When purchasing web hosting for your site, how do you know the company is really safe and honest? Most just say, "We Care About Security," but can we trust what they say? I have used many web hosting companies over the past 20 years, and, believe me, sometimes their claims of "secure" are just talk. Therefore, we need trust seals for web hosting companies.
What is a Trust Seal?
A trust seal is a badge that says, "This company is following the highest standards for safety and honesty." You've probably seen similar trust seals on ecommerce sites, such as "Secure Checkout" or "Verified Business."
In the web hosting world, it would mean this hosting company is following cybersecurity standards, not just a basic standard like a ssl certificate. The Secure Hosting Alliance (SHA) is operating a program that will provide a trust seal for hosting companies to demonstrate they are providing secure hosting services.
The Usefulness of Trust Seals in Hosting Security
Old security practices aren't good enough
Just a few years ago, HTTPS was good enough, or a privacy policy. Hackers are much smarter now using AI, bots, phishing, etc. Our old knowledge will not protect us. The same protections will not protect us from today's confrontations. We need a new level of practice to combat new breaches.
It helps your customers make a more informed choice.
Have you ever found yourself deciding between two advertising hosting companies that are seemingly identical? Same price same feature set? A trust seal will simplify that choice for you. You simply select the company that demonstrated a safer and transparent model.
It benefits the entire internet environment
When more providers follow someone else's higher standards for security it is a win-win situation. The web is safer, and people regain trust in online services. Rather than simply competing on price, hosts are able to compete on trust and quality as well.
Features of an Effective Trust Seal
A good seal should focus on:
• Transparency: Simple and obvious rules, rules communication
• Security: Good systems to prevent abuse or hacking
• Reliability: Predictable uptime and recovery plans
• Accountability: Real resolution when something goes wrong
That's what the SHA Trust Seal intends to achieve.
It is possible for a trust seal to improve the Internet experience for everyone from small bloggers to large companies, by compelling hosting companies to be honest, careful, and transparent.
When you are selecting a web host the next time, go ahead and ask the question: "Do you have a verified trust seal?". If the answer is no, you might want to find a web host company that has a verified trust seal. After all, your data is your data, and trust should never be just saying something, trusted data should be verified.