In order to prevent hackers and data breaches, it is crucial to strengthen web server security.
Make sure your web server is set up securely to reduce the likelihood of data loss due to hacks and breaches. The consequences of a breach in server security might range from the introduction of unwanted advertisements into a business website to the theft of sensitive information submitted by website visitors via web forms.
Explain what a safe web host is
There are two main types of secure web servers. Typically, this is a server located anywhere on the open web, with support for security protocols like SSL, which encrypts all data sent to and from the server. It can also refer to an internal web server that is exclusively accessible by a select group of employees within a closed network.
If you want to keep your web servers safe from hackers, you need to keep up with the ever-changing security landscape.
In what ways might a web server be insecure?
Due to the sensitive information they often store, web servers are a prime target for hackers. Web server security is equally as vital as the security of your online apps and the rest of your network.
It is crucial to be aware of numerous major hazards to web servers in order to prevent and deal with them. Among these are, by no means are they limited to:
Cyber Attacks: DoS and Distributed Denial of Service
Cybercriminals will employ techniques like Denial of Service assaults and Distributed Denial of Service attacks to flood your servers with traffic until they crash. A security feature called dynamic ARP inspection aids in thwarting attacks that exploit forged Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets.
To inject SQL statements
Web forms are vulnerable to SQL injection attacks, which can be used to access, modify, or destroy sensitive data (such as financial records) stored on your server.
Lack of software updates
Security updates and enhancements are released to address flaws in previously released software. After a patch is released, however, would-be hackers have enough information to reverse-engineer attacks based on the modifications. This is why it’s important to use a reliable patch management service to ensure that your system is constantly up-to-date.
External scripting
Similar to SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS) injects malicious code into server-side scripts in order to steal information or launch attacks on the client side.
Yet, human error or negligence is one of the most common hazards to server security. The human aspect in cybersecurity is generally the weakest link, whether due to poorly designed code, easy-to-guess passwords, or a failure to install and maintain firewalls and other security software.
No matter how reliable your security software is, it can be bypassed if unauthorized users are able to get physical access to the computers serving as your web servers.
In what ways are web servers categorized?
Popular web server software includes Apache, LiteSpeed, Internet Information Services, Nginx, and Lighttpd. Several servers can be hosted from a single computer using “virtual servers,” sometimes known as virtual web hosting services like 4goodhosting.com.
Although there are many varieties of web servers available to accommodate a wide range of user requirements, the most majority of them are cross-platform and can run on popular OSes like Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Web Server Apache
Apache is the most widely used open-source web server, accounting for 37.4% of the market as of June 2020. Its modular design and cross-platform compatibility make it an ideal platform for experimentation and adaptation.
As compared to other web servers, Apache’s stability stands out.
Website Host: Nginx
Nginx is another open-source option with a reputation for scalability, reliability, efficiency, and low resource use. Nginx may act as a reverse proxy, mail proxy, HTTP cache, and load balancer, and it is compatible with the vast majority of OSes.
Lighttpd
The low CPU usage and high performance can be attributed in large part to Lighttpd. Like Nginx, Lighttpd uses an event-driven architecture to manage a high number of simultaneous connections and provides several additional capabilities such as Output-compression, FastCGI, Auth, SCGI, and URL rewriting.
In-House Web Hosting
Virtual web servers allow you to handle numerous domains from a single workstation, which might be more cost-effective than buying multiple physical servers. Virtual servers, often known as virtual web hosting, can save you money without negatively impacting your site’s performance. But, if a computer is hosting too many virtual servers, page load times will increase.
