With the increasing importance of the internet in our lives, websites have become the online faces of businesses, providing a platform for customers to learn more about brands and their products or services. A website is often the first point of contact between a potential customer and a business, and it’s become a critical component to creating an online presence.
Designing a website that showcases your brand and provides information about your history, mission and values can have a big impact on your bottom line. Giving customers a sense of what your business stands for can encourage them to purchase your products or services, and a website is an essential tool for marketing and advertising. You have the ability to reach a vast audience of potential customers when you have a website, regardless of their geographic location, and you can facilitate online transactions.
The importance of a website in today’s digital world makes it all the more crucial to ensure its security. While website design and development are essential components of website creation, choosing the right server to host your website on is equally important. Having a secure dedicated server is essential these days and here’s why;
The Risks of Not Using a Secure Website Server
The potential consequences of not securing your website server are impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, hackers and cybercriminals are always on the lookout for vulnerable servers to exploit, and not securing your website can make your business a target. Here are some of the many risks associated with not using a secure website server;
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Data Breaches
Hackers can gain access to sensitive data stored on your server, such as customer information, financial data and Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Securing your website by choosing the right server ensures the protection of customer data. You won’t have to worry about what happens if data is accessed by unauthorised parties.
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Malware Infections
Malware can be injected into your server by people with malicious intent. Malware infections interfere with your server’s functionality and cause system damage. Things like viruses and trojans can also be used to gain access to sensitive information and steal data, causing a range of problems for businesses.
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Website Downtime
Your website can experience downtime or even complete shutdown if your server is compromised, leading to loss of revenue and customer dissatisfaction. A secure server will significantly reduce the risk of system downtime, ensuring that your website is always up and running and accessible to your customers.
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Regulatory Compliance Violations
Failure to secure customer data can lead to several legal issues and regulatory compliance violations, resulting in fines and other penalties. Securing customer data is essential these days and it can be easy to overlook your website when you’re working to ensure your business meets legal requirements. However, a secure server is crucially important.
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Reputational Damage
When you don’t prioritise security, it can have a direct impact on your business reputation. News of data breaches can travel fast and restrict your future success. A secure website server creates a sense of trust and credibility among your customers, making them more likely to engage with your business.
What to Look For in a Secure Website Server
Not all website server hosting providers offer the same level of protection against security risks. It’s crucial to ensure that you’re considering the security solutions in place before selecting a provider. There are a few advanced security features that are worth looking for, including;
- High-performance Firewalls
- Anti Virus solutions
- IPS Protection
- Dedicated IP Space
- Malware solutions
For additional peace of mind, when choosing a dedicated hosting provider it’s beneficial to look for someone who uses automated security processes too. Automated security scanning will ensure that any potential issues are picked up and resolved before they turn into bigger problems. Also, automated security patching for critical vulnerabilities will ensure that security is provided against issues in the operating system. The automation of security will prevent things from being overlooked and you won’t have to worry about the consequences of this.
It’s highly recommended that you also choose a managed dedicated server that’s inclusive of 24/7 monitoring and backups. Not only will this mean that anomalies are identified and security attacks are prevented, but you won’t have to worry about losing your data if an incident occurs. The hosting provider will always have an up-to-date, secure copy of your data regardless of what has happened. This can be incredibly beneficial for businesses of all sizes.
Lastly, it’s also worth enquiring about physical security when you choose a dedicated server provider. This can be easy to overlook, but it’s more important than you might realise. To prevent any concerns relating to the security of your website, it’s important to ensure that the physical hosting infrastructure is adequately protected too. Security solutions like CCTV and manned security can help to ensure that your server is kept safe from security breaches.
Looking for Secure Dedicated Server Hosting?
In today’s digital age, website server security should be a top priority for any business. Failure to secure your website server can lead to severe consequences and you should ensure you’re choosing a hosting service that provides impressive security features.
Here at catalyst2, we understand the importance of security and all of our dedicated server solutions are highly secure. You can turn to us in confidence for fully managed server solutions knowing that we do all we can to reduce security risks. We have been hosting websites for over two decades now and we know what our customers are looking for in a provider, so you can trust that we don’t overlook anything when it comes to server security.
Our dedicated team is committed to exceeding expectations and when you choose one of our dedicated server solutions, we guarantee a 5-minute response time to your telephone query 24/7. If you would like to find out more about our security or the different types of servers we provide, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will happily answer any questions you may have and help you to choose the best solution for your website.
