The majority of web hosting security issues are caused by flaws within web application. In fact, producing a 100% secure Web application is a very difficult task that only the most experienced developers can accomplish. In many cases, web developers are paid on a per project basis, and therefore rush to finish the project without putting a large emphasis on the security of the application and whether or not it will compromise the safety of the user’s web hosting account and computer. Thus, most of the serious security lapses caused by such applications are not recognized or realized until they cause a significant amount of loss or damage to a webmaster. To avoid becoming such a webmaster and to secure your online operations, you may want to consider the following information about securing web applications.

Utilizing Complex Programming Languages

One way programmers make web applications more secure is by developing them in more complex programming languages that are less popular amongst hackers. For example, the PHP programming language is extremely popular and can be found in nearly every content management system web application promoted online. However, this popularity makes it much easier for novice and experienced hackers to exploit the weaknesses of a web application developed using PHP. While not all PHP web applications are unsafe, by utilizing less popular programming languages such as Microsoft ASP it is possible to significantly reduce the likelihood of having your site or web hosting account hacked.

Testing the Security of a Web Application

Before utilizing a web application it is important to ensure that it is completely secured, and does not provide any loopholes through which hackers can gain access to the administrative interface of your web hosting account. Hackers are known for using any means necessary to infiltrate online interfaces and gain control of websites, and the most popular types of web hosting exploit used today relies upon web hosting applications. Hackers may distribute dangerous web applications that are installed on the victims’ Web servers, at which point the hacker can request and send information to and from the server freely. Once this happens, an entire universe of opportunities opens up for the hacker, giving them the ability to extract information from your website’s databases, and even change the content of the sites (a tactic known as ‘defacing’). To test the security of the web application you may need to hire your own programmer, or use proprietary packing software to test security holes.

Working with Reputable Programmers

Perhaps one of the best ways to avoid unsecured web applications is to utilize the services of a reputable programmers, rather than installing free applications that are in the public domain. Hackers distribute free applications with the hopes that webmasters will install them on their server, thereby giving them the aforementioned access needed to carry out a variety of nefarious tasks. By working with a team of reliable and reputable programmers you can ensure that your web applications are developed to accommodate all of your specific requirements and specifications.

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Original: Eliminating Hosting Security Flaws by Securing Web Applications

There’s really no right or wrong answer in the debate over preference and feasibility of PHP and ASP. The argument over which language is better suited for use is completely personal preference and in most cases a product of web developer training and hosting environments.  ASP and PHP are both a form of server side scripts that can enhance a web sites performance and applications. While PHP is currently the more favored script over ASP it’s not necessarily the best.

PHP

PHP is compatible with both UNIX and NT servers. This particular language is generally seen on UNIX hosting plans with a combination of MySQL services.  PHP is known for things like WordPress, Dolphin7, and many different content management systems.  Generally speaking, PHP is easier to learn. There is more documentation on the usage of PHP and that makes finding help easier to do. Also coupled with the fact that hosting is generally cheaper for PHP, it makes it a great platform for just about any business application.

ASP

ASP, or active server pages, is the alter ego for PHP. ASP was developed by Microsoft to run on Windows servers. ASP works in the same manner as PHP but is known to be a bit more difficult to learn and understand than PHP. A lot of this is probably attributed to the dual language approach of writing ASP in which it can be in VB or C#. The benefit to this is one website can run both languages of ASP pages. While it’s not as commonly used as PHP, it does have a large amount of benefits. Microsoft SQL server is one of them.

While most things from Microsoft are not free, it does have its perks for paying for them. PHP has a lot of systems and add ons that are open source. This is great because it’s free. However, free has a cost. Free usually means no support. Microsoft services do have support and that may be way ASP still contends with PHP as a viable substitute.

Honestly, both languages and approaches are great. It all just depends on what language you are comfortable using as a software developer and webmaster. If you prefer UNIX systems, then obviously PHP is your choice. But, if you prefer windows systems, then you may favor PHP. Both systems can do the same thing, making the choice entirely personal preference.

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Original: A Closer Look at PHP vs ASP

Everyday millions of people surf the web without knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the web server they’re interacting with. However, as a webmaster you are required to have at least basic knowledge about server technology in order to have an increased understanding of how to improve your productivity and prevent common problems.

MySQL is the most common database type used in web servers, and is utilized on the majority of web sites on the internet. In basic terms, MySQL databases are a type of database that let you develop a relational structure with a database in order to store data and automate web site procedures. MySQL holds the site’ tables, while PHP facilitates the communication between the server and your visitors. Using MySQL databases a web developer can create robust and diverse projects that are not limited by data distribution restrictions and other common hurdles.

The following information sheds light on what MySQL databases are an how they work.

Open Source MySQL

MySQL is an open source database type that is free and easy to install on most web servers. In fact, if you have a web hosting plan, and currently utilizing any type of blogging or web site creation platform, then there is a good chance that your hosting plan is compatible with and is currently utilizing MySQL databases. In most cases MySQL databases are associated with Linux servers, however the technology is not limited to these and can be compatible with Windows servers as well. Because MySQL is an open source database type, it is frequently expanding in its functionality and there is a lot of assistance available online regarding its use. Even so, using MySQL databases can be a bit confusing for the novice webmaster, since there is no WYSYWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor.

Using MySQL Databases and PHPMyAdmin

MySQL requires you to create data tables using SQL statements, which can be created manually, or via another open source third party tool called PHPMyAdmin. This software gives you a simplified user interface that will let you create tables for use within the MySQL database platform, and also lets you run queries to find pre-existing information within the databases on your server, which can be a tremendous time saver for busy webmasters that need to find specific data with ease. You can also type in simple information and have this info turned into a database automatically using PHPMyAdmin. Using this software is a must if you are trying to boost your productivity and simplify the process of creating and managing your MySQL databases.

MySQL vs. Microsoft Access

There are many differences between Microsoft Access and MySQL, and in general MySQL is a much more robust solution than Access. In regards to speed and reliability, MySQL is leaps and bounds ahead of access because of its open source user-friendliness and simple expandability. Access is only a desktop database system, so it cannot really be compared with MySQL, which is a comprehensive online database system.

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Original: Understanding MySQL Databases

The more normal to even more abnormal security problems on the internet are usually the effects of a lazy programmer that has left a loop hole unchecked somewhere. A lot of the time the web designers do not have that much time to get their project finished in the proper manner, therefore the security is most likely one of the last issues on their mind. This is why many of the ensuing problems are not noticed until they have caused a serious problem in the network of the program. There are various different solutions to preventing such a problem form occurring on your site.

PHP

One of the newer type of programming dialects that is getting more and more widespread among all of the new ones is PHP. PHP is most likely the simplest to use of all of the other dialects, because of this it is probably misused more and more by the less experienced web programmers to eliminate time which in turn expedites the process but leaves it faulty. PHP’s overwhelming simplicity and the little amount of learning that it takes makes the room for there to be many different insecurities in the software that is created.

Unsure Web Apps

Phishing techniques, identity theft, and any other way to mess up the the security server for an operating system are techniques used by hackers trying to get into a network. Nowadays the main concern of web hackers is getting into the administrative interface of someones website to have the ability to get into online databases and server files. Most web applications have loopholes and this is probably the most simple way for hackers to infiltrate the site. Though web applications make the work of a webmaster much simpler with the least amount of hassle, there is a price as there is with just about any tool that makes the work easier.

Looking for Your Own Workers

Because web applications all have direct accessibility to ones site administrative functions, the applications can be used for many different atrocious acts, and also have direct access to the control panel of your sight. For an online business owner, this could ruin their business. To avoid this situation try to not use any new web applications that come from an unreliable source. Instead of using a web application for an over populated site, try using a personal developer that is qualified better for assisting you in making custom web applications.

Conclusion

Though the PHP dialect is very quick and efficient there are still many flaws if not used properly or not used by the right person. If the proper steps are take then the end result should be suitable to fit the users needs.

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Original: PHP and Normal Web Hosting Security Problems

Content management systems have become an integral part of a webmaster’s daily duties, simplifying the process of managing and operating a website within a centralized user-friendly interface. Before content management systems website owners had to have training in HTML, PHP and CSS in order to create, organize and upload web pages manually.

Fortunately, with the advent of CMS like WordPress and Drupal, webmasters can now create and manage stunning websites with little or no web development experience. Moreover, most web hosting plans include Fantastico, an extremely useful application that usually comes free in web hosting accounts powered by the cPanel. Designed to run on Unix-like platforms, its purpose is to facilitate the simple installation of a wide range of add-on programs totally free and in a matter of minutes.

Web hosting account from WebHostingHub.com, for example, comes with cPanel and Fantastico De Luxe and therefore, includes all of the popular website software such as WordPress, B2Evolution, Geeklog, Nucleus, Joomla, Drupal, Mambo, Moodle, Cube Cart, OS Commerce, Zen Cart and many more [Hub's cPanel demo]. WebHostingHub.com is one of the best rated personal web hosting provider across many reputable hosting directories and reviews sites. Make sure you have taken that into account when searching for web hosting service for your Drupal or WordPress web site.

Nevertheless, the two aforementioned content management systems are the best in the industry, but which is the crowd favorite?

WordPress

In terms of popularity, WordPress is leaps and bounds above all competitors. Originally designed as a blogging platform, WordPress has grown into an extremely useful content management system over the past few years. The strong point of WordPress is the abundance of plugins that have been designed by independent developers. Literally every aspect of site creation, organization and search engine optimization can be dealt with using WordPress plugins. These plugins are basically additions to the CMS, which enhance the functionality of the user interface.

With hundreds of WordPress plugins available, and new ones being created each day, it is easy to see why WordPress is easily the crowd favorite. Many people find it difficult to find the right plugins to simplify a specific task. Fortunately there is a large WordPress community that can offer advice on which plugins to use and how to use the WordPress content management system properly.

Drupal

Drupal is a unique advanced content management system that gives the user complete control over the development of a site. Unlike other CMS which utilize WYSIWYG editors and simplified interfaces, Drupal is made specifically for web developers. In fact, it is said that Drupal is actually more of a development platform than a simple CMS. Even though Drupal is not very user-friendly, it is perfect for professional web developers that need full control over scripting and advanced site design. One of the strong points of Drupal is the massive user community full of professional web developers that are constantly sharing advice and tips on how to use Drupal. When used correctly, Drupal can create the best websites on the internet, and due to its advanced capabilities there are very few limitations.

Conclusion

Both content management systems have their own pros and cons, however WordPress is generally seen as being the best choice for novice webmaster. More advanced web developers should consider Drupal, as it offers freedom and control not seen in any other CMS. Many webmasters use both Drupal and WordPress, depending upon their needs for a particular website. The limitations of both content management systems depend entirely upon the user’s experience and resources. With the right plugins WordPress can beat just about any CMS in existence. However, when utilized by the right developer Drupal can create sites that WordPress cannot even manage! Ultimately, the decision is left to the webmaster, their experience level, and their needs.

For the best WordPress or Drupal web hosting providers check one of the web’s popular web hosting directories – WebHostingRating.com. They have detailed info on all major web hosting providers accompanied by unedited web hosting reviews and ratings by real customers. Also make sure you’ve checked WebHostingGeeks.com – an independent web hosting reviews site with web hosting offers under $10 a month and 30 day money back guarantee.

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Original: The Best CMS – WordPress vs. Drupal

ZNET Technologies formerly known as ZNET India has announced the launch of PHP hosting service with name NetGrey (www.netgrey.com). The launch was announced this Friday in which the introductory price is $6.75/ month. This novice service is specifically designed for developers who work on open source technologies.

There is no doubt that PHP is extensively being used by developers these days. Through this scripting language, developers can very easily create forms and dynamic web pages.

“With the launch of an exclusive website Netgrey.com for PHP users, it is very easy for webmasters and IT professionals to experience feature-packed PHP Web Hosting service set up on the most recent version of the PHP language,” says Munesh Singh, CEO of Znet Technologies. “Our new range of PHP hosting would be an undisputed leader in the world of server-ended open source scripting.”

Through PHP hosting service from ZNET Technologies, users would be able to access wide array of PHP modules and PHP libraries. This would enhance their developing capability through a range of PHP scripts.

NetGrey service includes Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Media Wiki, Mambo, b2 Evolution & various PHP blog/wiki scripts, and other kinds of PHP content management system, PHP photo gallery scripts like Coppermine Photo Gallery and Photo Post, PHP Online Forums like phpBB, Invision Board, vBulletin, and many other PHP based online forums, and PHP templating engines like Smarty PHP template system.

There are number of PHP hosting packages for users; some of plans include free website builder, unlimited disk space, unlimited domain hosting, unlimited data transfer and ecommerce capabilities.

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Original: ZNET Technologies Launches PHP Hosting Service

The software industry is very diverse, offering solutions to just about every digital problem in existence. Learning how to use a very complex piece of software is enough to drive anyone crazy, and the sad part is – many people do not even know how to run their software. This is especially true for software that needs to be run on web server.

Almost any software that requires constant access to the internet can be hosted on an Apache server and run using your hosting account. This not only saves your computer system resources, thus speeding up your computer, it also expedites the overall efficiency of the software itself.

Installing the Software on Your Server

Installing software onto a web server is relatively simple if you know what you are doing. You can even run several software at once on the same web server. The problem occurs when you realize that not all software can be installed in the same way. That’s when you encounter various terms such as PHP, MySQl, and more. Although the installation process differs depending upon the software or script, in general you will need to use an FTP client for every installation.

Uploading Software to Web Server

The first step in uploading the software to the web server is to download a good FTP client. I would recommend FileZilla because it is free, popular, reliable, and easy to use. Once you have FTP client installed you can then navigate to the software files on the hard driver side of the FTP client (the left side). Right click on it and then press upload. It is important to note that you need to read the README file of your software to see where you need to install the software on your web server. Most software will do just fine if they are installed in the route folder of web server.

Running the Software

Once again this process differs depending upon the software you are running and what it is intended to do. A basic script can be run simply by visiting the web page that the script was installed to. For example, if you installed a very simple script that generates random names, you would simply visit the page that the script is installed on and click the generate button. Of course this is a basic example, however the concept remains the same for any script or software that you install or use on a web server.  The program is accessed the same way a web page would be accessed, this means it is important for you to know which directory the software is installed in.

Conclusion

Not all software can be run on a web server, however if you have extra server resources available and you are trying to run a powerful piece of software on a constant basis, then you should definitely consider running any demanding software remotely using your web server, this is especially true if you are already paying a lot for a dedicated or VPS server.

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Original: Using Your Hosting Account to Run Software

In the past, building websites required advanced skills in internet technology and various programming languages. Webmasters needed to be well-versed in HTML, PHP, CSS, and other programming fields, in order to create even a relatively simple website. Many times website owners would have to pay web developers a hefty fee to set up their website for them, and in many cases this still happens today. However, as the the internet has become more user-friendly, and with the advent of web 2.0, website owners can now use what are called CMS (Content Management Systems) to build, organize and maintain their websites. Some of these content management system let users upload preset themes that can be customized easily within a user-friendly interface. One of the most popular content management systems available is WordPress.

What is WordPress?

Although WordPress is actually a blogging platform, it is commonly used to create static web pages and complete websites. WordPress is basically a website administrative interface that lets you control every aspect of the site using tools that even the most novice users can utilize. These tools let you post text, images and any other kind of media quickly and easily without having any programming knowledge whatsoever. WordPress is updated on a regular basis you don’t have to worry about it becoming obsolete at all. WordPress can be installed by a complete novice using tools provided by your web host such as Fantastico or Simple Script.

WordPress Plugins

One of the most appealing aspects of WordPress is it’s expandability. By using a vast array of plugins, users can do just about anything they desire with ease. New plugins are being created everyday, and they can be installed in less than one minute by even the most inexperienced webmaster. Once installed the plugin resides in the left side of the WordPress interface in the navigational bar, where you can easily adjust the plugin settings and control every aspect of your site’s functionality. Using plugins like the All-in-One SEO pack, you can even automatically optimize your site’s pages for the search engines.

Creating Static Web Pages with WordPress

Since WordPress was originally a blogging platform, creating a regular website can present some challenges to the novice user. The main problem is that the latest post will always be displayed at the top of the main page, which makes it hard to design a website as you would like it. Every time you add a new post, the order of your content will be disrupted since the latest post will be displayed at the top of the front page. This obviously is not desired if you want to have your content arranged a certain way. So how do you fix it? Well the answer is actually quite simple – use a plugin! There is a plugin called StickyOrderer that will let you organize your posts in the fashion want them, and you can do this on every page of your site! Using this plugin alone you can create well organized websites, instead of scattered blogs.

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Original: Building Websites using WordPress as a CMS

Most of the security risks on the internet today are the result of faulty programming and exploitable code. Many developers do not place security high on their list of priorities, as they’re often rushed for deadlines that they must meet in order to finish a paid project. Sadly, most of the security flaws within their programs are not discovered until the flaw has been exploited and the program is the cause of a compromised site or network. Of all the programming types, PHP is the most common, and is said to be the most useful. PHP is also easier to use than any other programming tool, and as the popularity of PHP programming increases, more new programmers are becoming interested in using PHP. This  influx of inexperienced programmers designing web applications has resulted in an internet full of unsafe websites.

Web Applications and Security

Web applications enhance the functionality and productivity of websites in a variety of ways, and have therefore become very popular amongst website owners. Unfortunately, website owners don’t realize how much of a risk they’re taking by installing and using these applications. Web applications are installed directly into your control panel, which makes them part of a your administrative interface. If a hacker can gain access to your user interface, they can basically do whatever they’d like with your website, including deface it with questionable or inappropriate content. In fact, some web applications are designed by hackers specifically for this purpose. Before you install a web application you should make sure it is from a reliable source, and only install applications that are absolutely necessary towards the progress of your site. If possible, try to work with professional developers to have your own web applications made.

BruteForce

Another way hackers can gain access to your administrative interface is by sending requests to your website’s server repeatedly in order to receive certain information. Many times this information will be something as simple as a password or nickname. They use the information returned to see if they’re guessing the right password without having to wait for a long time. This method is incorporated into hacking programs called Bruteforce programs. These programs repeatedly input information into your sites login fields, in order to guess a correct username and password.

Since the process is done remotely, the hacker will need to know when they have successfully logged in to the account in order for the program to stop sending information. If they fail to realize they are logged in, then the program will continue sending login information which will reverse their success. Hackers avoid this pitfall by getting your site to send them a line of code when they have successfully penetrated the user area of the site. To prevent this from happening you’ll need to change a few settings in your administrative interface to restrict HTTP requests from unknown sources. You can also limit the amount of requests per a certain time frame, to stop the Bruteforce program from receiving information from your website repeatedly.

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Original: Popular Programming Security Risks

Building a website by yourself is a very difficult task. So difficult in fact that it is rarely done. If you do decide to build the website without assistance, unless you have extensive experience in website design, and you’re an excellent author at the same time, then chances are your site will be mediocre at best. Cooperation and collaboration is standard in the website creation industry. There are very few people that can establish a professional website without at least seeking the knowledge of another person before hand.

When you work on a site building project with multiple users, having the ability to set restrictions and delegate website duties is imperative. You’ll need to be able to run the operation with precision and authority, in order to same yourself time and frustration. To do this you’ll need a good content management system. Selecting the right open source content management system be a difficult task in and of itself. To make the task easier on yourself, perform the following steps.

Assess Your Needs

The first step is to find out what kind of features you’ll need in a content management system. Will you be delegating work to authors? Will you be working with multiple programmers and designers? If so then you’ll definitely need a secure administrative interface that will give you the ability to designate certain tasks to each of your team members. Write down what kind of features that will be most essential and then you can begin the search.

Look For Compatibility

It is important to remember what kind of operating system you’re using and remember that not all content management systems are compatible with all operating systems. You’ll also need to remember what kind of operating system your sever operates on. It is also important to note which programming language your site uses. The most combination that you will find is PHP language and MySQL databases, being run on an Apache servers. If you don;t want to go through the hassle of finding a compatible content management system, then you may want to find a host that has these features, which most content management systems will be compatible with.

Compile a list of Suitable CMS

Now that you know exactly what you’re looking for it is time to compile a list that will narrow your options and make the final decision easier for you. Open a word processor  or pull out a sheet of paper and a pen and get ready to do some web searching. Finding the top content management systems will not be as hard as you would think. There are many review sites that have already compiled long lists of all of the top content management systems for you. All you have to do is eliminate the content management systems that are not compatible with the needs we assessed above.

Narrow Your Options

Now that you have a large list of CMS to choose from, all that is left to do is to narrow the list down to one CMS. One by one, check of each one as being compatible or not compatible. When you’re finished you should have a list of about 3-5 content management systems. Next visit each one of their websites and test their support team. The final decision will come down to reliability and cost efficiency.

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Original: Choosing Your CMS: Assessing Needs and Comparing Features