Among the criteria that must be taken into account when choosing a hosting provider, the security offered by the provider is fundamental. Especially if your site hosts sensitive data like confidential information or personal data. On what basis should you choose 100% safe hosting? Studio Cassette takes stock.
What is a web host?
Before we get to the heart of the matter, let's start with a quick reminder. By definition, in IT, a hosting provider refers to a structure providing a website hosting service. The job of the hosting provider will therefore consist of providing storage space for a website. So far, nothing too complicated. On the other hand, a hosting provider worthy of the name is not only a storage space provider. It is also a player that will offer a whole range of services to best manage this space. These services range from the management of this space to the analysis of the performance of its servers and security. And in this matter, it is not always easy to know what you can reasonably expect from a so-called reliable host. It must also be said that accommodation is a relatively recent activity and not always well understood.
A Brief History of Hosting
Indeed, it was in 1991 that the first hosts were created, 2 years before the arrival of the Internet for the general public. The birth of hosting providers also had to wait a few years before becoming more democratic. It was in 1994 that hosting took off with the launch of GeoCities, a platform for uploading pages of content. Very quickly, shared hosting also emerges (also known as shared hosting). Thanks to it, each customer is assigned an account on a given server. Today, and since 2007, the cloud is at the forefront of hosting technologies. It is a flexible and inexpensive solution for many companies.
What are the important security criteria for a web host?
As you have understood from the previous paragraph, the notion of accommodation is closely linked to the physical structure that offers it. In concrete terms, this means that the hardware that will allow the data to be hosted must include reliability rules so that the site remains online regardless of the type of events that could occur (power supply problem, system error, etc.) but also security rules. Indeed, who says server says infrastructure that must be preserved from a certain number of risks likely to cause physical and/or computer damage.
On this point, most major hosting providers generally offer guarantees at different levels. Among the best known are:
- data backup systems: essential and which must be done at regular intervals;
- SFPT: it is a protocol that offers an additional layer of security compared to FTP;
- server support: the host must offer a regular server update service;
- fire risk management: a fire detection and extinguishing system as well as fire doors are fitted to most of the major players in the market;
- Emergency power supply systems: the principle of a double power supply for servers and generators with an autonomy of 48 hours is a minimum if you are looking for a serious host.
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Security of hosting providers: the example of Infomaniak
Because an example is worth more than a long speech to illustrate our point on the criteria to be taken into account for the security of your website, we have chosen to present the case of Infomaniak . At Studio Cassette, we've been working with this host for several years and we've honestly never had anything to complain about. We work with many clients whose data is sometimes sensitive. The offer offered by the Swiss hosting provider is perfectly suited to this kind of project.
Here is a short list of some of the guarantees offered by Infomaniak on the security side:
Fire protection measures
In the event of a fire, a fire-fighting system automatically injects water at 200 bar into microperforated nozzles, which makes it possible to smother the flames while keeping the servers running. This system is safe for equipment, people and the environment.
Secure access 365 days a year, 24 hours a day
The location of our partner's data centers is not disclosed and you are free to access your infrastructures whenever you want. Access to data centers and servers is protected by several airlocks and by an electronic access control system equipped with biometric identification that analyzes the vein network of your finger. To further enhance data center security, every area and aisle serving the racks is equipped with a facial recognition system.
Legal protection
Swiss data protection law ensures complete confidentiality for both companies and individuals, and no government can have access to personal information without the consent of a judge.
Emergency room
In the event of an emergency related to a hardware problem, Infomaniak provides a complete technical room with tools, trolleys, screens, keyboards and electrical and network cables to quickly solve the problem.
Alert reporting
In the event of a service interruption or any other alert, Infomaniak offers an automatic warning service by email. Every minute, a script checks for outages and only sends an email and creates an event if the outage has lasted for at least 5 minutes. All cuts are logged and kept for 30 days but you will not be bothered in the event of a minor cut.
Server continuity
The data centers benefit from the highest standards to guarantee continuity of service thanks in particular to the redundancy of the power supply and internet access cabling.
If you would like to know more about the security features of Infomaniak's Datacenter server: https://www.infomaniak.com/fr/datacenter-housing
Conclusion
With the example of Infomaniak , you now have a small overview of what is done in terms of security with a serious hosting provider. Of course, other providers also offer their own security arsenal. It's up to you to consult them carefully before choosing your host. Because the security of a site is not a question to be taken lightly. And your customers will thank you!
