If you run an online business, you might know the difficulty of handling the different kinds of data every day. You start looking for the best hosting type and stumble upon dedicated server and shared server for your website.
A shared server is the most common type of web hosting server and lets you share it with other users.
A dedicated server on the other hand gives you full access to the hardware you pay for. Getting a dedicated server in India is now made easy with the various hosting providers available online.
This article discusses what a dedicated server is, and how it is a more secure server compared to other options.
What is a Dedicated Server?
A dedicated server is a type of web hosting server in which your website gets all the computing resources.
With dedicated hosting, an individual or an organization has the exclusive use of an entire server. It offers your website better performance levels and faster page loading times.
A dedicated server is much more expensive than a shared server but the price you pay is extremely worth it. The degree of customization and security levels that a dedicated server offers are incomparable.
One of the main reasons people prefer a dedicated server is due to the high level of security it offers.
Why is a Dedicated Server Security Important?
With a dedicated server, you have all the freedom and control to configure it. Hence, setting up the security system of your dedicated server is also your responsibility.
Let us take a look at a few reasons why server security is important.
1.To protect your software from malware:
This is done through continuous vulnerability scanning and real-time server monitoring.
2. Avoid password breaches:
Hackers can break in due to weak and short passwords. Use different passwords for the control panel and mail services.
3. Avoid DDoS attacks:
Your server can be flooded by spam and unwanted traffic. Choosing a dedicated server plan with DDoS protection can prevent this issue.
Why is a Dedicated Server more Secure?
A shared server is preferred by beginners due to the ease of setup and low costs. But it has limited resources and is more vulnerable to security threats.
If you run a company with high-security demands, a dedicated server is the best choice for you. A dedicated server eliminates all security concerns that a shared server poses.
Since a shared server is used by multiple users, there are more chances for security breaches.
On the other hand, dedicated servers offer better security since it has only a single user.
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A dedicated server offers physical security.
Dedicated servers allow additional devices to be placed in line with your connection since you are the only user. Such devices like hardware firewalls can provide you with additional security benefits.
These devices are usually not allowed in shared hosting since they might interfere with the other users or traffic.
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You get the ability to restrict physical access to the server.
Shared hosting doesn’t allow you to place a host within a locked cabinet. This is because such shared servers are usually built together in web clusters.
Accidents with power or network cables can be prevented by restricting access to your server.
- With a dedicated server, your website is protected from other users.
Bad scripts running on another website don’t slow down your website.
You can be sure that you aren’t sharing space with a malicious user or a spammer. It is the best choice for a company handling sensitive transactions over FTTP or SSL.
- You have your own unique IP address.
This means your website is more secure and unaffected by any external actions.
Since you don’t have any neighbours, there is zero chance of security threats from nearby sites. This is important if you run a site that uses SSL for credit card processing.
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Helps prevent data interruption or loss.
You can use multiple servers in multiple physical locations to prevent data loss with dedicated hosting.
By locating multiple servers in different sections of a data centre or entirely different data centres, your data is protected completely. It is secured against any outages or accidents by doing so.
Choosing a reliable and reputed dedicated server is also extremely important when it comes to security. You need to consider the provider’s in-house protective measures to tailor security according to your needs.
Always make sure to install any security software to add an extra layer of server security.
Ways to Secure a Dedicated Server
Given below are a few ways by which you can secure a dedicated server:
- Use anti-virus software
To detect and isolate any viruses, trojans, or spyware that can damage your server. Perform regular malware scans to protect your server from security threats. There are automated tools that can protect your server by scanning it for malware.
- Install security updates and patches
If you skip this step, hackers can take advantage of outdated software or other vulnerabilities. Make sure to remove unused software.
You can choose a managed dedicated server in case you are busy or not technically savvy to do these updates.
- Have individual accounts for each user
Give limited privileges and access to the users of the server. Only the administrator should have root access to the server, along with a personal account.
Make sure that only the admin has the power to install certain software.
- Backup your data
You are likely to experience data loss at some point in time. This is why you should always have a backup copy of important data.
No matter how careful you are, it can happen due to a hardware failure or due to any external factors. Save your backups in different storage devices.
Go for a Dedicated Server to Protect your Business
Dedicated servers are much safer and performance-oriented compared to shared servers. Purchase a dedicated server at affordable rates from hosting providers so that you have full control over your security system.
