Do you have a dedicated server, or have you been considering getting one? If you have, then you certainly aren’t alone. Many businesses have been going this route for quite some time, and they certainly do have quite a few advantages. Namely, you tend to have far more control over what happens with your site, and you can ensure that it is always up and running, particularly when you are using a good data center that can take care of the actual “care and feeding” of your server. Since you can configure the server the way you need, it offers more options for businesses that just can’t use the confined and restricted options on the shared servers.
As great as these dedicated servers really can be, it is important to understand that there are some security threats to them, just as there are with other types of servers and even your own home computers. Understanding what these threats are can help you to mitigate some of the damage that they might do. Let’s look at two of the biggest issues that are facing businesses today.
Denial of Service
This threat does not happen often, and it is not always dangerous to your site and server. However, it can be annoying and it can cause the company to lose business. The denial of service attack on dedicated servers can cause a disruption to the business. Those companies who need one of these types of servers are generally large or growing, which means they have a larger presence on the web in terms of brand recognition. This does not always sit well with some people, which can make the company a target of this type of attack.
What happens with this type of online threat is simple. People utilize multiple computers to flood your site with traffic, although there is not one at the other end of those computers viewing your content. This wastes your resources and your bandwidth, and it can slow down your site for those visitors who actually want to view it. They can’t access the site as they do elsewhere, as this attack denies them access to your site.
You should make sure that you are monitoring your site in case of unexpected traffic increases. Make sure you have plenty of bandwidth, and that the hosting provider or data center has some elements in place that can help to block this type of attack.
Malware on the Server
Another issue that some companies have had to face is malware making it into their server. Many different types of malware are out there today, and they can do many different things. Often, they try to steal information and data on your business or your customers. They can change the functionality of the server, and even infect computers that visit your site. If you have a site infested with malware, it will not look good to your customers, and if you’ve had a data breach, you can be sure they will take their business elsewhere.
Sometimes, the malware can infect the programs or information you offer as a download, and this is how it can get onto your customer’s computer. Again, it is important to make sure that you are working with hosts who can offer good security against these and other online threats.
Even though they do have some threats, many companies still find that they are the best option for their needs. As long as they take the right precautions, there should not be any issues with using these dedicated servers.