SQL Injections are the number one vulnerability exploited by hackers, by far. According to security vendor Sophos, 16,000 new websites are hit by the attacks every day. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, .NET, classic ASP, PHPBB websites have all been hit with SQL Injections. Do NOT roll the dice on this one! Every web site big or small is vulnerable to injection by automated scripts attempting SQL-Injections through your webforms, dynamic URLs, etc.

This video from Graham Cluley of Sophos discusses the impact of a SQL Injection that hit BusinessWeek.

What can you do NOW to help secure your website?

1. Ensure all logins use strong passwords
2. Employ web form validation and/or CAPTCHA
3. If you’re using a CMS or website platform, ensure it’s up-to-date (including all plug-ins)
4. Ensure all components are current (ASPupload, etc)
5. Use static URLs instead of dynamic URLs

FireHost takes SQL Injection protection to the next level by:

1. Analyzing your website and web applications to assess the potential for SQL Injections and other hacking vulnerabilities
2. Protecting your website using our secure and transparent Web Application Firewall
3. Monitoring your website for new vulnerabilities

It amazes (and scares) members of the FireHost team every time we walk (secret shopping) through data centers.  We always find competitors leasing rows and rows of $99 clone PCs with a single processor, SATA HDs, and a NIC card. XYZ-Hosting Company may consider this equipment sufficient to meet the needs of dedicated server clients, but buyer beware. Just like everything else in life, “you get what you pay for.”

If your business requirements don’t include having your website online 24/7/365, then you’re fine using cheap and dirty hosting providers. On the other hand, if up-time, speed, and redundancy fuel your bottom line, then you should consider a top provider to fulfill your website hosting needs.

So many FireHost customers switched to us because of a bad experience with their previous host. Countless times, we’ve heard comments like, “I assumed they we’re backing up my files, but when we had a hard drive fail, we lost months worth of customer orders.” Another popular complaint we hear from customers who switch to FireHost is that “Our server went down frequently with XYZ-Hosting Company during peak traffic hours. When I complained, they told me to take a hike!”

Before engaging in a dedicated server hosting contract with any hosting provider, make sure to ask these questions:

• Do you own the servers where my files will be stored?
• Is your equipment server grade hardware, or just a desktop PC with a server OS?
• Do you provide redundant power?
• Will my server’s drives be setup in a hot-swappable, RAID configuration?
• Do you have parts and standby servers available to facilitate a quick repair in the event of an emergency, like a hard drive failure?
• Do you backup your dedicated clients’ servers, and what is the retention policy?

Doing your homework upfront will save money, time, and frustration down the road. Please feel free to contact a FireHost technician if you have any questions about dedicated server hosting, or if you would like a quote for our premium services.