Editing Web hosting service (section)

== Security ==
Because web hosting services host websites belonging to their customers, [[Computer security|online security]] is an important concern. When a customer agrees to use a web hosting service, they are relinquishing control of the security of their site to the company that is hosting the site. The level of security that a web hosting service offers is extremely important to a prospective customer and can be a major factor when considering which provider a customer may choose.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schultz|first=Eugene|title=Attackers hit Web hosting servers|journal=Computers & Security|volume=22|issue=4|pages=273–283|doi=10.1016/s0167-4048(03)00402-4|year=2003}}</ref>

Web hosting servers can be attacked by malicious users in different ways, including uploading [[malware]] or malicious [[code]] onto a hosted [[website]]. These attacks may be done for different reasons, including stealing credit card data, launching a [[Distributed denial of service attack|Distributed Denial of Service Attack]] (DDoS) or [[spamming]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.instantshift.com/2011/02/11/a-guide-to-web-hosting-security-issues-and-prevention/|title=A Guide to Web Hosting Security Issues and Prevention|last=InstantShift|website=InstantShift - Web Designers and Developers Daily Resource.|date=11 February 2011 |access-date=2016-10-31}}</ref>