It’s the number one issue on the internet – security – and it’s the issue that the best of the best web hosting companies have made their topmost priority. Every consumer fears becoming a victim of identity theft, and every business with an online presence fears it happening through their website. Hackers, scammers, spammers, and saboteurs abound. And as the technologies to defeat these antagonistic advances so do their hacking, scamming, spamming, and sabotaging technologies.

Most web hosting companies have one or more Firewalls in place to protect your precious data (and if yours doesn’t – run for the hills), but the best web hosting companies are also on the lookout for DoS attacks (Denial of Service), a common indicator of possible identity theft. For those webmasters wishing even greater protection, a Virtual Private Network is a costlier but ultra-secure option offered by only the best web hosting companies.

Now, if you accept payments directly on your website, you’ll need to be sure that your Shopping Cart (or Checkout Counter) is completely secure. Among the best web hosting companies these days, this comes in the form of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) digital encryption technology on both outgoing and incoming data. Savvy web surfers know this, and they will look for the SSL seal before giving you their credit card number, we practically guarantee it.

One of the most common avenues for internet fraud, identity theft, and other malicious online activity is through your email. And once again, the best web hosting companies are on top of it, protecting you from the threats posing anyone with an email address, the most predominant of which are:

Phishing
Here scammers send you fraudulent emails purportedly sent by companies with whom you already do business (ie. credit card companies, banks, investment accounts, online store memberships), specifically those companies that handle confidential personal information (social security number, address, login info and passwords, etc.). These emails claim that something needs updating in your account profile and urges you to click the convenient embedded link which will supposedly take you directly to their website where you can log in and change that info right away. Unfortunately, the website you’re sent to is a fraudulent duplicate site that looks exactly like the site it’s pretending to be. When you enter in your username, password, and pertinent info, you’re feeding it directly to the scammers. The best web hosting companies can identity and intercept these nasty culprits before they ever wind up in your inbox.

Viruses
If one of these malicious little programs infects your computer, you could be in store for a whole heap of problems. That’s why any web host that offers its own virus blocker is among the best web hosting companies. The best of the best web hosting companies, though, make sure to constantly update and upgrade their virus blocker to keep up with the never-ending barrage of new viruses invading cyberspace;

Spam
There are many ways to thwart spam – those indiscriminate mass emailings that mercilessly clog up our inbox and often act as carriers of viruses. And all web hosts, not just the best web hosting companies, should at least have some sort of spam filters in place that analyze incoming emails and flag those with suspicious content and mailing criteria.

You’ll also see “Accept” lists and “Deny” lists (albeit sometimes under a different name). Accept lists are user-defined lists of senders permitted into your inbox. All emails not from senders on this list are separated for further, also user-defined, action. “Deny” lists are user-defined lists of senders forbidden from your inbox. All emails from senders on these lists are separated for further action, also user-defined, usually deletion.

The best web hosting companies use advanced spam filters that learn as they go based on your email patterns and continually improves upon its ability to know what you’d like done with each and every email.

If you do ever suspect that you’ve been a victim of identity theft, immediately notify your web host, your internet service provider, and your DNS registrar.

They’ll tell you exactly what you need to do, and then you do exactly what they say. If you wish, you may also file a police report, but only after you’ve contacted the above 3 places first. It’s a wise idea, if for no other reason than to have an official record of the crime should it (heaven forbid) become a recurring thing.

But even the best web hosting companies can’t do all your security work for you. For total piece of mind, there’s nothing like a little do-it-yourself security checks on a regular basis. Check your web host’s server logs for anything odd – mainly, changes that you don’t recall making yourself. Note the time and date stamp of the change as well as the IP addressed involved and the associated ISP. Then look into it. Don't wait for your web host to keep your secure, even if they are one of the best web hosting companies out there. Do it yourself too, as a part of your scheduled website maintenance.