The Top Three Risks Associated with Shared Hosting & Preventative Measures

Many users, including first timers who are starting a new website or even a blog, find that shared hosting meets their needs. Their fundamental needs are satisfied, and even though it has some drawbacks in terms of speed and safety, it does what it sets out to do. 

To go as far as to say that shared hosting is risky is to take the debate in the wrong direction. You could say that it is slightly more susceptible to being attacked than other things. But even asserting this lacks evidence or a track record that can substantiate the assertion. If that weren’t the case, then nobody would ever purchase a shared hosting subscription in the first place. 

Shared hosting comes with a variety of different characteristics, each of which has its own unique constraints, downsides, and hazards. In this article, we will investigate the ones that are hurting shared hosting, as well as the ways in which you can avoid these problems by taking certain steps. Therefore, without further ado, let’s get to it: 

1. A directory that is shared

Each site has its own directory that contains all of the s files, content, and any other relevant data. The so-called “directory” of the web server is where this folder can be found.

A website’s files are stored in a folder on a dedicated server, which itself holds the folder. Shared hosting, on the other hand, will have a folder that has many web directories.

Even though the websites’ domains and contents may be different, the shares of this directory really contain links to other websites that are hosted on the server. This indicates that any website on the server might be compromised by a hacker as long as they had access to the root directory. Hackers accomplish this by using a programme that scans each index page and discovers any vulnerabilities it may contain. It’s possible that an old plugin was used to build this website’s infrastructure. If you discover a flaw in your website, you should exploit it by hacking it.

How do we approach this problem? Installing a security plugin is recommended.

It does not matter whether you are utilising shared hosting or a dedicated server; this safety measure is an absolute must for your website.

A strong line of defence against hackers and other forms of unwanted activity on your website can be generated with the help of a reliable WordPress security plugin. If hackers using your shared platform attempt to access your website or run harmful instructions, the security plugin should discover this activity and warn you of it.

2. A sluggish starting point

Hacking into another site on the shared server that your website is hosted on can also cause speed concerns for your website. Hackers are able to exploit a website that has been compromised to carry out malicious operations. These activities can include the storage of unlawful files and folders, the sending of unsolicited emails, and the launch of attacks on other websites. This results in the compromised website using a greater amount of the shared server resources. This will have an impact on your website. Your website will run much more slowly as a result of this. It’s also possible that your site isn’t responding properly and people can’t access it.

How do we approach this problem? By adjusting the permissions on the files

As was just explained, hackers on shared servers can attempt to access the files stored by WordPress. To avoid this problem, ensure that the file’s permissions are properly configured so that only you, as the owner of the website, have access to it.

In order to modify the permissions associated with files, you must have access to cPanel within your host account.

3. Notorious community members 

Hackers with the same skill set as you are able to purchase shared hosting plans and become your neighbours. They are able to run websites that engage in spam and phishing and steal data from visitors. The host server cannot be used to store files and directories that contain harmful content.

If you share your server with less-than-reliable neighbours, this will almost certainly put your website in jeopardy.

That you should make the transfer from shared hosting to a server that is dedicated? This is not a low-cost alternative for the vast majority of individuals. But don’t be concerned! Even if you use shared hosting, there are still things you can do to protect your website.

How do we approach this problem? By preventing PHP execution in files that are not known to the server

If a hacker discovers a weakness in the website, they will utilise it to create files and folders on the target computer. On a website, you are able to carry out potentially damaging jobs in this manner, such as B. continuing visits or healing clients with unwelcome content.

PHP is the overall name of the programming language that is used to run the code. PHP needs to be running on your website, but only in a specified directory. By obstructing the hacker’s access to the PHP implementation from a trustworthy directory, you can stop the hacker from carrying out the hacker tasks. 

In conclusion

In addition, we would like to point out that the importance of properly safeguarding your hosting environment cannot be overstated, regardless of the type of hosting that you opt for. Therefore, even if you are considering shared servers, you need to be sure that you understand the risks and take the necessary precautions to avoid them.