Nowadays, you need the internet for almost everything. From conducting research to entertainment and commerce, there’s hardly anything you can’t do online. Regardless of why you use the internet, one thing is clear—you need a quality server for the best user experience. If you wish to get your website online, you sure can’t do without a server.
A server is a computer that manages your access to data, programs, resources, and services over a network. The quality of your server depends hugely on the type of web hosting that provides them. The most common web hosting are shared hosting, virtual private servers, and dedicated servers.
These hosting services provide different advantages to clients depending on their needs. However, when it comes to providing security, the dedicated servers are most renowned for that. If it’s true, why is that, you may ask?
We’ve provided all the answers you need in this article. Furthermore, we will discuss the other benefits that dedicated server users stand to gain.
Are Dedicated Servers More Secure than Other Server Hosting?
The answer to this question is a big YES, especially when in comparison with shared hosting. While shared hosting connotes one server housing many users and websites, a dedicated server hosts one website or user. As such, shared hosting is much cheaper as multiple users share the cost of one server.
However, what shared hosting gains in budget-friendliness, it lacks in optimal security for the same reason. Shared hosting means all the resources are shared, including data security. However, unlike shared hosting, dedicated servers focus all it’s security resources on one user or website.
For better comprehension, we can liken shared hosting to a shared apartment and dedicated hosting to a single-tenant flat. The tenants in a shared flat share the bills and every other resource in the house. On the other hand, the single-tenant pays the bills alone and enjoys unlimited access to all the apartment resources.
The more tenants there are in the house, the more security concerns heighten. In shared apartments, there’s more likelihood of someone snooping around your stuff than there is in a single-tenant apartment. So, if you have highly valuable and sensitive stuff you’d like to protect at all costs, you’re better off living alone.
It’s the same thing with shared and dedicated hosting. While shared hosting can be budget-friendly, dedicated servers provide cost-efficiency, offering you better value for money. That’s especially if top-notch security is important for you.
Another feature that makes dedicated servers more secure is the personalization aspect. Since dedicated hosting serves just you, you can adapt its security settings to suit your peculiar needs. That means you can also add security to your dedicated servers by beefing it up any way you like. You can’t do that with a service shared with other users.
How to Add Security to Your Dedicated Servers
Your dedicated server offers you top-level security just by serving only you. However, there are many ways to increase your dedicated server security further to suit your needs. The most simple methods include:
1. Installing DDoS Protection
DDoS is an acronym for Distributed Denial of Service. A DDoS attack can cause a site to crash by flooding the webserver with loads of fake traffic. When the fake traffic becomes overwhelming, it overloads the server and the server can no longer perform optimally.
DDoS attacks are now one of the most common ways hackers breach a website’s data. As such, web owners who wish to secure their servers must install DDoS protection to fight these attacks. There are many DDoS protection options to choose from depending on how much security you need. Some reliable web hosting services even offer free DDoS protection for their clients.
2. Checking for Security Updates
Dedicated server administrators are consistently looking for new ways to beef up your server security. This means that when loopholes are found, they try to fix it. When they do, they notify you through security update notifications.
It’d help if you always installed those new updates and patches as soon as they become available as ignoring them will put your server and website at great risk. In fact, it’s best to always be on the lookout for such updates instead of waiting for them to pop up on your screen first.
Furthermore, always delete applications and programs that you’d no longer need after every update.
3. Using Trusted Networks Only
You’d never allow an unidentified person into your home, will you? You should take the same approach with your dedicated server. Never give room for hackers to have a field day on your website by using unreliable and insecure networks, especially when you’re logging into your server account.
Ensure that you follow this rule when using public Wifi or any shared network. That’s because, over a public network, anyone can access your root data, attach it to open ports creating a loophole for all sorts of atrocities.
4. Scheduling Frequent Data Backups
One of the simplest and easiest ways to secure your data is via regular backups. It serves to secure your server data whether there’s a security breach or not. If your data ever gets compromised, you can easily regain it and get your site running again without stress. As such, it’s important to choose a hosting provider that allows you back your data up daily or as regularly as possible.
5. Investing in a Managed Services Provider
When using a dedicated server, you can either subscribe to a managed or an unmanaged solution. An unmanaged solution means that you will maintain your servers yourself, while a managed dedicated server allows experienced server administrators to maintain your servers on your behalf.
If you’re not technologically inclined, or you lack the time and resources to maintain your server as needed, it’s best to stick with the managed alternative. Top-notch server maintenance helps to boost your server security as it includes running regular security audits and installing regular security updates from time to time.
What are the Other Advantages of Dedicated Servers?
Apart from providing top-level security for your websites, there are many reasons why you should consider dedicated hosting. We’ve listed some of them below:
1. Enhanced Performance
Your dedicated server will perform much better than other web hosting solutions because it provides more than enough resources for your website needs. This means better bandwidth and 100% uptime for your business.
2. Flexibility
Dedicated servers offer a wide range of customization options for clients. Customers have significant access to various applications, software, and lots more.
3. Unique IP address
A dedicated server offers you a unique IP address with shared hosting doesn’t. This is particularly important for running e-commerce sites.
4. Cost-Efficiency
Dedicated servers are one of the easiest ways to get great value for fewer costs. With dedicated servers, you can be sure that your money is being put to good use.
5. Access to Administrative Control
Shared hosting users cannot have individual access to the administrative control of their servers. However, with dedicated servers, clients can easily become administrators because of their access to such facilities.
Conclusion
A dedicated server offers you the best security solutions for your website. That’s because its resources are shared by no other user. More than just acquiring a dedicated server you must hire a service provider that understands your security needs and offers you enough flexibility to increase your security as you like.