are the key pointers every small-scale business owner must know about web hosting. This is simple information that will help you all the way. So, take your time to relax, research and then see your site in excel.