Factors to Consider When Choosing a Hosting Provider

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Choosing a web hosting service is a crucial phase in launching a digital project. Various factors have to be taken into consideration, starting from security to support time. There are so many web hosting providers in the market that it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. So, here we have put together a few factors that you can consider to choose the right web hosting provider. 

Uptime

There is nothing more irritating over the internet than clicking on a link but the target site, not opening. It will annoy the users trying to access your website. This way, your site can start giving less organized search results. Hence, you need to ensure that the web hosting provider you are hiring provides the best quality availability. 

It is also called uptime that is measured using numbers. The closer the uptime is to 100%, the better service you can expect. Thus, when you are looking for a web hosting provider, you need to keep an eye on this and focus on the ones that provide 99.99% uptime. 

Monthly Traffic

Many are not aware of this, but a few web hosting providers have a monthly traffic limit. Practically, it means that with a certain amount of access by users, the servers are going to charge an extra fee for additional visitors or even stop showing the site on the web. 

Thus, you should be attentive to the information provided by companies. You should choose the ones that provide unlimited data traffic. This way you don’t have to worry about the site being down. 

Available Storage

Based on the site’s purpose, you might need a little or a lot of storage space for the files you will add. No matter what is the case, you should always hire a service that caters to your requirements. 

In case you require more space, ascertain that the hosting company provides the space you require to avoid running out of memory. If you need little, choose cheaper plans and save money by not investing in unnecessary space. 

But if the provider offers an unlimited space disk, relax. You can just skip this factor and move on to the next one. 

Data Security

Keeping the site secure is of utmost importance, and your hosting company should take care of this. The hosting service should have a powerful firewall. Also, the provider needs to monitor it for unusual activity or intrusions. 

The company that you are choosing should support a Secure Socket Layer or SSL certificate. This offers an additional layer of secure encrypting information that travels between the user’s browser and the server. With time, SSL is becoming the standard practice for all sites. It is a must if your site deals with payments and sales. 

Loading Speed

In case you know about SEO, you will know that Google prioritizes the pages, which load faster to offer the best experience to the users. 

Thus, check if the hosting service you are choosing provides a good loading speed time. It might appear to be an insignificant difference, but in reality; it is the difference between the user actively consuming content and getting frustrated by the delay and abandoning your page. 

Backups offered by Hosting Provider

Backups are crucial for a site. Even with different security measures, your website might crash, fail, or be attacked by a virus. It might cause you to take the site down. But what’s worse is you might have to nuke it completely. 

This is when a good backup policy might prove to be useful. It will revert to a working site when an accident happens. A good hosting provider should be able to restore the complete site with minimal downtime. It will help in avoiding significant losses. 

When you are choosing a web hosting provider, you should ask questions like, whether they take regular complete backups, will they let you backup the site manually, and can you use programs for creating auto backups of the website. 

Customer Support

Apart from offering all the conditions that lead to the success of the page, a hosting provider should be good at assisting you. Customer is the main factor for many users. A provider should be available to help you out when having issues and resolve them quickly to keep your website from being down for several hours. 

So, before you hire the provider, you should check out how their customer service performs and the different communication channels that the company offers. 

Sign-Up and Renewal Price of Hosting Provider

There are two different prices you have to pay to a web host. The first is the sign-up price, and the second is the renewal price. In a majority of the cases what you initially pay for a certain plan isn’t what you pay when you renew it. Usually, the renewal price is a little higher depending on the discounts or offers you were given when you signed up. 

Hosting companies tend to hike the renewal price. Unless you plan to change the web hosting company every 2-3 years, you cannot really avoid it. Rather, you should choose a web hosting company offering a reasonable price jump. 

In case you are new to this, you should always check the ToS of the provider on the renewal rate policy. You are going to find ToS at the homepage and a quick search will help in finding it. 

Factors for Hosting Provider: Bottom Line

If you pay attention to the tips given above, you will definitely be more confident when it comes to choosing the best hosting provider. 

You should keep in mind that there are many different providers in the market and you have to deeply understand your requirements to hire a company that is suitable for you. 

One of the hosting providers that meet all criteria is Eltris Hosting. The company has been offering network solutions since 2001. The company does its best to provide the best hosting service to the customers. It provides regular professional customer support and an individual approach to each customer. 

Web Hosting Mistake You Need to Avoid

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Choosing a hosting plan is the most important part of developing a successful website. No matter if you want to set up an e-commerce site, a blog, or a company site, you have to be sure that the host is reliable, available, and efficient to support you when you require it. Not all hosting packages have been created equal. If you are not careful, you might fall into some easy traps while trying to choose the best host. So, here are some of the top web hosting mistake you need to avoid. 

Web Hosting Mistake 1: Choosing a Free Host

There are a good number of free hosting services out there. And, you should avoid them at all costs. The impressive ‘good value’ might appear to be genuine, but it is surely going to lead to some kind of issues. You should know, ‘Nothing comes for free’. Never do this web hosting mistake of buying free host.

So, you might encounter problems, such as:

  • The site is exceptionally slow. In fact, it might shut down in case it exceeds bandwidth. It will make your business suffer since you and your business are at the mercy of the poor hosting provider. 
  • You might not be able to scale up the site as your business progresses. 
  • The host has the liberty to put third-party ads on the website without your permission. This can cause your business to suffer. 
  • You might be unable to run the scripts you require.
  •  The site’s SEO might be adversely affected. 

Thus, if you are looking for reliability, control, and growth options, and avoid ‘free hosting packages’. 

Web Hosting Mistake 2: Choosing a Host that Doesn’t Offer Refund Guarantee

Once you sign up with a host, you might come to know that later that they are not the right fit for you. If you choose a host that offers a refund guarantee, you can leave without losing what you have spent on them. It is also necessary to remember that your site develops and grows with time. So, you might have to switch hosts in the future. So, choose a hosting provider that offers a refund guarantee. 

Before you hire a provider, read the terms and conditions to know for sure about the refund policy. Also, find out the amount they will refund if required. 

Web Hosting Mistake 3: Not Reading Hosting Reviews

It is easier to find a hosting service that sounds perfect without doing much research. However, the question is, is the provider all it says it is? In order to get the best idea about the company that will give you the optimum return on your investment, you should read the hosting reviews. 

You need to look out for:

  • Issues with the slow loading speed and download
  • Customer service complaints
  • Complaints about security issues

In case you only come across raving reviews, that is also a red flag. It can imply that the hosting company paid for those fake reviews. So, the best place to start is to check out the reviews by the technical writers. These people have first-hand experience when it comes to hosting companies. Thus, you can get a fair idea. 

Mistake 4: Not Checking the Quality of the Provider’s Customer Service

The best way to find a hosting provider is to test their customer service. In case you are unable to do this, you will not get any help when you run into any issues with the site. Some hosts claim to offer support 24/7. However, you should try it out before committing. 

Check the company website. Also, read the FAQ section. Then you can formulate some questions that are not present on the FAQ list, already. Now, use the contact channels available to question them to find out how they respond. 

Mistake 5: Operating All Websites on a Single Host

You might be running and managing a host of sites. So, you might want to host them under a single account. Well, this will help you with simple billing and better deals. Nevertheless, if the server crashes, all sites will go down at the same time. This downtime can lead to a major problem if you depend on generating income through the sites. 

Thus, you can ask the provider if they will allow you to split the account across different servers or just use different providers for different sites. 

Mistake 6: Not Checking the Restrictions

Hosting providers try to attract customers by offering limitless and shiny options. Thus, it is better to check them before you sign up. This is because limitless options come with certain limits. The restrictions will not be laid out for you. When you opt for a provider, you need to carefully find them. 

  • You might discover that you cannot install any software, no SSH choices for several POP accounts. 
  • Another deceptive factor is the bandwidth. The hosting provider might mention ‘unlimited bandwidth’ but that might not actually be the case. When the site gets closer to the bandwidth limit, you will realize that efficacy and speed is suffering. This might impact user experience and sales. 

Mistake 7: Forgetting to Take Regular Backups

Make sure that you don’t lose all data. However, this happens often, even with the biggest hosting providers in the industry. So, if you do not want to look for your content from Archive.org or Google, it is crucial that you take regular backups. 

Also note that having responsive customer service is all good. However, what will you do if the provider’s server crashes and you have to get in touch with them. In case you have their email address or phone number, you can at least try to contact them even if the site is down. The quicker you contact them, the easier it is to get hold of the answers for fixing the site’s problems. It will help you to get your site running in no time. 

Bottom Line

These are the most common mistakes to avoid when you are looking for a hosting provider. But if you want to avoid the hassle, you can just choose Eltris Hosting as your site’s hosting service. It offers dedicated and shared hosting services. It does its best to offer a first-class service to customers. Eltris uses a modern system to provide the best web hosting experience to its customers. It makes sure to secure customer data and drive using encryption. Eltris offers good value for money. 

Importance of Web Hosting Customer Support Services

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Presently, there are hundreds of companies across the world offering web hosting services. If you search on Google, you will find a plethora of options in the search result. This might make it overwhelming for you to choose the right service for your business. Every web hosting company promises to offer unlimited storage space, unlimited bandwidth, and hosting support for several websites. Nevertheless, one thing that every business needs to consider before choosing a hosting provider is its web hosting customer support. 

About 52% of the customers are ready to move to another hosting provider due to poor customer service. In fact, about 80% of the businesses have stopped working with hosting providers because of their unprofessional customer support.  

Usually, hosting providers say that they offer 24/7 customer support. However, businesses need to be careful when choosing a provider. Sure, it is difficult to check a provider’s customer service. But you can always call to check how they respond, before signing up for their service. If you are satisfied, you can proceed further. 

Here are some of the advantages you can enjoy when you hire a web hosting provider with the right support service. 

Web Hosting Problems can be Fixed Any Time You Want

If ever your website isn’t visible because of a server problem for a long time and no one is available when you call the web hosting company, what will you do? Surely, the downtime will affect your conversion and sales. This is because people who have been trying to visit the site will find it unavailable. So, eventually, they move on to the competitor site. 

Even though none of the web hosting services offer 100% error-free service, the customer support teams have to be ready to handle your problems. Thus, you will not miss out on the chance to reach out to your potential audience. A professional and reputable web hosting service is always ready to take up your problems and solve them. 

Catering to the Commitments

Like any other business, catering to the commitment is important, even with web hosting. It is an important feature as it differentiates an amateur provider from a professional one. 

So, you might have chosen a plan that provides certain web hosting facilities. For instance, free for a year, unlimited bandwidth, etc. It is on the customer support team to convey their package details to the respective hosting team and ensure that they deliver the result within the time agreed upon. 

Easier to Install New Tools

A majority of the web hosting companies provide many software and tools to stream the site features. One of the most popular software Integration is Content Management Systems, such as Joomla, WordPress, and Magneto. These partners are indispensable when it comes to blogging. 

At times, installing them requires more than just the click of a button. Thus, in case you get stuck or lose track, you can reach out to customer service. The service team will help you out with the process. 

Conveniently Install Hosting Upgrades

At times, the site exceeds your expectations and grows much faster than you estimate. In situations like this, it requires more resources than the amount that has been allocated for handling workload and traffic. 

So, you can ask the customer support team to upgrade the resources. They let you know that the packages can offer the needed resources and what each cost. The customer support team can guide you through the upgrades on the site. Thus, you don’t have to suffer a data loss. 

How to Choose the Best Web Hosting Customer Support?

Website hosting isn’t easy. If the web hosting service does not offer quality customer support, you can encounter many problems. This is the reason you have to be sure that you are choosing a hosting provider with good customer support. 

  1. Response Time

Response time refers to how long the customer service team takes to respond to your call. Having a response is non-negotiable when you are choosing a hosting provider. No one can wait when their dream site hits a roadblock, and they are unable to find a way to get out. Hence, the customer support team has to be on standby to pick up the call. 

Also, emails take much longer when it comes to response time. Thus, you need to check if the hosting provider has a live chat or phone option. 

  1. Resolution Time

No matter if you have a simple website or a site with thousands of visitors, it might run into problems some time or the other. You should not take long to resolve the problem as even a second delay can be very critical. 

If the email doesn’t work and the website is down, customers might leave the site with a poor impression. This is particularly true for an e-commerce site. Website problems might occur at multiple levels. So, resolution time will vary for the web hosting customer support. However, it should not take more than 24 hours to resolve the problem. 

  1. Contact Method

Even though email is the most popular form of contact support for web hosting customer support, we prefer the following methods. 

  1. Live Chat: It is the best option for people who want to handle multiple tasks at once. With this, you can continue with your business initiative, while seeking support from dedicated personnel.
  2. Phone Support: It is the fastest method to get in touch with the customer support team. You don’t have to wait for an email and message. If you want, you can talk to them in real-time and tell them about your problem. 

Bottom Line: Best Web Hosting Customer Support

Your customer support team should be able to handle the issues you are facing. If they can, you have peace of mind that the site is in capable hands. 

One hosting provider with the best customer support is Eltris Shared Hosting. You can reach out to customer support through email or by creating a ticket. It has a responsive customer support team. The company does its best to offer top-notch service to its customers. Eltris Web Hosting Customer support is super active and resolves customer queries in a timely manner. The company has been operating in the business for more than 20 years and knows how to keep everything running.

Web Hosting Monitoring Tools Offer Better Statistics

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Building a website with a great design is not enough. You need to keep a check on your site’s uptime, server status, monthly visitors, and more. However, manual monitoring jobs, such as server status and uptime are time-consuming. To get better insight within a short time, you can use web hosting monitoring tools.

When you have a website, you have to make sure that it is operating 24 hours a day. The tools can check a website for its proper functioning, availability, performance, and speed. Most of the time than not, the monitoring services run independently. Thus, you don’t need to spend your time doing the same.

Type of Web Hosting Monitoring Tools

You will find a few types of web hosting monitoring tools. Let’s take some time defining each. 

  • API Monitoring: It is often used to keep a tab on applications. Multistep API, web service HTTPS, and app transactions can be easily monitored through this. 
  • Server Availability: It is a type of monitoring tool that finds out if certain servers are available, like external servers, mail, databases, and websites. It includes uptime monitoring. With this type of tool, it is easier to detect if advanced services are available, such as FTP, SSL, or DNS. 
  • Performance Monitoring: It is the type of monitoring pertaining to full-page check or browser checks. Thereafter, they report how the site is performing. It lets you know if there are some problems with CSS, scripts, timeouts, or images. 

According to a report, even a delay of 100-milliseconds in page loading time can lead to a 7% drop in conversion. Thus, if your site is taking more than 3 seconds to load, you might lose a lot of potential visitors that could have converted to an actual customer. 

Benefits of Using a Web Hosting Monitoring Tool

  1. Insights on the Site’s Stability

How can you find out if your website is experiencing frequent downtime? Well, the best way to find out about the site’s performance is to use a monitoring tool. Without a tool, your business might stay behind. You will never come to know how your site is performing. 

So, it is better to integrate an effective tool to gauge these details. When you get an idea about the problem, you can look for ways to solve them. With these tools, you can also compare the site’s performance to get an idea about the areas you need to work on. 

  1. Receive Notifications

Regardless of how strong your site is, it is sure to face downtime at some point. There are many reasons behind this, such as poor hosting, a sudden spike in traffic, cyberattack, or faulty plugins. 

If your website goes offline unexpectedly, it is going to cost your business in regard to finances, reputation, and customers. 

Sure, you cannot stop them from happening but you can handle it if required. Web hosting monitoring tools can keep a check on the site 24/7. It checks it hundreds of times a day. You might also receive notifications if the site goes offline. So, you can respond to them immediately and fix the problems. 

  1. Control Downtime Like a Professional

Fixing the problems might take longer. In case it happens, you can release your statement on social media channels that you are working on the problem. You can also ask them to contact them through other mediums if they require any help. This helps in improving relationships with the customer and eliminates any reputational damage. 

  1. Learn About the Site’s Stability

How to know if the site’s performance is improving or it is going down all the time? You can only find out if you use monitoring solutions. You should be able to compare the site’s current performance to the past if you are trying to solve problems. In case you notice the site going down considerably more often in the last 2 months, you should consider what caused it to happen. 

Narrow down the causes to solve the issue. Once you know what’s wrong with the site, you can build a solution. Your site should be online most of the time. 

  1. Gives You the Peace of Mind

If you don’t use monitoring tools, it will not be possible to check the website all by yourself. The website has to be monitored 24/7. So, it is not possible to do it manually. However, if you check the site’s status periodically throughout the day, it will take time and attention. Moreover, due to peering problems, even if the site appears online to you, it might be inaccessible in other regions. 

Monitoring Tools are Effective and Easy

Website monitoring tools are a no-brainer. After you install the tool, it is going to run on its own. So, you will only have to do anything when your site goes offline. This solution can improve your website performance. Hence, it can run more efficiently. You can easily respond to the issues that arise, rather than receiving a notification from the customers that the site is offline. 

Moreover, if you stick to the one monitoring tool, you will get access to more data. So, you can enjoy more effective troubleshooting. Using monitoring tools is an effective and easy way to protect the site and your reputation.

With web hosting monitoring tools, you will get more frequent and effective monitoring than you could ever do yourself. A monitoring tool will give you peace of mind, and you can rest assured that the site is running as it should. 

Conclusion

Web hosting monitoring tools are an essential part of the website. If you know that the website is running smoothly and get updates when it is not, it helps in making sure that outage doesn’t hamper your reputation. In fact, you can handle the problems proactively. It will give you peace of mind and save you time. 

If you are looking for a web hosting provider that makes sure you don’t suffer any downtime, choose Eltris Hosting. It offers shared hosting as well as dedicated hosting solutions. Apart from this, you will find WordPress and Email Hosting services. The company has been operating for more than 20 years and has delivered consistent results. The team knows how to keep things up and running pretty well. You can contact Eltris for pre-sale enquiries today and ask any questions you have.

Tips to Manage Web Hosting Downtime Effectively

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Often, website owners are scared of their sites going down and how to manage web hosting downtime. Others ignore the issue and just hope for the best. But, either way, it is going to leave you in a tough position in case the worst happens. The good thing is you can take simple steps to be proactive and avoid downtime. Furthermore, if the site becomes unavailable, you can get it up and running quickly with minimum lost revenue. 

But first, let’s discuss why it is necessary to prevent web hosting downtime and then the tips to manage web hosting downtime. 

Why Is It Important to Manage Web Hosting Downtime?

The most immediate issue downtime presents is that users cannot access the site. Finally, in some way or the other, it means lost revenue for you. In case you are running an eCommerce platform, customers will not be able to make a purchase. Moreover, blogs will fail to generate ad revenue. So, you will see a drop in the conversion rates for features, such as email subscriptions. 

In case downtime is a repetitive problem for the website, its impact can be long-lasting. For example, it is sure to impact the site’s credibility. In case the site is unreliable, prospective customers and clients might start viewing the business in the same manner. Hence, they are less likely to trust you with the payment details. 

Now, you know why you need to prevent it. 

How to Manage Web Hosting Downtime?

Monitor the Site’s Uptime

The best way to prevent downtime is to know when and where it is occurring. This is the reason monitoring the website’s uptime helps you as a webmaster.  The website might be up 100% of the time. However, it is highly unlikely that this will be the case when you manage web hosting downtime. If you monitor its availability, you will know when it goes offline. Thus, you can be quick to take action and prevent downtime. 

There are performance management platforms that help in monitoring a site. You will find free plugins to help you with it. 

Select Themes and Plugins Carefully

The diversity of themes and plugins available in WordPress is one of its advantages. But, there are some drawbacks to it. Extensions by various WordPress enthusiasts and professionals might lead to conflicting code on the site. This might result in downtime and makes it difficult to manage web hosting downtime. 

So, when you are choosing themes and plugins for the site, you should look out for the key details. 

  • Known Incompatibles: When a developer knows that the product they have developed doesn’t go nicely with a tool, they are going to inform the users. You might come across known incompatibilities in user reviews. 
  • Latest Update: Themes and plugins that have not been updated have a great chance of including a code that will not go well with the recent plugins. Therefore, manage web hosting downtime by not using such plugins.
  • PHP Version: Some themes and plugins need a minimum PHP version for working properly. 

You can check the details by looking at the listing of the plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory. 

Renew the Domain Name Register

Maintenance tasks that you need to consider just once a year might be difficult to remember. But if you forget to renew the domain name, it might cause the website to go down. This is the most important thing to manage web hosting downtime.

At times, registrars tend to set up a default auto-renewal. Nevertheless, if you opt-out of this setting and the domain name expires, you might find yourself in a fix. In fact, you might not be able to purchase it again.  

This is the reason it is better to keep on the auto-renewal option. In case you don’t want that, use some other system that will help you with timely registration renewal. 

Use Scalable Hardware Along with Load Balancing

In case you want to be productive and speedy online, make sure you are able to scale your data properly and distribute it evenly across the servers. With load-balancing, an alternative node starts to handle the requests when the main node is performing different tasks or is not available. 

You might wonder, why is it so important to your business that you can seamlessly and quickly scale the infrastructure? Well, you can step out in advance of the development. So the demand for computing from the users isn’t exceeding the resources. You should also keep in mind that downtime has a negative effect, even when it is planned. Thus, you should balance the loads and make the backend scalable to manage web hosting downtime. 

Develop a Disaster Recovery Plan to manage web hosting downtime

It is important to have a disaster recovery plan to manage web hosting downtime in case you do not yet have one. Keep in mind the scope of the disaster is broader than the notion of a weather disaster. In most cases, it is human error or a mistake made by people. Unplanned disasters can cause a problem with the process. So, you should know what the disaster recovery plan of the vendor is in case there is an online attack on your server or what would happen if the data centre fails. 

Work with a Reputable Hosting Provider to manage web hosting downtime

Your hosting provider plays a significant role in the availability of the site. In case the server is not well-maintained, you might have trouble keeping the site online. 

There are various factors to take into account when you have to choose a hosting provider. Some of the most important ones are:

One of the best ways to decide if the hosting provider you are choosing is reliable or not is to look for reviews over the internet. Customers who are not happy with the service will surely express their dissatisfaction. It can help you learn about the host’s service quality. 

You should also check the host’s uptime guarantee. It is generally a clause in the contract that states that you are eligible for a partial or full refund if the site is unable to achieve the minimum uptime. If the provider guarantees this, it means they are motivated to keep the site online. 

One of the top choices when it comes to a hosting provider is Eltris Hosting. With this hosting, you can enjoy reliable and fast hosting services. Eltris uses spam filtering techniques for protecting customers from malware and spam. The service also encrypts data at transit to ensure user security. Thus, you can never go wrong with Eltris. Get in touch today to know more on how you can manage web hosting downtime to keep your business achieving new heights.

How to Secure Dedicated Server? Things to Know

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We often get to hear stories about a breach of an unsecured server. It is important that you secure the dedicated server and take the required steps to keep sensitive data from being exposed. Protect yourself against the hackers who use the server to infect you with malware, criminal purposes, or ransomware. 

There are various ways to gain access to a dedicated server. So, on the basis of the services running on the server, you should be careful not only with root server access but also with the security of the firewall, web applications, web server, email server, database server, FTP, and DNS. 

Every service that runs on the machines comes with its own security issues. So, a weakness in anyone will put all of them at risk. In case you don’t have enough resources or time, consider managed server or secure server hosting. You can also check the cost of the dedicated server as per your configuration requirements.

In this article, you will get to know about the top measures you can take to secure your dedicated server. So, without further ado, let’s get on with it. 

Stay Up to Date

Almost every software package or service you install on the server updates. At times, the updates are more frequent. Many tend to overlook or skip the updates. However, it is better to check for updates, periodically. This way you can decide if you have to install them. 

You might not find it necessary to install every update, but you do not want to be left behind as this can cause you to depend on outdated services. The older a version is, the more susceptible it can be. 

Remove Programs You Don’t Use

When you check the processes running on your home system, you will notice that there are many programs that you didn’t know were running. Similar is the case with a web server. It can launch many services by default. But what is necessary depends on what you require. In case you do not use services that log a user on a service, disable them. 

Don’t forget, to uninstall a service or program, you have to try and test if you want to use it. You can easily forget about things like this. So, a periodic update is important. It’s a food practice for extending the website where you can also install programs to check them. 

Limit Access to Secure Dedicated Server

All operating systems develop a root user that accesses everything. Surely, you need to change the root credentials for securing a passphrase or password. It is better to avoid using root users for everyday server access. 

Rather create a user who gets limited access, and a log is as the user. Whenever you need root access for doing something on the server, you can get it using the ‘su root’ command and inserting the root password. 

When you log in as a restricted user, you can block the root user from logging in through SSH. This defeats an attempt by the hacker to breach a root login. 

Also, it is better to limit the total users having access to the server. You should make consistent password changes. No one likes to change their password. However, the longer the password, the greater is the chance to compromise. 

Ultimately, in case you are allowing multiple users to access the server, ascertain that they are logging in using trustworthy networks whenever they can. 

The server security is as strong as the weakest link. In case a user logs in while sitting at a coffee shop using the public Wi-Fi, their credentials might be at risk. 

So, the best way to secure the dedicated server is to ensure that the server users are using sound security measures. 

Backup Data to Secure Dedicated Server

Many users of dedicated servers practice backing up the operating system and the whole server. These types of backups serve a certain purpose. However, in case anyone compromises the operating system, it is like a backup too. This is the reason a reinstallation of the operating system is a good idea. 

Nevertheless, if the data in the server has a different story, make sure you back it up as often as possible. The backups should live on the server. You should back up to cloud storage or other locations to secure the dedicated server. 

Execute Vigorous Password Policy

If you acquire a new dedicated server, make sure that you change the password. It is because the host might set a default password, which makes you more vulnerable. 

So, as an organization, you should use a random combination of numbers, upper and lower case letters, and symbols to set a password. Make sure it isn’t connected to your personal identity, and also avoid keeping the password for a long time. Furthermore, do not keep a password for a long time. 

It is easy to install an application on dedicated servers. So, the risk of malware is quite high. Malware can easily copy confidential and sensitive databases. They can be bundled with legitimate application scripts. 

Encrypt Data Transfer to Secure Dedicated Server

Choose secure protocols rather than unsecured protocols to communicate over the network. You also have to change the default port setting. This will make it challenging to enter into the brute force attacks, making the server vulnerable. It might not ensure complete safety or secure dedicated server, but it can definitely stop attacks to a great extent. In case you have joined hands with a third party, the communication is kept encrypted. If you want, you can install an SSL certificate for the site to encrypt the online transaction. 

The Top Server Security is the Tip of the Iceberg

Sure, you can secure a dedicated several. It requires attention to detail and a proper maintenance plan. A majority of cyber-criminals are not fools. They tend to be more devious than you are. Hence, it is better to leave no stones unturned. Being vigilant will always keep the bad guys at bay. 

Security can be a major concern. However, if you use Eltris dedicated server solutions, you don’t have to worry about it. Eltris have servers located in the speediest data centers. The company has more than two decades of experience in this business. All customer data and drivers are encrypted at rest and in transit. 

Tips to Keep Your Joomla Website Secure

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Joomla is one of the most popular content management software solutions. Thus, it is often a victim of hacking attacks. Cybercriminals always look for security holes and vulnerabilities in the website. A single safety problem can lead to a significant loss. Hence, it is important to take all types of security measures and make your Joomla website secure. 

We know it can be confusing to find the right security measures for your Joomla site. But we are here to help you with it. In this article, we are going to list the best strategies to secure your Joomla site from attacks. 

So, let’s dive in. 

Keep your Joomla Version, Plugin and Extensions Updated

One of the most important aspects to secure your Joomla site is to update it. A version of Joomla or extension and plugin, which is left without an update, tends to be a doorway for hackers to log into the system. 

Each version update has some bug fixes and improvements in security. To update the software, you have to proceed to the update option present in the administrative section. In case your site is using a Joomla extension, you should update them, too. 

Take Regular Backup

If anything goes wrong, backups prove to be quite useful. You need to have a backup archive for your databases and files regularly. Thus, if you need, you can recover the backup files without any hassle. 

Try to host the site with a reputed provider like Eltris Hosting. As Eltris offers regular backups, your data is always secure. Another option is to use backup extensions. The extensions can offer an automatic scheduled backup with different features. 

Use Strong Password

A common security issue is weak login details. With Brute Forcing, it is easy to crack passwords and IDs from a weak login detail. Thus, avoid leaving the admin account as admin along with an easy password. In case the hacker managed to log into the site as an admin, security can be compromised. This can cause you to land in trouble. 

It is better to use an email address as the ID of the administrative account. Since password length is a serious problem and the minimum length of a password has to be a minimum of 8 characters long. So, a long password ensures better security than a shorter one. 

In case you want, you can use a combination of lower and upper case letters, numerical, and special characters for your password. It makes the password stronger. If you have a strong ID and password, it can make the site less vulnerable to attacks. 

Use Joomla Security Extensions

In case you are worried about protecting your site and want to increase security, use security extensions. These extensions help in blocking hacker attacks and closing security holes of the Joomla site. There are various security extensions, and you need to be careful while selecting the features. Make sure you check the reviews, features, support, and price. 

You can also use free extensions, but it is better to use professional and paid extensions. When you choose security extensions for your Joomla site, configure them in the right manner, unless the site behaves unusually. 

Protect the Joomla Administrator URL

The Joomla site protection can be improved by limiting access to the administrative area.  The best way to achieve this is to replace the login page URL or password for protecting the admin panel. It’s easy to change the URL using extensions. 

Password protects the administrator page simply by locking it. You can do this from the cpanel main page. This is the place from where you can add password protection to the admin page. After you are done setting the password, insert the password every time you would like to get access to the admin page. 

Moreover, you can restrict users with the IP for accessing the admin page. If your ISP is offering a dynamic IP, it might not be the right choice for you. 

Use 2 Factor Authentication for Joomla Login

Your Joomla site security can be stronger if you use a two-factor authentication code. In case someone manages to get the password, they will still require authentication for logging in. Without a two-factor authentication code, a login might not be possible. A two-factor authentication code is commonly called OTP.  

Install an SSL Certificate

You need to encrypt communication to secure sensitive information. Thus, SSL certificate installation on your Joomla site is important, particularly if you are into an eCommerce business, healthcare industry, or financial sector. 

Websites have payment gateways that require SSL encryption security for keeping customer details safe. SSL will display HTTPS and thus, HTTPS sites that are considered to be secure by all browsers. The sites help in increasing customer trust, and this can work for your digital business. 

Avoid Downloading Joomla Extensions and Templates from Warez Site

Sure, it might be difficult for you to operate with limited funds, but it isn’t a good idea to download premium plugins, extensions, or any items from local pages for free. 

More often than not, these downloads are corrupt and contain malware. In case it infects the file you download, a hacker will easily be able to get access to the website’s backend. Thereafter, rather than saving money, you will have to spend money to recover it. 

Hence, it is not a good idea to use premium plugins or extensions for free. 

Bottom Line

If you follow these steps, it reduces the chances of a hacker intrusion. It might take a little time to work through the different steps given above. However, if you check Joomla security forums, you will come across stories by different people who have wasted time struggling with their hacked websites. 

No matter what you do, you should always host the site with a reputed provider, such as Eltris. It does its best to deliver top-notch services to its customers. The company uses industry-standard software and modern hardware. It also protects customer data and drives through encryption. 

What are the Types of SSL Certificate Your Website Needs?

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Today, anybody using the internet is concerned about their security. In case you are running a website, you have to show the users, yours is a trustworthy site and provides a secure connection. This means you have to get an SSL certificate. 

What is the Purpose of an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is crucial for a website to have HTTPS encryption. It contains the site’s public key, the issuing certificate authorities’ digital signature, domain name, and other required details. An SSL certificate is used to authenticate an initial server’s identity. This, in turn, helps in preventing on-path attacks or domain spoofing used by attackers. 

HTTPS creates a secure and encrypted connection between the web server and the user’s browser. So, users don’t have to worry about communications being intercepted. SSL certificates are crucial for establishing an encrypted and secure connection. 

How Does an SSL Certificate Work?

SSL certificates are data files that can verify a secure connection between the web server and website depending on public-key cryptography. The private key is already known to the server. So, it can encrypt a message that is sent to the site. However, one can only decrypt the message using the public key present in the certificate. 

SSL certificates are developed and issued by CA. There are different types of SSL certificates, and all depend on their validation levels. 

Types of SSL Certificate to Consider for Your Website

There are five types of SSL Certificates. Let’s explore them. We are going to tell you what makes them different from each other. 

Extended Validation Certificates

With Extended Validation or EV SSL Certificate, the CA checks the applicant’s right to use a particular domain name. It also conducts a thorough vetting of the organization. The issuance process of the EV SSL Certificate is defined in the EV Guideline. The CA looks for proof of the existence of the organization, identity, legal status, ownership, and more. 

It is the most expensive SSL certificate and also quite time-consuming. However, the time might vary with the CA you use. Usually, you have to wait 1-2 weeks to receive approval. 

But what’s good is the certificate offers the highest level of security. So, users can be sure that the information is safe with the site. Furthermore, a majority of the browsers will indicate that the connection is secure and safe

EV are great for sites that handle personal data, and allow visitors to purchase goods and services. 

Organization Validation

In case of organization validation, the CA will check the applicant’s right to use the domain and conduct vetting of the organization. When customers click on the Secure Site Seal, they will find additional details about the company. Thus, it provides more visibility in regards to who is behind the site and enhances trust. Under the ON field, users will get to see the name of the organization.

A certificate like this is costlier than domain validation. But it might take longer to get an approval. At times, it might take a few business days. So, the CA gets enough time to conduct a short investigation. This makes the certificate less convenient. 

But organization validation is more secure as visitors can find details about who runs the site without any hassle. This facilitates better trust between the user and you. 

So, if your site collects sensitive data, such as e-commerce platforms get an organization validation certificate. 

Domain Validation

Domain validation is the simplest method. In order to get one of the SSL certificates, you have to prove that you have got the domain name. Usually, the CA is either going to perform the validation or just by checking the Domain Name System records for the site. 

The benefit of domain validation is that it is simple and quick. So, you can secure it in minutes. Also, it is the cheapest SSL certificate you can get. A few are even available for free. 

But domain validated certificates also offer the least security. Users will know that the details are encrypted and are unable to verify you are who you claim to be. A few browsers display sites with this certificate using a gray warning icon just next to the URL. 

Nevertheless, if your site is not dealing with sensitive information, you have nothing to worry about. 

Single Domain 

A single domain certificate applies to just one domain. Thus, you can’t use it for authenticating any other domain.  This includes the domain’s subdomains. All pages of the domain are secure using the certificate. 

Wildcard Certificates

Wildcard SSL certificates are ideal for a single domain and its subdomains. The subdomains are under the main domain. Generally, subdomains contain an address that starts with something other than ‘www.’ Any subdomain is listed in the SSL certificate. So, a user will be able to check the list of subdomains under a certain certificate by clicking on the padlock present in the URL space of the browser and clicking on the ‘Certificate’ to check the details. 

This kind of SSL certificate is useful for sites with heavy transactions requirements. 

Multi-Domain Certificates

A multi-domain certificate lists multiple domains on a single certificate. With these certificates, domains that aren’t subdomains of each other can share the certificate. So, it covers a whole suite of sites. They offer you the flexibility to cover the sites that might go away or don’t exist. 

Bottom Line

Irrespective of the type of site you are running, it is necessary to ensure that the connection is secure. This is one of the best ways to promote trust in the organization and site. In order to do this, you have to choose the right SSL certificate. 

But before choosing the SSL certificate, you have to understand the difference between the various SSL certificates. Remember, there is nothing more important in the digital world than keeping private details safe and secure. SSL certificates are crucial to maintaining trust with the customers and visitors. 

In case you are looking for a trusted shared hosting provider for your new e-commerce website, choose Eltris Hosting Plans. It offers top-notch services and friendly customer support. The company is operating for 20 years and offers an individualized approach. 

What is the Importance of Security in Web Hosting Plans?

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Regardless of the type of website you plan on creating, security is the most important thing that needs the attention. When you create a website, a lack of security might result in loss of business and customers. Hence, you need to ensure that the web hosting plan you are choosing offers reliable security. 

What is the Importance of Web Hosting Security?

With the internet turning into the preferred means for people to learn or conduct business, it is becoming full of risks. The internet is accessible to everyone, even hackers. 

For instance, hackers might use high-end technologies to get information about people from the internet and then use the details to claim money or other things. Moreover, there are various other transactions over the internet. So, it is important to pay attention to web hosting security. You should not forget to consider when you choose a web host. 

In case you are still not convinced, take a look at the reasons why your web hosting security is important. 

  1. Precautions: Prevention is always better than cure. When you take precautions, your hosting server will be the least vulnerable. 
  2. Data Backup: It is necessary for a web hosting service to backup data. In case of a server hacking incident, it will prevent data loss. Do it once a week or after an important update. Web hosting providers offer automatic data backup that is integrated into the control panel. So, you can take a backup on a disk that is present on the FTP server. 
  3. Encryption: This is an important factor when it comes to web hosting security. A strong encryption protocol helps in saving the user’s data that is sent between the user’s desktop to the web browser. Thus, users can make secure transactions using their debit or credit card details, address, and name when a web host uses strong SSL encryption. 
  4. Firewall: Firewall tends to block several attacks and threats that come to the browser. Modify the firewall setting for preventing vulnerable IP addresses that can cause the server to be vulnerable. 
  5. Password: Both the website and the hosting provider should change the password. In case the account holder makes an update and uploads software, he/she should also change the password. In case a site becomes vulnerable, the website owner gets a message about password change. 

What are the Web Hosting Security Best Practices?

Now, you know how important web hosting security is. So, how do you keep your site from becoming a victim of distressed situations like this? Don’t worry! For your convenience, we have compiled a list of best practices to ensure hosting security. 

Backups

Every company holds crucial or sensitive details on the website. The loss of these details can lead to serious setbacks in regular operations. To solve this problem, almost all hosting companies use backups in their hosting plans. This might be done monthly, weekly, or daily. Usually, the backup is done automatically but there are a few that will let you do it manually. 

There are some web hosts that put a limit on the backed-up data or how frequently it is updated. Generally, the plans with a higher price tag require daily backups. But you should read the terms and conditions. 

Malware Scanning

It is a part of any decent web hosting plan. Some security brands carry out the function for you. Thus, if the site of the web hosting provider flashes a seal of protection from a malware scanning company, it is a sign that the host takes the required measures against malware. Check the rating and find out when the site was scanned last. 

Network Monitoring

It means checking the internet network to look for unusual activities and intrusions regularly. The practice allows the admins to identify an attack attempt. 

Firewall and SSL/TLS

Secure Socket Layers and firewalls are crucial for all web hosting providers. You have to put up a firewall around the server that will protect it from basic cyber-attacks. SSL systems will keep sensitive data safe and keep it from falling into the wrong hands. It can encrypt data during communication between two servers. 

Access Restrictions

The host has to mention the access restriction for the server and other machines in the infrastructure. The system admin and the team’s technician get the security clearance to get access to the devices. If you want, you can white-list the IPs that can access the servers. It will prevent hackers from hacking resources by disabling the privilege to log in at the root level. 

DDoS Attacks Prevention

Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS can disrupt the web service by flooding the resources with overwhelming traffic. So, it is unavailable to the visitors. But you can prevent this by using a firewall. It requires a strong security setup that will prevent intrusion. 

SQLi Prevention

SQL or SQLi injection is a methodology that hackers use to inject rogue code into your site’s coding. This is an old technique that is prevalent in the cyber-crime world. Sites that depend on SQL-based databases tend to be prone to such attacks. Hence, to combat this, your programmer needs to have a cheat sheet. 

Nevertheless, in the world of hosting, the most popular providers prevent SQL injections using their own measures. Mainly, they ascertain regular updates by the firmware, including plugins, themes, and software. Thereafter, they configure the WAP, probe into the vulnerability, and implement cross-site scripting to prevent SQLi occurrences. 

Passwords for Web Hosting

Anyone who has access to the backend of the site should use a strong password. The administrators and staff on the panel should also change the password when a hacking attempt is detected. Use a password strength policy that everyone has to comply with. In case you are unable to come up with a strong password, let the password manager create a complex and unique password for them.

Conclusion: Web Hosting Security

When you choose Eltris Hosting as your web hosting provider, you don’t have to worry about security. It uses encryption everywhere. Thus, it encrypts all customers data and drives. Eltris aims to offer the best web hosting services to everyone.

Why HTTPS Is Reliable For Shared Hosting?

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HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure is an encrypted version of HTTP, the main protocol used to transfer data over the internet. HTTPS protects communication between the server and the browser from being tampered with and intercepted by hackers. With HTTPS for Shared Hosting, you can enjoy confidentiality, authentication, and integrity. Any website showing a padlock icon on its address bar is using HTTPS. 

There are more reasons to switch to HTTPS for shared hosting, even for a brand new site. HTTPS adoption is growing at a rapid pace as every business wants their customer data to be safe and secure. 

Are you unsure as to whether HTTPS is the right choice for your shared hosting site? Do you need ammo to convince your fellow workers or your boss? Here are a few good reasons to switch to HTTPS for shared hosting. 

HTTPS for Shared Hosting: More Trustworthy for Users

These days, people identify the green lock as a sign of trustworthiness. It shows that the potential customers and the site visitors that you take their privacy seriously. According to Google’s security blog, more than 80% of the sites across the world are using HTTPS by default. 

HTTPS uses SSL/TLS protocol for encrypting communications. Thus, attackers can’t steal data. SSL/TLS also ensures that the server is who it says it is. This prevents impersonations. It stops different kinds of server attacks. 

Some users might be unaware of the benefits of SSL/TLS. But present-day browsers are ascertaining they are aware of a site’s trustworthiness no matter what. Google has already taken the initiative to nudge sites towards incorporating HTTPS many years ago. In fact, the search engine also uses HTTPS as a quality factor. The more secure is a site, the less likely a user will make a mistake by clicking on forged links. 

HTTPS for Shared Hosting provides Improved Security

Without HTTPS, your server is going to be vulnerable to a cyber-attack from a third party posing as a user’s web browser. Surely, you do not want your website or server at risk. However, what’s more important is the privacy, security, and safety of the site visitors. So, it is your responsibility to protect your users. 

Obviously, you don’t want people to suffer at the hands of the hacker or lose sensitive information just because they were navigating your site. This is bad for the visitors but will also damage your reputation. 

So, use some simple security measures to avoid this. To manage your online reputation, you should use HTTPS for shared hosting. This is particularly true if you are collecting sensitive details, such as name, address, banking details, etc. 

Even when you are not processing credit cards, you need to keep user details safe. For instance, if you are collecting medical or health data from the website, you can be violating HIPAA, if you don’t use HTTPS to secure information. 

HTTPS for Shared Hosting Improves Search Engine Ranking

Whenever you are planning to make changes to the site, you need to know your decision can have an effect on the SEO ranking. This is one of the top channels to attract new customers and visitors. 

When you are considering search engines and search engine optimization, your approach’s driving force should be Google. In 2014, Google had already announced that HTTPS for shared hosting is going to be a significant factor in its ranking algorithms. 

It encourages webmasters by saying that it is going to reward sites that use HTTPS. This alone is enough reason to switch to HTTPS. In case you don’t prioritize SEO, you will find it difficult to gather traffic to the site. However, simply switching from HTTP to HTTPS, Google can push you up the search engine ranking ladder. 

HTTPS Authenticates Sites

Users use rideshare apps to avoid getting into an unfamiliar car on faith simply because the driver says that they will reach on time to pick them up. Rather the apps tell them about the driver and the car they drive. Users check the details to ensure that they are getting in the right car.

Similarly, when someone visits a website, they are actually connecting to a faraway system that they don’t have an idea about. They don’t know the people maintaining the sites. An SSL certificate enabling HTTPS is like a driver with information on the rideshare app. 

It can prevent attacks where the attacker is impersonating or spoofing a site, making users believe that they are sites that they were looking for. However, they are actually on a fake site. HTTPS authentication helps a company site to appear legitimate. This can influence the customer’s attitude towards the company. 

Lead Generations and Conversions

In case your site is not using HTTPS for shared hosting, users might be reluctant to navigate to the site. Even if they manage to visit the site, they might not fill out any forms of lead generation. 

Whenever the users have to provide their email address, they are going to hesitate thinking that a third-party site will get access to the information, particularly considering the parties can send them malicious emails showing it is coming from your website. 

Your potential customers will feel more confident filling the form fields and converting to leads. People always fear credit card fraud. Thus, it is your responsibility to let them know that the connection they are accessing is safe. 

With HTTPS for shared hosting, the site visitors enjoy an additional sense of security and feel safe when they complete the purchase process. 

Bottom Line

Now, you know the importance of HTTPS for shared hosting. So, it is time to set up your site. Every site needs to have HTTPS. It is downright essential for a site but especially for an eCommerce company that is looking to build conversions and trust. This is not something that you can ignore. 

In case you are looking for the best shared hosting service for your site, look no further than Eltris Web Hosting. The company has been in business for over 2 decades. Eltris uses easy-to-use and modern systems, such as cPanel, CloudLinux 7, and Litespeed Web Server, for delivering the best web hosting experience. So, get in touch with your pre-sales inquiry to know more about the plans and features.