Hosting E-Learning Platforms: Top Security Concerns & How to Fix Them

[johny899]

Have you ever taken an online class and wondered if your personal information was secure? I do, virtually every day. When we utilize an e-learning platform, Security is incredibly important, just like locking your door at night. You don’t wait until after your home has been burglarized to lock up. Let’s have an informal discussion about the security risks involved in e-learning platforms, as well as how we can protect ourselves from them.

The Importance of Security​

Both students and teachers share a large amount of sensitive information with each other online:

• Full name, email, cell phone number, etc.
• Credit card or other form of payment information
• Assignments/certificates etc. that they will receive through the e-learning platform.

What if all of this information was available for anyone to view online? E-Learning platforms are vulnerable to many different types of cyber security threats including, but not limited to:

• Hackers stealing personal information
• Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks against the website
• Malicious viruses inserted via poor coding practices
• Unauthorized access to accounts.

Although these may seem alarming, the good news is that we can take steps to minimize or eliminate the risks associated with these threats.

Protect Your Users’ Data​

A while back, I helped someone recover from a hack on their online course website. The site's security was weak—cheap shared hosting was utilized—which created a disaster for the students accessing the site. This lack of protection made it so that students moved away from using the site for several weeks.

In order to safely protect your users’ data, you will want to make sure your host has:

• SSL Certificates: SSL certificates encrypt the data sent back and forth between users and the website, thereby stopping any outsiders from intercepting their communication.

• Regular Backup: Backing up your data regularly ensures you do not lose anything should something happen to go wrong with the website.

• Safe payment system: Never store card numbers on your website.

• Two-Factor Authentication: Additional security for your users’ accounts.

Websites with decent security do tend to load a little slower than insecure websites. That's ok though. What matters more to consumers is that they feel secure while shopping.

Select the Best Hosting Service​

The type of hosting you select has a great deal to do with the level of security you have on your website.

Shared Hosting​

Cheap, but extremely risky. If one website is hacked, there is an excellent chance that many others will also be hacked.

VPS Hosting​

VPS is the optimal choice for hosting an online course website. You have complete control over your server and its resources. Many VPS hosting services also provide additional security features. Therefore, if all else fails when it comes to e-learning solutions, VPS will be your best option.

Choosing When to Switch from Dedicated to Cloud Hosting​

If you operate a large-scale e-learning platform, you need the most powerful, safest, and scalable hosting possible. Why take a risk by saving money if it puts your users' data at risk?

Stop Downtime and Attacks​

Imagine you are teaching a live class and your website goes down suddenly. That would create absolute chaos.

Therefore, you must look for a hosting company that has:

• Protection against DDoS Attacks
• High-Quality Firewall Services
• Real-Time Monitoring
• Automatic Resource Scaling

All of these services will help prevent fake traffic that could bring your website down.

Follow Rules and Regulations​

In addition to providing an excellent service to your clients, e-learning platforms must also comply with key regulations such as:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) - Protecting Personal Data

• FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) - Protecting Student Education Records

• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) - Protecting your Clients' Payment Information

When you comply with these regulations, you will build trust with your customers.

In Summary​

If you are planning to host an e-learning platform, security is your number one priority

Invest in high quality hosting, protect your users' data and update your system on a regular basis.