Anyone who is doing business over the internet needs to have secure web hosting. There are many security threats, and anytime you're dealing with customer data you need to be sure it's safe from prying eyes. This is especially true if you're using a shared host, where multiple websites are hosted on a single server.

If you're considering shared hosting for your business website, check with your hosting company to find out what kind of security they use on their systems. You want to be 100% sure that your website is not accessible by any of the other people hosted on that same server.

You should also find out about the host's policies regarding scripts and software installed on the server. If unproven code is allowed, it can lead to problems if someone else on the server is running a program that is poorly written.

The third thing you need to check is what the host's policies are regarding operating system upgrades and maintenance. Windows gets most of the bad press about security problems, but they happen on Linux and Unix as well. You want to be sure your host applies these fixes quickly once they are released.

Fourth, find out how often your host audits their security, and whether they do it themselves or use a third-party to do it for them. Even the best maintained systems can sometimes fail, and having an audit done - especially by a third-party - can sometimes uncover problems before they get exploited.

Finally, take steps to protect yourself as well. Don't use easy-to-guess passwords for your website, and don't use the same password for everything. If someone can guess your password, they can wreak havoc on your site.

These five steps will go a long way to ensuring that your website and - most importantly - your customers' personal data are safe and secure from attack or theft.

About the Author:

John Lenaghan writes about web site hosting and other related topics for the Hosting Report website. Get more helpful hosting information at http://www.hostingreport.org