Running a small company or a home-based business requires laser-like focus. Of course, you want a web presence, but with everything else you have to do, you may decide to hire a web-hosting company to support your website. Web hosts offer an array of options – email, storage, integrated e-commerce, etc. But according to the FTC, there’s another feature you should factor in when comparison-shopping for web hosting services: security.
There’s not a small business in the country that isn’t concerned about the security of its site. Before selecting a web host, the FTC’s Office of Technology Research and Investigation (OTech) advises small businesses to consider the security features the web host offers as part of the package.
OTech just released a study of some of the most popular web hosts used by small businesses. One thing they looked at was whether the web host included SSL/TLS in the set-up of clients’ sites. (SSL/TLS is a method for establishing a safer connection between a user’s computer and a company’s website.) Here’s the good news: Most of them included it as part of the package or offered it for an extra fee. Either way, it’s something small businesses need.
OTech also looked at whether the web hosts included email authentication technologies. Tech types use names life SPF, DKIM, or DMARC, but it boils down to this. Those protective services reduce the risk that a hacker can steal your email address to use it in a phishing scam. OTech learned that only 3 of the 11 sites they looked at included those protections by default.
What should this mean for your small business? When hiring a web host, pay close attention to the security features of available plans. Plans with SSL/TLS and strong email authenticating technologies can better protect your business and your customers. If it’s not clear what the hosting company is offering, call the customer service line and ask. Make sure that the web host you choose shares your commitment to security.
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to Why do your posts always by Anonymous